While he has no scientific proof to back it up, executive manager of the National Arboretum Scott Saddler believes Warm Trees, the annual project which sees trees adorned with knitted scarves, has a special function.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
“I’d like to think it does help the trees to grow,” he says. “They go into their deciduous stage and it’s cold, the more scarves wrapped around the trunk, the warmer they are, maybe the more they grow.
“You never know,” he says, with a smile.
In its sixth year, Warm Trees, which runs until July 29, is now a global event. This year the New Zealand High Commission has come on board with a giant knitted kiwi made from hundreds of scarves adorning the hill below the Wide Brown Land sculpture, surrounded by Himalayan cedars wrapped in wooly scarves.
There’s also an exhibition celebrating Matariki, or Maori New Year, and cultural workshops involving singing, storytelling and demonstrations.
But it’s also the knitting that’s gone global. Project convenor Jocelyn Plovits has a team knitting in the United Kingdom, via her sister Dorothea, joining knitters from Canberra and around Australia.
“We’ve got hundreds of volunteers,” says Plovits, “from local nursing home residents and children as young as seven, to our dedicated team in the UK.
“We’ve become quite famous, when the call goes out to knit for Warm Trees, no one says ‘What?’ anymore, people want to be involved.”
Plovitz started knitting as a small child. Her mother was an artist and when she needed time to work on her own projects she’d toss her daughters some yarn to keep them amused. She’s a little sad knitting seems to be a lost art and is doing all she can to resurrect the craft.
During the run of Warm Trees she’s facilitating “drop in knitting” mornings where all ages can join in knitting circles to contribute to the project.
“Often over the school holidays, with the grandparents minding minding the grand children, we can have three generations sitting there knitting.
“It’s a lovely thing to see.”
Saddler says Warm Trees brings a whole different dynamic of people to the arboretum.
“Because the arboretum has a lot of deciduous trees, it can look a little bare over winter but with Warm Trees and the scarves, the colour as you drive through the gate even, in the entrance to the main building, there’s colour everywhere and all ages seem to love it.”
Plovits says after the project wraps up, the scarves are gathered and washed and repurposed for charities, some even turned into rugs and sent overseas.
She’s unsure how much yarn has been used.
“In metres? Gazillions, I’d guess. There’s more than 2000 scarves, each one metre scarf takes about five to six metres of yarn. You do the math.”
Warm Trees drop in knitting sessions run daily from 10am-noon, free. No sessions on July 17 or 18.
There is also special Walk with the Wollemi tours from July 16-18, from 10.30am. $15. Rug up and step back in time for a walk among ancient trees and discover their stories then make and take home your own fossil. Suitable for ages 7-12. Bookings essential.
