This poem was inspired by a visit to Canberra’s arboretum. It is a beautiful gift to the city by visionary leaders who rather than opening up the land for development, wanted to create a public park open to all Canberrans and an arboretum, which the city did not yet have. Like almost all the people of Canberra, the forests of the arboretum (there are a hundred) come from far away. Many are species endangered in the homelands. On any fine Canberra weekend the arboretum fills with walkers and families enjoying the beautiful scene. Autumn is particularly special as many of the individual forests don their autumn hues. However this poem…