There are over 100 species of trees from around the world are planted at Foresters Wood.
This area was once the Michelides tobacco farm and there are still old building remnants and ruins. In 1930 the first commercial crop of tobacco was planted which increased over time to 650+ acres. Foresters Wood was established in 1985 as a collaboration between the Institute of Foresters WA Division (IFA) and the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM). The vision was to establish an arboretum.
The first plantings were to represent the spokes of a wheel with species representing commerce (English Oak), culture (Cedar of Lebanon), legend (European Ash) and literature (Laurel). It has a large range of trees from all over the world and the Institute has since put a focus on planting Endangered species.
It is designed to encourage you to think of forests from a wide range of perspectives – conservation, botany, history landscapes – and to walk among trees, learn their stories, soak up the atmosphere and relax. The Institute of Foresters Australia hope that you take away a greater awareness and appreciation of the importance of trees.
Make sure you visit the ‘Heart of the Wood’ where you can learn how the oak, cedar of Lebanon, ash and laurel have changed the course of history.
Foresters Wood is one of the best places in the region to find the red and white mushroom ‘Fly Agaric, or Amanita muscaria’. They come to life when the first cold weather starts to hit the region but there is still enough light/warmth in the daytime to draw them out of the ground. It last roughly 2-4 weeks anytime from April to June.
Foresters Wood host both the Munda Biddi and Bibbulmun tracks. If you take 1km walk through the middle of Foresters wood you will reach a gate at the other end, from here you can go through the gate and turn right to follow the Munda Biddi markers for 2km to One Tree Bridge, then a further 200m walk to Glenoran Pool.
How to get there
Drive down Graphite Road until you reach the Glenoran fire shed and turn onto Glenoran Road. Follow that road past farms and forests, turning right when the road curves and at the end you will find gates to access the stunning arboretum called Foresters Wood.