THE BOTANIC GARDEN ISS 36 – JULY 2013
• Provide leadership and encourage development of other arboreta
the
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Contact Us
professional
For more information, please contact ArbNet Coordinator Sue Paist at (630) 310-7013 or email Arbnet@mortonarb.org.
• Advance the planting, study, and conservation of trees
How to Apply We encourage gardens and other venues with a tree collection to apply. The accreditation process is simple, based on selfassessment and documentation of an arboretum’s level of achievement. Most arboreta are accredited in 2-4 weeks. The accreditation application can be found here: arbnet.org/ arboretum-accreditation.html.
About ArbNet Established in 2011 at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Ill., ArbNet currently has 50 accredited arboreta. To be accredited at Level I, arboreta must have a labelled tree and woody plant collection, a collections and organizational management policy, be open to the public to some degree, and have at least one public education event per year, such as an Arbor Day celebration. Arboreta accredited at the highest level engage in original scientific research, collaborate and share their data with other organizations, and have a developed public education program. Many smaller or newly established arboreta have used ArbNet to improve their practices and achieve higher accreditation levels.
ArbNet Partners ArbNet is currently partnering with BGCI (Botanical Gardens Conservation International) and APGA (American Public Gardens Association) to encourage collections database sharing. Other partnerships are being developed with The American Chestnut Foundation to develop educational materials and
F. R. Newman Arboretum in Ithaca, New York as part of Cornell University is accredited at Level III and was one of the first to become accredited through the Arbnet Accreditation program in 2011. The arboretum’s collections-including nut trees, oaks, maples, shrubs, and urban trees - comprise a 150 - acre pastoral setting. Specialty gardens in the arboretum include the Zucker Shrub Collection and the Treman Woodland Walk. Photo credit: F. R. Newman Arboretum, Ithaca, New York
distribute blight-resistant seedlings to arboreta interested in highlighting the intriguing story of the American chestnut.
ArbNet Forum on www.arbnet.org A forum is currently under development and will provide arboreta with opportunities to discuss topics related to operations, science and outreach. The website will also house a collection of white papers, authored by member arboreta, discussing best practices and lessons learned.
Our Goal ArbNet is actively working to increase accreditation among arboreta around the world. The more connected we become, the more we can raise awareness and contribute to the conservation and planting of trees.
The Acer Glade photo is from Westonbirt,The National Arboretum in the UK. Its combination of maturity, species diversity and landscape style make it one of the most extraordinary arboretums in the world with an iconic status and tree and landscape heritage. The tree collection itself contains around 16,000 catalogued trees and shrubs from 3000 plant taxa. There are also 5 National Plant Collections including Japanese maples for which the arboretum is so well known. Photo credit: Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, UK
The next photo is from The Morris Arboretum of The University of Pennsylvania. It was established in 1932 as a university-administered arboretum and public garden for research, education and horticultural display. Their collection of scientifically documented plants began in the late 1800’s. More than 12,000 labelled plants of over 2,500 types from the temperate areas of North America, Asia, Africa, and Europe make its living collection. Significant plant collections include conifers, hollies, magnolia, oaks, maples, roses, flowering cherries, and witchhazels.