What is an Arboretum?

What is an arboretum? (Interactive virtual piece by The Morton Arboretum)

What is an arboretum? (Arborist News article by Paist & Luley, 2019)

Modern arboreta: What is the 21st century arboretum? (ArbNet presentation, Brennan, 2024)

ArbNet: 10 years of fostering collaborations, furthering professionalism, and advancing the planting and conservation of trees through the global network of arboreta (Turner-Skoff et al., 2021)

Mission Statement Development

Mission Statement Overview (ArbNet)

Mission Statement Examples (ArbNet)

Questions to Ask in Developing the Key Purpose and Focus of the Garden

Establishing and Managing an Arboretum

Capacity for Conservation: An organizational self-assessment

Tree Conservation Plan (Madison Square Park Tree Conservancy)

Sustainable Campus Landscape Guide (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education)

BGCI Technical Review: Defining the botanic garden, and how to measure performance and success

BGCI Technical Review: Economic, social, and environmental impacts of botanic gardens

Urban Cemeteries as Public Gardens (American Public Gardens Association Conference, 2017)

• Rural Cemetery Movement Led to Public Gardens and Parks—Presented by Dave Barnett, Mount Auburn Cemetery
• Interpretation and Mapping—Presented by Joe Charap, Green-Wood
• Sustainability and Conservation—Presented by Pete Hoskins, Mount Laurel Cemetery

Cemeteries as Arboreta Workshop (ArbNet Conference, 2021)

Change Ahead: How Two Gardens Revamped Their Membership Programs (American Public Gardens Association Conference, 2017)

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 101 (American Public Gardens Association Conference, 2017)

Modern Public Parks Advances the Public’s Botanical Enrichment (American Public Gardens Association Conference, 2017)

Excellent to the Core: A Workshop for Developing Core Documents To Guide Your Organization to Greatness (American Public Gardens Association Conference, 2017)

Institute of Museum and Library Services Grant Opportunities (American Public Gardens Association Conference, 2018)

Education and Events Visitation Report (Moore Farms Botanical Garden)

Guide and Toolkit for New and Emerging Public Gardens (Longwood Fellows)

The role of botanical gardens in scientific research, conservation, and citizen science 

BGCI’s Manual on Planning, Developing, and Managing Botanic Gardens

Botanic Gardens Conservation International developed its Manual on Planning, Developing, and Managing Botanic Gardens in response to the growing demand for up-to-date guidance.

Intended as a flexible, evolving resource, the manual offers practical insights and global case studies for both new and established gardens navigating environmental and organizational challenges.

Chapter 1—Planning and Implementing Botanic Garden Design Projects

Chapter 2—Governance Models, Human and Financial Resources Development

Chapter 3—No Plant Collection without a Strategy or Policy

Chapter 4—The Plant Collection in the International Policy Context

Chapter 5—Collection Record Management Systems

Chapter 6—Horticulture Management

Chapter 7—Using the Plant Collection: Research, Conservation, Education, Public Engagement, Recreation, and Tourism

Chapter 8—Managing Environmental Sustainability

Strategic Planning

Sample Arboretum Plan (ArbNet)

Strategic Plan (Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Arboretum)

Strategic Plan (Boone County Arboretum)

Strategic Plan (United States Capitol Grounds)

Strategic Plan (Mount Pleasant Cemetery)

Bylaws (Springfield Botanical Gardens)

Bylaws (Madison Square Park Conservancy)

Interpretive Plan (Green-Wood Cemetery)

The Power of Planning: Developing Landscape Management Plans for Public Gardens (American Public Gardens Association Conference, 2018)

Building Your Base for a Capital Campaign (American Public Gardens Association Conference, 2018)

Disaster Management and Planning

BGCI Technical Review: The susceptibility of botanic gardens, and their responses to natural and man-made disasters (Botanic Gardens Conservation International, 2021)

APGA Disaster Readiness Initiative and Resources (American Public Gardens Association)

APGA Disaster Preparedness and Risk Management Resources: Targeted towards preparing for disease/pest outbreak (American Public Gardens Association)

Diversity and Inclusion

Employee Development Diversity and Inclusion Attribute (American Public Gardens Association)

Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report 2017 (The Morton Arboretum)

Anti-Racism in the Outdoors Resource Guide (American Public Gardens Association)

Building Diversity and Inclusion video (The Desert Botanical Garden)

Decolonizing Botanical Collections (The Conversation) 

Growing Black Roots: The Black Botanical Legacy (Holden Arboretum)

Growing a Community: The Inaugural #Blackbotanistsweek—Recap and Looking Forward (paper)

Tree Equity Score (American Forests)

Contact ArbNet

For questions, or to contribute a resource related to managing an arboretum, please contact the ArbNet staff at arbnet@mortonarb.org.