Botanical gardens and arboretums are wonderful places to go to see a wide range of plant (and often wildlife) diversity. Depending on the size and accessibility of their science and education staff, they may also be an invaluable source of help with plant identification, understanding ecology and biodiversity, and attaining educational materials based on botanical investigations. Below are listed some of the major institutions around the country. Most of these organizations have well-developed Web sites from which a number of resources may be culled.
General Resources
- Botanical Gardens and Arboreta
- Search here for a botanical garden or arboretum in your region.
- Botany Resources on the Web
- Look here for Web links to botanical resources (e.g., gardens and herbaria) in your region.
Northeast
- Arnold Arboretum
125 Arborway
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130-3519
Tel: (617) 524-1718
E-mail: web@arnarb.harvard.edu
- The Arnold Arboretum is a research and educational institution that manages a collection of hardy trees, shrubs, and vines located on 265 acres in Boston, Massachusetts. It is involved with education programs, such as the Community Science Connection (CSC), a new program that encourages teachers and students to look closely at trees throughout the school year and to share their observations with other classrooms around the Boston area.
Support Offered:
- Enrichment classes/presentations
- Field-based activities/excursions
- Educational materials
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden
1000 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225-1099
Tel: (718) 622-4433
- The Garden contains more than 12,000 kinds of plants from around the globe, displayed on 52 acres and in the Steinhardt Conservatory. It also offers gardening, discovery, and science programs for kids. In 1990 the Brooklyn Botanic Garden began the most comprehensive study ever of the plant biodiversity in metropolitan New York (the New York Metropolitan Flora project (NYMF)), which is open to volunteers for participation.
Support Offered:
- Summer classes/workshops for kids
- Classes/workshops for kids
- Enrichment classes/presentations
- Field-based activities/excursions
- Family activities
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The New York Botanical Garden
200th St. & Kazimiroff (Southern) Blvd.
Bronx, New York
Tel: (718) 817-8700
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This National Historic Landmark is recognized for its horticultural excellence, educational programs, and scientific research. Situated on 250 acres in the Bronx, the northernmost borough of New York City, it includes 27 outdoor gardens and plant collections, the nation's most beautiful Victorian conservatory and a 40-acre pre-settlement forest.
Mid-Atlantic
University of Delaware Botanic Gardens
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences
149 Townsend Hall
Newark, DE 19717-1303
Tel: (302) 831-2531
A 10-acre botanical garden on the grounds of, and maintained by, the University of Delaware.
Support Offered:
Southeast
- North Carolina Botanical Garden
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CB 3375, Totten Center
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3375
Tel: (919) 962-0522 Fax: (919) 962-3531
- A 600-acre botanical garden maintained by the University of North Carolina.
South
- Houston Arboretum & Nature Center
4501 Woodway Drive
Houston, TX 77024
Tel: (713) 681-8433
- The Arboretum & Nature Center has a discovery center for kids and hosts a number of outdoor, hands-on education activities, summer classes and nature hikes.
Support Offered:
- Specimen collections open to the public
- Family activities
- Field-based activities/excursions
- Enrichment classes/presentations
- Classes/workshops for kids
- Information about biodiversity
West
- Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum
37615 E. Highway 60
Superior, AZ 85273-5100
Tel: (520) 689-2632
- For the visiting public, the Arboretum staff presents lectures and demonstrations during the winter months on a variety of topics. Trail guides, plant labels, interpretive ramadas, and special publications furnish visitors with additional information about the Arboretum and its collections and research programs. The staff regularly speaks to civic groups and clubs.
Support Offered:
- Enrichment classes/presentations
- Field-based activities/excursions
Midwest
- Boerner Botanical Gardens
5879 South 92 Street
Hales Corners, WI 53130
Tel: (414) 425-1130
E-mail: schuck@csd.uwm.edu
- The Gardens offer a number of workshops and lectures on a variety of topics, for both adults and children. They also have a wide diversity of botanical gardens and displays open to the public.
Support Offered:
- Enrichment classes/presentations
- Family activities
- Des Moines Botanical Gardens
909 East River Drive
Des Moines, IA 50316
Tel: (515) 242-2934
- The Gardens are home to more than 2,000 species and varieties of tropical, subtropical, arid land, and temperate plants. They offer an unending succession of seasonal floral shows, special events, and horticultural and botanical workshops. They also house the Berkowitz Library.
Support Offered:
- Missouri Botanical Garden
4344 Shaw Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63166
Tel: (314) 577-5100
- The Garden's comprehensive education facility includes several classrooms, an education greenhouse, and other learning centers. The Garden is also connected to the Shaw Arboretum, which includes 2,500 acres of natural Ozark landscape and managed plant collections. It provides environmental education through workshops and natural awareness walks.
Support Offered:
- Educational materials
- Field-based activities/excursions
- Enrichment classes/presentations
- Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory: The Domes
South Layton Boulevard
Milwaukee, WI 53215
Tel: (414) 649-9830
E-mail: schuck@csd.uwm.edu
- The Domes have a number of different ecosystems types enclosed in domes and on display.
- Nichols Arboretum
University of Michigan
430 East University
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1115
Tel: (313) 763-5832
- The Arboretum's public education program is being developed through the Urban Environmental Education Center, which is working to create hands-on botanical and environmental programs and workshops for students. Visitors to the Urban Environmental Education Center can participate in workshops, attend lectures, and take part in field trips to learn more about ecology, the environment, and global change issues.
Support Offered:
- Professional development programs/workshops
- Classes/workshops for kids
- Toledo Botanical Gardens
5403 Elmer Drive
Toledo, OH 43615
Tel: (419) 536-8365
- This is a 60 acre public garden that includes perennial, herb, and shade gardens, with a center for the arts and art galleries.
- Wehr Nature Center
9701 West College Avenue
Franklin, WI 53132
Tel: (414) 425-8550
- Prairie, Woodlands, Wetlands, Oak Savanna, and Mallard Lake are contained within 200 acres. The Center offers nature discovery and hands-on workshops for kids. It also offers field trips emphasizing environmental investigations.
Support Offered:
- Summer classes/workshops for kids
- Field-based activities/excursions
- Access to naturalist or scientist
- Classes/workshops for kids
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