UW-Eau Claire's Arboretum is Host to Native, Rare Tree Varietals
created in 2016, area university's tree program and related efforts surge on
The natural splendor of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus is undeniable, but it's no accident that the campus grounds feel that way. The university Arboretum is a project that began in 2016 with the Centennial - One Hundred Trees project. What started with an initiative to plant 100 trees on campus became the foundation for the arboretum, a comprehensive program that led to UWEC being certified as a Tree Campus Higher Education college by the Arbor Day Foundation. Volume One touched base with Daria Hutchinson, a certified arborist with the program, who gave us some insights on the Arboretum.
How Many Trees?
The project began with 100 trees of 27 different species. As of today, there are 116 different species of trees on campus, and the program's participants have mapped over a total of 1,846 individual trees using a GIS (Geographical Information System) mapping program. An online tree map can be used to see the location and species of these individual trees.
What are the Most Common Trees?
The most common species of trees on campus are all native varietals. Pinus Resinosa (Red Pine), Pinus Strobus (Eastern White Pine), Gleditsia Triacanthos (Honeylocust), Acer (Maple), and Celtis Occidentalis (Hackberry)
What are the Most Rare Trees?
There is one Fagus Grandifolia (American Beech) west of McIntyre Library. Additionally there is only one Miharu Takazkarura (Weeping Higan Cherry), which is sapling of a 1000 year old tree in Miharu Fukushima, Japan. While this special tree is not normally hardy in this climate, its home in the Schofield Courtyard Garden is a protected microclimate. Of course there is the Bar Oak tree, known as Council Oak, that was planted in 1990 to replace the original campus Council Oak Tree, representing the campus as a place of meeting and exchange.
What is the Future of the Arboretum?
The program continues to plant new trees every year on campus. Additionally, they are working on a self-guided online tour and in-person tours to help the public learn more about the different species of trees. They are also planning to offer workshops on tree care and planting.
The trees that are part of the Arboretum project continue to enhance the natural vibrancy of the UWEC campus, to the benefit of students, faculty, and the community alike. The trees have been used in studies and research projects, such as the Poplar Tree Project at Bollinger Fields, which was a 5 year study funded by the NIH (National Institute of Health) to investigate how fast growing tree varieties respond to different growing climates.
The public is invited to enjoy the nearly 2000 trees on campus both online via the tree map, and in person on the campus trails and natural areas.
Learn more about UW-Eau Claire's arboretum online at www.uwec.edu.