Arboretum

Campus Foragers’ Forest turns 1

Colleen Rich — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 19:47:35 +0000

Campus Foragers’ Forest turns 1 Colleen Rich Tue, 10/22/2024 - 15:47

This month the organizers of the Foragers’ Forest on ��AV’s Fairfax Campus marked the project’s first anniversary with the planting of endangered American chestnut trees.

The five hybrid American chestnuts were grown on campus from seeds and are part of the university’s partnership with the American Chestnut Foundation to restore American chestnuts to the environment, said George Mason alumna Sarah Roth, who planned the edible forest as a master’s student with Professor Dann Sklarew of the Department of Environmental Science and Policy and Doni Nolan, Greenhouse and Gardens program manager.

“Chestnuts went through a pretty bad blight in the early 1900s,” said Roth, who graduated in May and now works as a landscape architect for Fairfax County’s stormwater planning division. “As a result, they became functionally extinct in the wild. So we are trying to help restore this species back into our natural environment.”

In November 2023, George Mason students, faculty, and staff gathered to help transplant 1,700 plants of more than 50 native species into two groves near the stream behind Student Union Building I between Aquia Creek Lane and Patriot Circle, on what used to be the site of the Student Apartments, which were razed in 2018.

In the past year, Roth, Sklarew, and Nolan have worked to build volunteer and curricular engagement with the young forest.

“We have several professors who are including the Foragers' Forest in their classes this fall,” Roth said. “The forest was also recently approved as a volunteer site for Fairfax Master Naturalists, so we'll be welcoming community volunteers.”

The event was also an opportunity for people to check out the site, with plants that are thriving despite the drought the area experienced this summer. Roth and colleagues provided supplemental watering to help support the young trees.

“Considering that we just went through a pretty bad drought this summer, the groves look great,” said Roth.

How to Find the Foragers' Forest

The Foragers' Forest comprises two groves near the stream behind Student Union Building I between Aquia Creek Lane and Patriot Circle, on what used to be the site of the Student Apartments.

Learn more about the Foragers' Forest

Topics

Campus News

Mason as a Living Lab

College of Science

Arboretum

Strategic Direction

In the Pink: Mason’s Cherry Tree Grove turns 30

Colleen Rich — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 17:09:47 +0000

In the Pink: Mason’s Cherry Tree Grove turns 30 Colleen Rich Wed, 03/29/2023 - 13:09

Photo by Cristian Torres/Strategic Communications

��AV’s iconic cherry tree grove by Mason Pond turns 30 this year.

Officially known as the Memorial Cherry Grove, the first trees were donated in 1993 by the members of Club Nippon, a student organization for those who shared an interest in Japanese language and culture. The students, who wanted to do something different for Mason’s annual International Week, decided to make an enduring contribution to the Fairfax Campus by giving living symbols of Eastern Asia—cherry trees.

More than 30 trees were purchased from Merrifield Garden Center, according to a 1993 news report. Other international student organizations and several campus offices contributed to the purchase. The students planted one of these trees by the pond and Cross Cottage during International Week, while the Facilities Planning Office integrated the others into long-range plans for the area.

The Memorial Cherry Grove has grown from the original 30 trees to now 61. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

The collection has grown from the original 30 to now 61 specimens. Dogwood and other hardwood trees indigenous to Virginia were added to the grove later, as well as several trees donated in memory of loved ones.

Mason certified arborist Erich Miller, the grounds program manager for Mason’s Facilities Management department, identifies the trees in the grove as Yoshino (Prunus x yedoensis) cherry trees, and says the grove gets a lot of interest this time of year.

“It has been cultivated and expanded to mirror the fantastic floral show that's currently happening at the Tidal Basin downtown,” said Miller, who has worked at Mason for 17 years. “We are fortunate enough to be here in Fairfax and enjoying the same type of show.”

Miller also welcomes the cherry blossom attention because it helps raise awareness about Mason’s Arboretum. In 2021, the university earned Level II accreditation from the international accreditation program ArbNet.

While many universities set aside a certain number of acres to dedicate to an arboretum, Mason did things differently and chose to make all of its campuses and locations, including the Point of View International Retreat and Conference Center and the Potomac Science Center in Woodbridge, Virginia, part of its collection.

The cherry trees are part of Mason's accredited Arboretum. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

Being a Level II Arboretum means the university is identifying and showcasing a collection of more than 100 native and non-native trees and shrubs in these spaces. Visitors can enjoy the Arboretum in person or online using the interactive Arboretum map, which showcases each specimen.

As the university’s arborist, Miller is responsible for the continued health and vitality of Mason’s trees. And when one goes away—whether because of illness or construction, it is replaced. In many instances, it is replaced with the same type of tree or another Virginia native species. If the new tree isn’t planted in the same spot, know that it lives in another spot in the Arboretum.

“It’s my responsibility to make sure that the current footprint stays in place or is improved,” he said.

Fun fact: There is a master tree list where Miller said they document as best they can every tree within the university canopy. That’s a lot of acres and a lot of trees.

Although areas like the Memorial Cherry Grove provide a beautiful spot for a picnic, a marriage proposal, or just a relaxing place to study, the true purpose of an arboretum is education. Mason’s Memorial Cherry Grove has also come to be used as one of the Institute for a Sustainable Earth’s Living Labs.

Not only have faculty members in Mason’s Department of Statistics been holding a yearly international Cherry Blossom Prediction Competition, Mason statistics students have been collecting and analyzing data on the bloom date of the cherry trees at Mason Pond and integrating this information with Mason’s local meteorological data, tracking variations over time to build a more accurate model for the bloom date.

“Part of the decision-making process for categorizing the entire university as the Arboretum is that we're a public university. People are welcome to come here and visit any time,” said Miller. “It's a learning opportunity for not only the students, but for anybody who visits here.”

Learn more about Mason's Arboretum

Topics

Stream restoration on Fairfax Campus will create scenic pathway

Colleen Rich — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 16:15:48 +0000

Stream restoration on Fairfax Campus will create scenic pathway Colleen Rich Mon, 08/01/2022 - 12:15

Map showing the restoration project. Photo provided by Mason Facilities

Work has begun on the “Necklace Phase One and Stream Restoration” project on ��AV’s Fairfax Campus, Mason Facilities announced.

The project includes the restoration of the main stream channel, as well as adjacent tributaries, beginning at the southwestern corner of the Patriot Circle/Aquia Creek Lane intersection and finishing at the northern end of Mason Pond.

It represents the next phase in Mason’s Master Plan, which is the framework that guides decisions concerning the university’s physical environment.

Illuminated, paved and mulched pedestrian trails will be constructed in addition to the restoration. Once this project is completed in late 2022, the Mason community will be able to enjoy a curated, scenic pathway from the intersection of Patriot Circle/Aquia Creek Lane to Mason Pond Drive.

Photo provided by Mason Facilities

The restoration process will ensure that Mason continues to be in compliance with state stormwater regulations, which support the revitalization of the Chesapeake Bay, while showcasing Mason’s forward trajectory within the Master Plan. In addition to following these laws, Mason’s goal is to achieve an environmentally sound and aesthetically vitalizing stream restoration for long-term stability and enjoyment.

Natural features and techniques were utilized to develop a design that will mimic the characteristics of a stable, natural environment. Those features will also help stabilize the degraded stream. After removal of invasive foliage, a diverse mix of native vegetation and trees will be planted to reforest and help minimize erosion and improve water quality.

These new features will be a welcome addition to Mason’s nationally accredited Arboretum, which includes labeled outdoor signs on Mason’s campuses.

Topics

Campus Improvements (Construction)

Construction

��AV Arboretum earns internationally recognized accreditation by ArbNet

Colleen Rich — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 20:22:02 +0000

��AV Arboretum earns internationally recognized accreditation by ArbNet Colleen Rich Tue, 06/01/2021 - 16:22

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

Fairfax, VA - Showcasing a collection of more than 100 native and non-native trees and shrubs, the ��AV Arboretum earned Level II accreditation from ArbNet, the only international accreditation program specific to arboreta. The Arboretum is now featured as an accredited arboretum in the Morton Register of Arboreta, an international database of the world’s arboreta and gardens dedicated to woody plants.

The Arboretum’s diverse collection is located across multiple ��AV campus sites, including the Fairfax Campus, the Point of View International Retreat and Conference Center, the Potomac Science Center, and the Science and Technology Campus. Visitors can enjoy the Arboretum in person or online using the interactive Arboretum map, which showcases each specimen.

Work on the Arboretum began in 2015 as a collaborative project among students and faculty in the Department of Biology in Mason’s College of Science. Andrea Weeks, associate professor and director of the Ted R. Bradley Herbarium, created the Arboretum to educate the Mason community about the biological diversity on campus. The Arboretum emphasizes the value of trees and shrubs as integral components of the rich campus ecosystem and demonstrates the connection between human health and the health of nature.

“I always envisioned the Arboretum as a space for everyone to learn and a space for all of us to protect,” said Weeks. The Arboretum’s recent accreditation represents a commitment to the long-term growth of the project, Weeks said, and provides Weeks and a diverse team with a “framework for maintaining professional standards and managing this type of infrastructure.”

To earn ArbNet accreditation, the Arboretum shared a clearly articulated mission, a well-developed governance structure, a detailed collections policy, practical plans for ongoing management, and opportunities for formal and informal education. Each tree and woody plant in the Arboretum is represented in the Ted R. Bradley Herbarium with a scientific voucher and contributes to a vast collection of more than 80,000 specimens, the third-largest collection in Virginia.

Sarah D’Alexander, the program manager for the Office of Sustainability’s Patriot Green Fund (PGF) and a long-time financial supporter of the Arboretum, said that the ArbNet accreditation positions the Arboretum “as the rarest kind of PGF project because it’s both a sustainable infrastructure project and a research project.” D’Alexander added: “Usually, PGF projects are one or the other, but the Arboretum is the perfect project to fund given its potential for tremendous impact.”

The Arboretum expands learning opportunities for Mason’s campus sites to function as living labs and will see ongoing integration with academic courses. Weeks’ plant ecology course will continue to measure the circumference of the Arboretum’s trees and their canopies to determine their growth and carbon drawdown impacts. Associate Professor Cindy Smith’s environmental science course will continue to explore how insect diversity is affected by different types of trees. Both researchers hope the Arboretum will unearth ongoing research while also creating new opportunities.

The ArbNet accreditation is also a timely response to the needs of the Mason community. A recent survey of Mason undergraduates found increasing green spaces was students’ most frequently cited environmental priority.

Mason is also currently updating its campus Master Plan process. Erich Miller, International Society of Arboriculture Board Certified Master Arborist and grounds program manager for Facilities, views the Arboretum as both a “response to student needs” and a way to “integrate the preservation of natural spaces” into the university’s Master Plan.

The Arboretum’s ArbNet accreditation highlights Mason’s long-time and ongoing commitment to sustainability and creates an educational and experiential resource for years to come.

“Building awareness around the importance of plant diversity for human well-being is a critical step in protecting our environment,” said Weeks, “and the Arboretum is a wonderful way to help people develop these connections at their own pace.”

Details about the ��AV Arboretum are available on the Plants Map virtual collection and on the College of Science’s dedicated webpage.

The ��AV Arboretum is made possible by the dedicated work of the committee that prepared and submitted the accreditation request to ArbNet. The team comprised faculty, staff, and an undergraduate student: Andrea Weeks, associate professor, College of Science, and director of the Ted R. Bradley Herbarium; Cindy Smith, associate professor, College of Science; Erich Miller, International Society of Arboriculture Board Certified Master Arborist #MA-6102A and grounds program manager, Facilities; Sarah D’Alexander, program manager for the Patriot Green Fund, Office of Sustainability; Ben Auger, program manager for education and outreach, Office of Sustainability; Doni Nolan, program manager for the Greenhouse and Gardens Program, Office of Sustainability; and Katherina Wilkins, a Mason undergraduate student.

��AV
��AV is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. www2.gmu.edu/

About ArbNet
ArbNet is an interactive, collaborative, international community of arboreta. ArbNet facilitates the sharing of knowledge, experience, and other resources to help arboreta meet their institutional goals and works to raise professional standards through the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program. The accreditation program, sponsored and coordinated by The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, in cooperation with American Public Gardens Association and Botanic Gardens Conservation International, is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta based on a set of professional standards. The program offers four levels of accreditation, recognizing arboreta of various degrees of development, capacity and professionalism. Standards include planning, governance, public access, programming and tree science, planting and conservation. More information is available at www.arbnet.org.