Goodell Gardens earns Level II Arboretum Accreditation
EDINBORO – Goodell Gardens & Homestead just leveled up! The public garden, arboretum, and community gathering space located in Edinboro recently earned Level II Accreditation through ArbNet, an interactive, collaborative, international community of arboreta.
Goodell Gardens is the only facility in northwestern Pennsylvania to earn this designation. Goodell first earned accreditation at the Level I status in 2018. According to Executive Director Amber Wellington, the organization has been working to reach Level II since first becoming accredited.
Ascending from Level I to Level II requires a larger collection of varieties or cultivars of trees and woody plants: a minimum of 100 compared to the 25 needed for the Level I designation. Goodell has cataloged 157 different species, varieties, and cultivars in their collections. Level II also requires an arboretum plan, an organizational or governance group, labeled tree and woody plant taxa, paid staff support, public access and at least one event per year, enhanced public and educational programs, and a collections policy.
“Goodell Gardens has grown significantly in recent years, and we’re so excited to see that growth recognized. ArbNet Accreditation shows our dedication to stewardship of the plant collections left to us by the Goodell sisters, as well as our commitment to grow those collections,” Wellington said. “We realize we have more than the 157 woody species on our 80-acre site, but are only counting taxa that have been recorded in our catalog.”
That collection includes the State Champion Paper Birch Tree, rare specimens like Dawn Redwood, and even an extirpated tree: Franklinia.
The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta based on a set of professional standards. For more information about ArbNet, visit arbnet.org.
# # # Goodell Gardens & Homestead creates beautiful gardens and natural spaces where people visit to Enjoy, Gather, Learn, and Refresh. A nonprofit organization, Goodell Gardens & Homestead is a public garden, accredited arboretum, and community gathering space located in beautiful Edinboro, Erie County, Pennsylvania. For more information about Goodell Gardens & Homestead or their programs, visit www.goodellgardens.org.
