How you can support our next century.
Over the past decade, the Arboretum has focused increasingly on global change and the effect it is having on biodiversity as well as growing conditions in our landscape. As we continue to document and conserve plants globally through such efforts as our Campaign for the Living Collections, we have redoubled efforts to ensure the long-term health and resilience of our collections here in Boston. We seek major funding for capital projects related to this work, as well as increasing our capacity to advance scholarship on global change, its effects, and its mitigation.
Drought Mitigation
Protecting the Health and Resilience of the Living Collections
Campaign Goal of $7.7M
The increase in drought due to climate change poses an imminent danger to the survival of our living collections. The Arboretum has launched a multi-phase master plan to bring water infrastructure and automated irrigation to the entirety of our landscape. In 2023, we completed the second phase of this initiative by bringing water access to Peters Hill, home to more than 2,738 accessioned plants that endure the driest conditions in the Arboretum. We are now seeking funds to launch the third phase of the project, which will focus on extending irrigation to treasured collections—including our national collection of maples—along Meadow Road.
Global Change Research Endowments and Awards
Advancing Scientific Discovery and Scholarship
Campaign Goal of $3.8M
To increase our capacity and impact as a research institution, the Arboretum seeks current-use and endowment funds that will support research of scientists, visiting scholars, students, and postdoctoral researchers. Gifts may endow funding for the Global Change Fellows program, an independent three-year postdoctoral fellowship for early career scientists, that combines academic and practical training within the extraordinary environment of the Arboretum with mentoring opportunities for scientists aspiring to assume leadership positions in climate change research, ecology, and plant biology. Current-use gifts may also be directed to the newly created Arboretum Scientists and Scholars Research Awards Fund, which provides awards, stipends, and fellowships that fund research; travel costs; publication and dissemination of findings; and other support for students and postdocs.
Please contact Tanya M. Holton at tholton@fas.harvard.edu or 617.384.5043 to customize your participation in the campaign to align with your philanthropic priorities and values. More detailed case statements for each element of our bold vision are available by request.