In the dense woods of Hemlock Hill, where the trees stand shoulder to shoulder, or among our abundant collection of nearly 200 kinds of lilacs, it’s evident that there is strength in numbers. While a single lilac floret is pretty, a cluster of lilac panicles can be showstopping, and our collection of the shrubs is so exquisite that it draws more than 100,000 visitors to Bussey Hill each May. In this spirit, 40 or so years ago a cohort of passionate local residents formed the Arnold Arboretum Committee (AAC) as individual supporters uniting to maximize their impact and exemplify the power of collective action.
The AAC began in 1982 in response to an uptick in security issues in the Arboretum landscape. Committee Officers Ginnie and Keith Marcotte, who have been involved with the AAC from the beginning, were Arboretum supporters and frequent visitors to the landscape. “The Arboretum is such an asset to the community,” Keith remarks about those early decades. “It was a shame to have crime take away from the enjoyment of the park for all.”
Wanting to support a safer Arboretum, the group came together to help raise funds to establish a park ranger program. As a separate, IRS-accredited non-profit, the Arnold Arboretum Committee provided subsequent funds to keep the program active for years afterwards. You can still see the legacy of the Committee’s early work when Boston Park Rangers patrol the landscape on horseback, or when Arboretum Ambassadors drive through the landscape and interact with visitors.

Jon Hetman
Over the years, the AAC’s funding priorities have shifted as the Arboretum has changed and environmental challenges have intensified globally. “[Our] ideas were born through discussion among ourselves and our knowledge of the Arboretum,” Ginnie recalls. In addition to the Marcottes, fellow AAC board members Lisa Allen and Sandy Moore contribute their community knowledge and fundraising panache to the AAC’s advocacy work. More recently the group has solicited funding suggestions directly from Arboretum staff, with former Arboretum employee and longtime AAC President Jim Gorman spearheading this collaboration. In recent years, the group has helped advance the institution’s priority to transition more of its horticultural equipment to electric alternatives and green technology. AAC funding last year helped the Arboretum purchase a new electric loader, which was instrumental in clean-up following a massive December 2023 winter storm that toppled 30 mature trees in the collections.
Once they know of a piece of equipment that would benefit the landscape team, the AAC contributes what they can. “Our small committee will discuss and then vote, but the recommendations of the Arboretum employees pretty much seals the deal,” Ginnie notes about their giving. Green upgrades their gifts have supported—which also include an electric golf cart, electric cargo bikes, and a 92-foot electric lift—improve the visitor experience while reducing the Arboretum’s carbon footprint. Other AAC gifts over the years have benefited children’s education programs, green waste composting operations, litter clean-up, and general care for the living collections.
The Marcottes and their fellow AAC board members take pride in the fact that their philanthropy, which totals more than $250,000 to date, has made the Arboretum a safer and greener place. The impact of AAC advocacy inspired Ginnie and Keith to get more involved personally as Arboretum members, another group whose strength has grown with its numbers. Like the Marcottes and their AAC partners, you too can support the Arboretum by becoming a member. If you are inspired by their story of collective action, reach out to the Arboretum’s membership team to learn how your gifts can combine with others to help the Arboretum continue to thrive long into the future.