Otterbein Granville Arboretum
One of Only 20 Accredited Level I Arboreta in Ohio
Since 2019, the campus of Otterbein Granville has been an accredited Level I Arboretum by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program. This means that our campus is devoted to planting trees, and it serves as proof of our continual commitment to our trees, landscaping, and love of nature.
The Otterbein Granville Arboretum has 95 species of trees in our collection, highlighted by a variety of native Ohio species such as:
- Oaks
- Elms
- Maples
- Dogwoods
- Walnuts
- Hickories
- Redbuds
- Beech
- Honey locusts
Perfect for Nature Lovers
Set on a 94-acre property with a 2-acre pond within a forested area and 5 miles of walking trails, Otterbein Granville is a great spot for nature lovers to hike, relax on one of our many benches, and unwind. With the proximity and variety of ecosystems, the health benefits of spending time in our natural areas are a big attraction to the residents of our community.
Take A Tour With Us Through The Arboretum
687
Trees Planted and Cataloged
95
Species of Trees in Our Collection
Black Tupelo
is Our Signature Tree
How It All Started
In January 2018, Dawes Arboretum reached out to us about becoming an accredited Level I Arboretum. Our journey with Dawes began with meetings and research, including putting out a survey and taking a poll of our residents. From the research and survey results, we found that we had enough interest to explore this opportunity.
A little over a year later, our project was awarded a Level I Accreditation in April 2019 by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program, sponsored and coordinated by The Morton Arboretum near Chicago. The program standards include:
- Planning
- Governance
- Public access
- Programming and tree science
- Planting
- Conservation
To be officially recognized by ArbNet as one of the few (20) accredited Level I arboreta in Ohio is an excellent achievement for our Otterbein Granville residents and community. Our resident-driven Landscape & Arboretum committee assisted Cindy Dill, the landscaping manager, in meeting the application process criteria, creating a logo and tree labels, choosing official photos, and documenting over 600 trees in our community.
Growing Into the Future
Our future goals for the Otterbein Granville Arboretum are:
- Preserve mature trees
- Plan for replacements and additions
- Annually add labels to trees
- Continue to diversify our tree collection
- Practice conservation to benefit the quality of life for our trees, wildlife, and pollinators
In the future, we look forward to Otterbein continuing a sustainable stewardship tree plan, making available self-guided pamphlets with tree lists and maps that will earn distinction in our community.
