This Arbor Day, Zoo New England (ZNE) is pleased to announce that Franklin Park Zoo has attained accreditation as an arboretum from ArbNet, an international network dedicated to the needs and interests of arboreta and tree-focused professionals.  

“This achievement is a testament to the dedication and craft of ZNE’s horticulture team, who work tirelessly to maintain the health, well-being and biological diversity of all plant life within Franklin Park Zoo,” said Joshua Meyer, ZNE’s Director of Horticulture and Sustainability. “With our trees onsite now recognized as an official collection, we establish ourselves as a leader in arboriculture with clear goals for how we want to expand our catalog of trees and woody shrubs while maintaining those with historic value.” 

Before applying for accreditation, ZNE’s horticulture team identified and catalogued over 850 individual trees and shrubs throughout Franklin Park Zoo, which represent over 160 different species and cultivars. Several trees on Zoo grounds are over a century old and require a detailed plan of care to ensure their longevity and health well into the future.  

Franklin Park Zoo is home to a diverse and historic collection of trees and shrubs. Right inside of the Zebra Entrance sits a row of elms (Ulmus rubra) that date back to the original Franklin Park landscape design created by Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture who designed Franklin Park, Central Park and several other urban parks across the country. Most of the tree canopy within the Zoo is comprised of Northern red oaks (Quercus rubra), a native species that is important for healthy ecosystems. The acorns of Northern red oaks are a key part of many herbivore and omnivore diets, and the trees serve as a host for over 500 native moth and butterfly species – the most out of all plants. 

The collection also boasts several trees that are classified as endangered, including two Ginkgo (Ginkgo bilboa), which are the last representatives of an extinct lineage of plants dating back over 200 million years ago. This puts Ginkgoes among the oldest trees in the world, with some individual trees reaching over 3,500 years old. Other endangered species include green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), American elms (Ulmus americana) and star magnolia (Magnolia stellata). Guests can also see Ericaceous shrubs like highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) and winter heaths (Erica carnea) in the historic Rock Garden, which has been undergoing extensive renovations and is planned to open later this year.  

Founded by Chicago's Morton Arboretum in 2011, ArbNet accredits institutions as arboreta and maintains a register of accredited arboreta around the world, including botanical gardens, cemeteries, schools, colleges, municipal parks, zoos and more. As an accredited arboretum, Franklin Park Zoo joins a community of over 900 arboreta accredited by ArbNet.  

ArbNet accredits institutions at four levels of arboreta based on specified criteria. To achieve the status of becoming a level II arboretum, Franklin Park Zoo had to have over 100 different species of trees and woody plants, a paid arboretum management team, enhanced public and educational arborist programming, and an implemented collections policy. As an accredited institution through ArbNet, ZNE is now part of a global community that shares resources, strategy and information to advance the conservation of tree species worldwide.  

Conservation and sustainability are a cornerstone of ZNE’s mission. In the neighborhoods closest to Franklin Park Zoo, ZNE is focused on a climate resiliency initiative that mitigates the impact of rising heat temperatures in urban communities. As part of the Partnership for Greening Dorchester & Roxbury (PGD&R), this initiative works with the local community to protect green spaces, while demonstrating the impact that a small conservation action can have, like planting a tree sapling on one’s property. By holding tree giveaways for the local community, the ZNE horticulture team encourages residents of all ages to embrace their inner arborists by planting trees in their own backyards.  

Over the past two years, ZNE’s horticulture team planted over 200 trees on Zoo grounds in support of the PGD&R. Earlier this year, construction was completed on a new 2,400-square-foot greenhouse at Franklin Park Zoo, where the horticulture team will grow and nurture new plant stock while hosting educational classes and job training.