Northeastern University’s Boston Campus Has Officially Been Recognized as an Arboretum

BOSTON, MA – Northeastern University’s Boston campus has officially been recognized as an arboretum by ArbNet, a nonprofit dedicated to helping create and conserve arboreta around the world.

“I was gleeful when I found out,” says Chuck Doughty, who oversees landscaping for Northeastern. “I couldn’t wait to spread the news.”

Doughty, who is the program director of landscaping grounds at Northeastern, says that Northeastern is now the only university in Boston to have an arboretum on its campus. The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is located in the Jamaica Plain and Roslindale sections of Boston.

Doughty, who has been working for two years to have Northeastern recognized as an arboretum, has helped transform the Boston campus into an urban oasis. More than 1,400 individual trees, representing 143 different species, shelter the walkways between buildings and surround the open green spaces.

The land on which much of the campus is built was surrounded by waterways that were filled in during the 19th century. It was a challenge, Doughty says, to find trees that could survive in this man-made environment. Digging a hole into the densely packed fill creates a cup that can trap water around the roots of a tree. To thrive, trees needed to be able to tolerate moisture and occasional flooding, but also handle bouts of dryness.

“Through trial and error, we’ve found species that work,” says Doughty.

To be accredited, an arboretum needs to have a strategic plan, a governing board, public programming, and an inventory of every tree and woody plant on the grounds. Northeastern’s Boston campus was named a level two arboretum, which means that it met this criteria, in addition to having more than 100 different species of trees, a policy that documents how the trees are maintained and acquired, and educational programming for the public.  

Northeastern will be required to host Arbor Day ceremonies, create an online database containing information about the trees on campus, and organize community service events.

“It’s really exciting,” said Doughty. “This is a great opportunity to give back to the community.”

Featured

  • Enjoy Tax and Energy Savings with the Right Ceiling Solutions

    Thanks to recent innovations pairing mineral fiber ceiling panels with phase change material technology (PCM), architects, designers, facility managers, and other key players in construction and renovation projects are re-thinking the role ceilings play in supporting environmental objectives—especially energy savings.

  • ECM Technologies Wins ‘Most Innovative Business of the Year’ Award

    HVAC preventative maintenance and efficiency solutions provider ECM Technologies was recently named the “Most Innovative Business of the Year” at the 2025 Champions of Change Awards, according to a news release. The program recognizes Arizona business leaders and organizations taking steps to make a positive impact on the state through innovative thinking and philanthropy.

  • Allegion US Partners with Two Colleges for Mobile Credential Technology

    Allegion US recently announced a partnership with Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) and Denison College, in conjunction with Transact + CBORD, to install mobile credential technologies campus-wide, according to a news release. Implementing Mobile Student ID into Apple Wallet and Google Wallet will allow students access to campus facilities, amenities, and residence halls using just their phones.

  • University of Kentucky Sees Positive Results from Energy Efficiency Program

    The University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., recently announced the results of its Energy Program in Facilities Management, put into place eight years ago, according to a news release. Between the fiscal years of 2017 and 2025, the university’s campus grew by 13.6% while the energy use per square foot dropped by 19.2%.

Digital Edition