Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

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

  • 05/23/19

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

  • Sam Houston State University Completes Athletic Stadium Renovations

    Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, recently announced the reopening of Elliott T. Bowers Stadium after an extensive renovation project, according to a news release. The university partnered with Stantec and DLR Group for the project’s design.

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.

  • Auburn University Debuts $224M STEM + Agricultural Sciences Complex

    Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., recently opened its new $224-million STEM + Agricultural Sciences Complex, the largest research construction project in the university’s history, according to university news. The facility measures more than 265,000 square feet and brings six departments from the College of Agriculture and College of Sciences and Mathematics together under one roof.

  • Western Kentucky University Breaks Ground on First Phase of $350M Student Housing Project

    Western Kentucky University (WKU) in Bowling Green, Ky., recently broke ground on the first phase of a $350-million student housing initiative, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Gilbane Development through a public-private partnership (P3) to replace aging residence halls and modernize on-campus living accommodations.