Dawes Arboretum, The

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United States of America - Ohio - Newark

Institution Code: DAWES

BGCI Member: Yes

ArbNet Accredited: Level IV

The founders home
The founders home

About the Dawes Arboretum, The

Beman Gates Dawes, and his wife Bertie, founded The Dawes Arboretum in 1929 to demonstrate the value of trees and shrubs. Today, The Dawes Arboretum encompasses nearly 2,000 acres (800 hectares) of plant collections and natural areas that offer unique educational experiences in any season.

The Dawes Arboretum features plants tolerant of central Ohio's climate. Azaleas, crab apples, hollies, oaks and conifers are a few of the collections accessible from the 4.5 mile Auto Tour and more than 8 miles of hiking trails.

The Dawes Arboretum presently hosts four Accredited National Plant Collections, under the auspices of the American Public Gardens Association's Plant Collection Network (https://www.publicgardens.org/programs/about-plant-collections-network). These include Acer (maple, multi-institutional), Metasequoia (dawn redwood, genetic and cultivars), Aesculus (buckeyes and horse-chestnuts) and Hamamelis (witch-hazel).

The Dawes Arboretum is a not-for-profit private operating foundation engaged in scientific education in horticulture, natural history and Arboretum history. No funds are received from local, state or federal tax revenues.

Main Address:
Dawes Arboretum, The
7770 Jacksontown Rd.
Newark
Ohio 43056 United States of America

Telephone: 740 323 2355
Fax: 740 323 4058
URL: www.dawesarb.org
Primary Email: information@dawesarb.org

Staff Details

  • Director's Name: Luke Messinger, Executive Director
    Curator's Name: Gregory A. Payton, Director of Living Collections
    Plant Records Officer's Name: Kady Wilson, Plant Records Coordinator
  • Total Staff:
    Horticultural Staff Number: 22
    Educational Staff Number: 16
    Research Staff Number: 6
    Administration Staff Number: 13

About the Garden

  • Institution Type: Botanic Garden
  • Status
  • Status: Private: Yes
    Status: State: No
    Status: Educational: Yes
    Status: Municipal: No
    Status: Satellite: No
    Status: Trust: Yes
  • Date founded: 1929
  • Physical Data
  • Natural Vegetation Area: Yes
    Natural vegetation area: Size: 400 Hectares
  • Landscaped Area: Yes
    Landscaped Area: Size: 200 Hectares
  • Total Area: 809 Hectares
    Latitude: 39.9784590
    Longitude: -82.4162280
    Annual Rainfall: 1047 mm
    Altitude: 275.00 Metres
  • Locality: Information
  • Locality: Garden Name: Dawes Arboretum
  • Local Address: 7770 Jacksontown Rd.
  • Locality: City: Newark
  • Locality: State: Ohio

Features and Facilities

  • Herbarium: Yes
    Herbarium: Number of Specimens: 9000
    Arboretum: Yes
    Arboretum Size: 200
  • Micropropagation/ Tissue Culture Facilities: No
    Seed Bank: No
    Published Plant Catalogue: No
    Computer Plant Record System: Yes
  • Open to public: Yes
    Friends society: Yes
    Retail Outlet: Shop: Yes
    Retail Outlet: Plant Sales: Yes
    Disabled access: Yes
  • Number of Visitors: 150000
    Number of Volunteers: 300

Plant Collections

  • Accession Number: 9770
    Cultivation Taxa Num: 5596
  • Special Collections:Nationally Accredited collections of Acer (460 taxa), Aesculus (79 taxa), Metasequoia (31 taxa), Hamamelis (119 taxa). Additional significant collections of Betulaceae, Cupressaceae, Ericaceae, Fagaceae, Juglandaceae, Fabaceae, Pinaceae, Betula (29 taxa), Cornus (133 taxa), Ilex (392 taxa), Magnolia (117 taxa), Quercus (122 taxa), Rhododendron (384 taxa), Viburnum (114 taxa).
  • Invasive Species Monitoring: Yes
    Invasive Species Policy: Yes
    ABS Policy: No
    Plant Collection Policy: Yes

Conservation Programmes

  • Conservation Programme: Yes
    Medicinal Plant Programme: No
    Ex Situ Conservation Programme: Yes
    Reintroduction Programme: Yes

Research Programmes

  • Biotechnology: No
    Plant Breeding: No
    Conservation - Biology: Yes
    Conservation - Genetics: Yes
    Data Management Systems and Information Technology: Yes
    Ecology: Yes
    Ecosystem Conservation: Yes
    Education: Yes
    Ethnobotany: No
    Exploration: Yes
    Floristics: Yes
    Horticulture: Yes
    Invasive Species Biology and Control: Yes
    Molecular Genetics: No
    Pollination Biology: No
    Restoration Ecology: Yes
    Seed/Spore Biology: No
    Systematics and Taxonomy: Yes
    Sustainability: Yes
    Pharmacology: No
    Agriculture: Yes
    Land Restoration: Yes
    Urban Environments: No

Education Programmes

  • Visitor/Education Centre: Yes
    Education Signs in Garden: Yes
    Public Lectures/Talks: Yes
    Education Booklets/Leaflets: Yes
    Guided Tours: Yes
    Permanent Public Displays: Yes
    Special Exhibitions: Yes
    Courses for School Children: Yes
    Courses for University/College Students: Yes
    Courses for General Public: Yes
    Education Programme: Yes

Restoring & Conserving Native Plant Communities of Ohio at The Dawes Arboretum

Since establishment in 1929, The Dawes Arboretum has demonstrated a commitment to conservation through plant evaluations, applied research and active ecosystem restoration.  Efforts have helped enhance native plant biodiversity, conserve local genotypes and restore native plant communities in Ohio.  By showcasing native plantings that demonstrate value to both people and wildlife, the Arboretum serves to educate and inspire the public to practice conservation at home.

The Arboretum’s nearly 2,000 acre property is a mosaic of forests, wetlands, prairie grasslands, agricultural fields and riparian corridors woven among scientific collections and formal gardens. Within this setting is a unique 70 acre restored wetland and prairie complex known today as The Dutch Fork Wetlands.  This habitat restoration recently achieved one of the highest scores of wetland biological integrity possible as a result of diverse and sensitive plants now found there.  Building on this conservation corridor, adjacent streams and vernal pools have been enhanced, with removals of invasive species and plantings of native wetland plants over the past two years.

Native wetland plants successfully establish in the 70 acre restored Dutch Fork Wetland at The Dawes Arboretum near Newark, Ohio.

Within the ribbon of stream habitat, pockets of prairie grasslands are managed with prescribed fire and mowing, to reduce woody encroachment and mimic natural landscape forces that once made way for Ohio’s grasslands, with nearly 100 acres collectively protected.  Best management practices are being demonstrated through conservation agriculture, showing our visitors that working landscapes can serve the dual purpose of habitat creation and farm production. Prairie buffer plantings surround a central farm field to provide enhanced pollination potential, while adding interest and beauty.

Dedicated volunteers reforest The Dawes Arboretum properties, helping to ensure the conservation of locally sourced wild-known origin trees.

The Arboretum also highlights forest restoration as a key dynamic of the stewardship-based mission.  Adaptive management and evaluation are used to help define the best techniques and ensure the most ecologically mindful approaches are followed.  In recent years, 4,000 native trees have been planted to ensure future forests remain.  Reforestation includes locally sourced trees where available and sustainably harvested wild-known origin plant material, including white oak, bur oak, scarlet oak, black oak and chestnut oak (Q. alba, macrocarpa, coccinea, velutina and montana).  Building on this momentum, the Arboretum is now establishing a new native tree nursery – to ensure regionally sourced seeds can be made available for future habitat restoration both on the Arboretum’s grounds – and beyond. Please contact Shana Byrd for more information about The Dawes Arboretum's restoration work.

The Dawes Arboretum serves as a safe haven for pollinators, with pockets of prairie scattered throughout the landscape.