Newport mansions landscapes recognized as official aboretum

AN INTERNATIONAL body that accredits arboretums has recognized the 88 landscapes cared for by the Preservation Society of Newport County as an official arboretum. Pictured are trees surrounding the sunken garden at The Elms. / COURTESY THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF NEWPORT COUNTY
AN INTERNATIONAL body that accredits arboretums has recognized the 88 landscapes cared for by the Preservation Society of Newport County as an official arboretum. Pictured are trees surrounding the sunken garden at The Elms. / COURTESY THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF NEWPORT COUNTY

NEWPORT – An international body that accredits arboretums has recognized the 88 landscapes cared for by the Preservation Society of Newport County as an official arboretum.
The Newport Mansions Arboretum, which includes 18,000 trees, is now accredited by the Morton Arboretum in Chicago. The nonprofit Preservation Society maintains 11 historic properties – seven of them National Historic Landmarks. Altogether, the properties span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.
“This milestone puts us in excellent company,” said Preservation Society CEO and Executive Director Trudy Coxe.
Other recent accreditations have gone to The University of Oxford Botanic Garden, Arlington National Cemetery and Longwood Gardens, as well as the Newport Tree Society for the Newport Arboretum, she said.
The Preservation Society partners with Bartlett Tree Experts, which has created a digital inventory of each of the 1,800 trees of 120 different species on its properties. Each has been identified, GPS-mapped and evaluated, and has its own individual maintenance plan, said Jim Donahue, Preservation Society curator of historic landscapes and gardens.
Criteria for the designation includes having a collections policy that outlines the care and maintenance of every tree; having professionals in place to oversee operations; and having related ongoing educational programming.
Accreditation is intended to promote interaction and improved professional practices among arboretum operators.

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