URBANA — Taking care of immediate needs while at the same time planning for the future has been the focus at the Illinois Arboretum since it was grouped with Allerton Park and Retreat Center to form the University of Illinois’ Department of Parks & Natural Spaces (DPNS) last spring.
Thousands of invasive trees have been removed, the first phase of pond restoration has begun and a significant amount of time is being put into the Miles C. Hartley Selections Gardens to give it a “blank slate” of grass for future development.
“The idea of putting turf back in is you get it back to a blank slate, so then you can talk about hopes and dreams at that point,” said Park Supervisor Lucas Rund. “Turf will at least give us a blank canvas.”
Connecting various spaces within the 160-acre Arboretum is also underway, with the first being a concrete path that will connect the Kari Walkway to the bridge near the Japan House. A master plan approved in 2021 used informal paths created by repeated foot traffic to determine the best spots for more permanent walkways.
The process will help connect spots such as the Welcome Garden, Idea Garden, Hartley Garden, Council Ring and Kerry Walkway and other places within the Arboretum, making it a more cohesive unit.
“The idea is to connect these gardens, make them more accessible,” added Micah Putman, DPNS’ Associate Director of Park Operations.
The task will take time, according to Derek Peterson, the DPNS director. He said that, although work has begun on adding walkways, it will likely be a decade or so before most of the connections are made.
Peterson also has other dreams for the site, which is located on the southeast end of the U of I campus in Urbana, most of them tied to the idea of teaching people what an arboretum is — a “tree museum.”
With that in mind, he would eventually like to see different groves expanded to and others added, making the “tree museum” kind of like an arbor-style gallery.
“You would go through the oak gallery, then the magnolia gallery…” he said.
Other work accomplished at the Arboretum in the initial six months of operation under DPNS has included:
— continued restoration of the pond, which has included clearing away brush for better visibility and learning about the pond’s history, water levels and filling techniques;
— engaging with partners and neighbors, including the President’s House, the Idea Garden Extension staff, Illinois Prairie Hosta Society, Japan House, College of ACES, campus F&S and Grounds Services, Red Bison RSO student volunteers and the Urbana Park District; and
— work on future plans, including natural space improvements (new trails, cross country course work), public programming that will begin this fall with tree identification and yoga courses through The Farms: An Allerton Folk School, revenue creation, and accreditation for the Arboretum through ArbNet, an interactive community of arboreta.
