Welcome to the Arboretumat Gustavus Adolphus College
Welcome to the Arboretum! Located on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College, the Arboretum provides an enriching environment to educate the mind, revive the spirit, and delight in Minnesota’s natural history and the College’s Swedish heritage.
With abundant gardens, natural spaces, outdoor classrooms, and featured events, the Arboretum encourages students of all ages to explore, provides a scenic backdrop for any special occasion, and serves as a point of connection between the campus and Saint Peter communities.
The Arboretum is comprised of the three major vegetation communities found throughout Minnesota - the coniferous forest, the tallgrass prairie, and the deciduous forest - in addition to formal gardens and hardy trees from around the world surrounding the Melva Lind Interpretive Center. We invite you to walk the Arboretum trails, experience its special beauty, and enjoy this unique campus sanctuary.
Mission
"The mission of the Arboretum at Gustavus Adolphus College is to facilitate environmental education and enhance the application of environmental ethics for all areas of study. The Arboretum provides the College and community a living sanctuary of plants for education, environmental stewardship, reflection and recreation."
Objectives
- Education
- Education is the most important objective of the Arboretum, serving the needs of the Gustavus Community. The Arboretum serves as a living museum of the Campus and Community and as such provides educational opportunities including: Formal Education (college courses); Research & Projects (student, faculty research); Informal Education (campus education, Community Outreach, K-12)
- Environmental Stewardship
- The Arboretum promotes environmental stewardship and wise use of resources as an example of progressive environmental practices. This includes the cultivation of native plant communities (e.g. tall grass prairie) and harvesting of renewable resources (e.g. wind energy). Exhibits and further resources can be found in the Interpretive Center, in addition to workshops, events, and courses through the Arboretum. We also encourage you to get involved with stewardship efforts!
- Reflection
- The Arboretum provides a natural environment of beauty for retreat into the natural world that encourages contemplation, meditation and spiritual renewal. A Meditation Area is available in the Coniferous Woods for this very purpose, in addition to a Labyrinth near the Teaching Pond.
- Recreation
- The Arboretum provides a natural environment to encourage personal wellness in an outdoor setting. With over 2.5 miles of trails through three ecosystems, the trails are available for walking, biking, or running, in addition to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter. Yoga, Tai-Chi, and dance classes have all been held in the open green space, and visitors are welcome to utilize this space, too!
History
The idea for an arboretum was initiated in 1972 when President Barth asked Charles Mason, professor of Biology and future arboretum director, for trees around the president's house. The first trees of the Arboretum were planted by volunteers in 1973. Read more about the history of the Arboretum.