Smale Riverfront Park Renews its Accreditation as Arboertum

Smale Riverfront Park has renewed its Level 2 Accreditation by The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum. We are proud that one of our most visited parks in a highly urban environment is able to maintain this status which supports our local wildlife, including pollinators, and offers ongoing public educational programming. 

ArbNet created its Arboretum Accreditation Program to establish a set of industry standards for the purpose of unifying the arboretum community. Smale Riverfront Park is one of roughly 670 accredited arboreta around the world. Smale was once again able to renew the accreditation by meeting standards including planning, governance, number of species, staff or volunteer support, education and public programming and tree science research and conservation. 

Smale Riverfront Park accomplishes the following:

• Current collection size: 191 species in 39 families.

• Enhanced public and educational programming and volunteer involvement.

• Smale's management plan contains conservation-minded goals such as supporting local pollinators and wildlife by extensively utilizing native flora in plantings and maintaining the park using sustainable management practices.

• Smale's collections policy includes a special emphasis on native plants in support of local wildlife. 

• Notable collections include the tallgrass prairie- and oak savannah- inspired plantings, as well as the collection of ornamental roses in the Gardener Family Rose Garden.

We are grateful to our Smale Riverfront Park staff who maintain the status of the park by doing extensive planning, engaging with volunteers and other community members, planting for pollinators and wildlife and more. Smale is a special park that brings vibrancy and greenspace to a heavily urbanized environment. The renewal of this accreditation ensures that this park will continue along this path for future generations.