March 7, 2012

Matthaei Botanical Gardens is celebrating its 50th anniversary and SNRE Landscape Architecture Professor Bob Grese is playing a central role in the promoting an exhibit and display commemorating the event. Grese is also director of the gardens and the Nichols Arboretum.

"One of the statements Regent Fred Matthaei Sr. made when he donated the land was that he wanted the botanical gardens to be second to none in the world, so we want the public to see what progress we've made toward that goal," Grese said.

The exhibit reveals how Matthaei, located on Dixboro Road, has grown to suit changing times. From a typical university botanical gardens focused on producing plant specimens for research, the botanical gardens has embraced a new role: a public facility offering activities to back learning, understanding and enjoyment of the natural world and good health.

Matthaei Botanical Gardens is nearly unique among U.S. universities for its unusually diverse range of plants on display. Grese says that's because the 350-acre site hosts habitats ranging from an old growth oak forest to flood plain and wetland habitats. "We estimate our lands contain 20 percent of the state's native flora. That's an extremely high number for a botanical gardens. It makes us a very rich field teaching facility," he said.

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Visit Matthaei Botancial Gardens and Nichols Arboretum anniversary website