Establishment of the WSU Arboretum & Wildlife Conservation Center

The creation of the WSU Arboretum and Wildlife Conservation Center in 2008 by President Elson S. Floyd and the Board of Regents was an historical event for Washington State University. Prior to this designation, the WSU Arboretum was limited to the general campus tree landscape and a special two-acre hilltop near the Lewis Alumni Centre, the site for the annual Presidential Tree Planting Ceremony.

In December, 2007, after visiting a proposed 100-acre site for an arboretum on the edge of the Pullman campus, President Floyd approved a faculty proposal for creating and developing what was then called the WSU Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.

Dr. Floyd presented the proposed land designation to the Board of Regents, who approved the land assignment for the establishment of the arboretum in January, 2008. President Floyd also formally created an academic and research home for the WSU Arboretum and Botanical Gardens by transferring arboretum operations into the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) for development and management under the leadership of the Dean, Dan Bernardo.

With these historic and visionary decisions, what is now the WSU Arboretum & Wildlife Conservation Center not only comes into existence, but begins operation and future development as a true arboretum system with trails and greenways connecting a number of smaller arboretum development sites on campus (e.g., Alumni Arboretum, Observatory Hill, Roundtop Park).

Aside from the physical landscape now provided for future arboretum development, the WSU Arboretum & Conservation Center also begins life as a new academic entity, engaging faculty, students, and the public in the teaching, research, and outreach mission of Washington State University.

“Art, Science, and Inspiration for a Sustainable World”

Washington State University completed a master planning process in 2009 that has generated a conceptual plan for an elegant and beautiful design for the WSU Arboretum & Wildlife Conservation Center. We now welcome you to join in this historic process and help us place a lasting mark of beauty and commitment to future generations on the landscape of Washington State University.


Learn More: Master Plan (5.8 mb)