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Since 2008, The University of Maryland campus has been recognized as an Arboretum and Botanical Garden. This process created the Enhancement Team at UMD. Its mission is to create, improve, and maintain the landscape management of perennial plants and annual flowers in the most visible places and essential areas of the University. Luis Alfonzo was the first horticulturist to lead the Enhancement Team, and continues to guide its operation.
UMD Arboretum Reports 5,927 Volunteer Hours in 2022
Each semester, many hundreds of UMD students and community members volunteer their time to support the UMD Arboretum by performing weeding, mulching, planting, and litter cleanup. In 2022, the Arboretum recorded 5,927 volunteer hours at a record value of $178,861*.
FM Completes the Transition to Electric Leaf Blowers
Facilities Management’s (FM) Landscape Maintenance team has accomplished the long-awaited switch from gasoline-powered to electric leaf blowers. Completing a transition that began in 2018, FM eliminated the last of the gasoline-powered equipment at the start of this year. Outside contractors are also required to use electric blowers when working on the UMD campus.
Magnolias in our Midst
Our campus has many different types and species of magnolias in bloom each spring. If you have magnolias at home, our friends at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has a good article on their care and use.
Bees Without Borders
Along a busy stretch of Adelphi Road just south of the University of Maryland sits an unremarkable field, its dormant scrub offering little trace of the six-month, nectar-fueled rager it hosted last year. But by June, the sea of muted brown will again give way to a riot of black-eyed Susans, golden Alexanders and crimson beardtongues—a floral feast for the eyes, and for the bellies of bees, butterflies and other frequent fliers roaming the region.
Campus Pollinator Conservation Effort Seeks ‘Bee Campus USA’ Designation
The University of Maryland Arboretum and Botanical Garden is excited to announce a new collaborative effort on campus, seeking to earn the distinction of ‘Bee Campus USA’ for the University of Maryland. This effort is led by PollinaTerps, a collective group of University of Maryland students, staff, and faculty, including entomological, horticultural, and sustainability professionals.