The University of Maryland Facilities Management department is proud to announce that the UMD Arboretum was named the Professional Grounds Management Society’s (PGMS) 2019 Green Star Grand Award recipient for excellence in grounds management for an urban university. The PGMS Green Star Grand Award is the highest recognition for excellence of landscape management practices in the country.
PGMS is a national membership society dedicated to advancing the education and development of the grounds management field. The criteria attributed to their annual Green Star Awards program extends beyond overall landscape attractiveness. Winners of this prestigious prize must also demonstrate superior management skills and successful sustainability and safety practices.
The UMD campus arboretum was also honored earlier this year for achieving a Level IV Accreditation through The Morton Arboretum's Arbnet Accreditation Program. Only 27 other institutions worldwide have achieved this highest level of distinction.
About the UMD Arboretum
The University of Maryland’s entire College Park campus is a Level IV Arbnet-accredited arboretum & botanical garden, and strives to be an instrument of horticultural distinction, landscape design and interpretation, and place-making, reflecting the university’s education, research, and service missions. The Arboretum and Botanical Garden incorporates the diverse heritage landscapes of the campus from its beginnings as an agricultural college founded in 1856 to its current urban setting befitting a distinguished research university. Through exemplary practices of environmental stewardship, horticulture and urban forestry, the Arboretum and Botanical Garden enhances the campus’ aesthetics and promotes awareness of conservation and preservation of our natural environment for the enrichment of the university community, the citizens of Maryland, and our visitors.