University of Pennsylvania
IN-24: Innovation A

Penn's main, academic campus was accredited as a Level I ArbNet-certified Arboretum as of April 2017, and Level II in November 20107. The Arboretum at the University of Pennsylvania encompasses the entire West Philadelphia campus and is now the second of Penn's two arboretums; joining the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania in the Chestnut Hill section of northwest Philadelphia which is the official Arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is a Level IV ArbNet-certified Arboretum and is also an accredited museum by having committed to operating according to national standards and best practices as defined by the American Alliance of Museums. The main Penn campus arboretum curates and manages a diverse collection of trees, focused on preserving and sustaining the urban forest for the well-being of the campus community, residents of the adjacent neighborhood, environmental benefits, and research and educational opportunities. Penn’s campus is an urban forest with over 6,500 trees in its collection, over 240 species of trees and shrubs, ten specialty gardens and five urban parks. Penn has dedicated resources and coordinated the care in accordance with a comprehensive tree management program over the course of many years, resulting in Tree Campus USA designation every year since 2009 in addition to the formal recognition as an accredited ArbNet Arboretum in 2017. To aid people interesting in learning more about the landscape at Penn, The Penn Plant Explorer was developed. The Penn Plant Explorer, an interactive website linked to Penn’s comprehensive tree inventory, allows users to map and interpret Penn’s entire collection of trees, providing specialized campus tree tours, such as the donor sponsored Class Tree tour, significant trees (including an 1873 scion of Penn's Treaty Elm), interesting and unique trees and seasonal interest and edible plants. The existing work from the Ecological Landscape Stewardship Plan and Sustainable Sites Initiative was used to supplement the Arboretum submission. For more information on both, please see OP 9: Landscape Management.

http://arbnet.org/morton-register/morris-arboretum-university-pennsylvania https://www.facilities.upenn.edu/about/news/penn-west-philadelphia-campus-accredited-arboretum https://www.upenn.edu/spotlights/penns-unique-and-diverse-green-canopy https://www.facilities.upenn.edu/services/landscape/penn-plant-explorer