Fullerton Arboretum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton |
|
|---|---|
| Fullerton Arboretum | |
Heritage House in the Arboretum.
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Type | Public |
| Location | Fullerton, California |
| Nearest city | Fullerton |
| Area | 26 acres (11 ha) |
| Created | 1976 |
| Status | Closed on same holidays observed by CSUF |
The Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton is a special place. It's a 26-acre (11 ha) botanical garden in Fullerton, California. Here, you can find over 4,000 different plants from all over the world. It's the biggest garden of its kind in Orange County! This arboretum helps protect plants that are rare or almost gone. It also teaches us about the history of farming.
This amazing garden officially started in 1976 and opened in 1979. Before it was a garden, the land was an orange grove that got sick. It was then turned into special organic gardening plots. A very important part of the Arboretum is the Heritage House. This house was built in 1894. It was the home and office of Dr. George C. Clark, one of Fullerton's first doctors. In 1972, the house was moved to where it now stands in the middle of the Arboretum.
The Arboretum's garden paths take you through four main plant areas. These are the Cultivated, Woodlands, Mediterranean, and Desert Collections. You can see plants native to Southern California and a Rare Fruit Grove. There's also a huge 11,000 sq ft (1,000 m2) organic vegetable garden. You can find historic Citrus and Avocado trees, and a special Channel Islands Garden. The Arboretum also has many different Cycads, Conifers, and a Palm Grove. There are Community Gardens and a fun Children's Garden too.
The Arboretum helps people learn about the environment. They work with students and teachers from the university. They gather important information and share their research throughout Orange County.
How the Arboretum Began
The idea for a garden at California State University, Fullerton, came from Drs. David Walkington and Eugene Jones. The land was once an orange grove. But the trees got a disease called "quick decline" and died. Teri Jones and other faculty wives worked hard to get support for the garden. They formed the Arboretum Committee. This group even won an award for their environmental efforts!
Students and teachers started funding the project in 1971. They worked together to use the land for organic gardening. This showed how important organic farming was for the environment. They cut down the old trees and removed their roots.
In 1972, the idea of making the land a botanical garden became official. The Arboretum Society was formed. They started fundraisers on campus to build the garden. They also asked the City of Fullerton for help. This was to get official community support for the project. The California State University system approved the plan. They set aside 26 acres of land for the garden.
That same year, a group called the Friends of Fullerton Arboretum was created. This group helps raise money for the garden. They are a non-profit organization and still exist today.
In 1976, an architectural firm was hired to design the arboretum. In October 1977, contractors were given $621,000 to start building.
The official groundbreaking ceremony happened on December 11, 1977. The Arboretum officially opened to the public on October 21, 1979.
In 2004, a new visitors' center was built. It has classrooms, a pavilion, and a museum.
Exploring Museums at the Arboretum
The Orange County Agricultural and Nikkei Heritage Museum is located right at the Arboretum. This museum shows the history of farming in the area. It also highlights the important contributions of the local Japanese American community and other early farmers.
Heritage House is a historic house museum. It is decorated to look like a doctor's home and office from the 1890s. This house is one of the oldest homes still standing from the original town of Fullerton. Dr. George Crook Clark, one of Fullerton's first doctors, built this Eastlake-style cottage in 1894. The home was moved to the arboretum campus in 1972. This saved it from being torn down. It was originally located in the center of Fullerton.
Images for kids
.jpg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
See also
In Spanish: Fullerton Arboretum para niños
- List of botanical gardens in the United States
- North American Plant Collections Consortium
