Arboretum
Established in 2023 during Trinity’s Bicentennial year, the Trinity College Arboretum is a Level I Arboretum that encompasses the entire campus, consisting of over 100 acres.
The arboretum includes over 1,500 trees, two of which are Connecticut state champion trees: an English Elm and a Temple’s Upright Sugar Maple. Elms have been a tradition on Trinity’s campus and are a prominent feature of the arboretum as well as Trinity’s alma mater, ‘Neath the Elms. Trinity’s new campus designation was announced on Charter Day, May 16, 2023, a day that marks the founding of the College. As part of the celebration, a tree was planted on campus and the College has vowed to plant a new tree every year on Charter Day.
The College Arboretum’s mission statement is as follows:
Trinity College’s Arboretum protects, enhances, and sustains an urban oasis that celebrates the region’s nature and history, functions as a gathering place for conservation efforts and community engagement, serves as a living lab for teaching, research, and learning, and supports the long-term enjoyment and health of the Trinity community and beyond.
Trinity's arboretum has been recognized by ArbNet, an interactive community of existing arboreta who have created an accreditation program for organizations looking to become an arboretum. Trinity has fulfilled the Level 1 criteria, which has five requirements: organizations must put together an organizational plan for their arboretum; form a governing body; have a minimum of 25 species that are all labeled; have staff or volunteers that support the needs of the arboretum; and provide public access as well as a yearly public event focused on trees.
As part of the establishment of the arboretum, the College has created an interactive map with an inventory of all the trees in the arboretum, a walking tour highlighting 37 trees, and a list of the most notable trees.