News published: 17 March 2023

The Morton Arboretum and BGCI-US present findings of a 3-year, multi-institutional project to explore integrated collections development and collections valuation by botanic gardens.

This 13-page guide showcases evaluation of five dimensions of value relevant to the Science and Curation teams and mission of The Morton Arboretum. Focusing primarily on four priority genera at the Arboretum (Malus, Quercus, Tilia and Ulmus – crabapple, oak, basswood, and elm), this guide summarizes how data was gathered, preliminary findings, and lessons learned.

“The use of quantitative analysis of the value of garden collections can help to improve the impact we are trying to make – it can help to identify high priority accessions and make our collections more useful to conservation outcomes, scientific study, and public appreciation of plants. We hope the approaches presented in this guide can be a useful complement to the expertise and knowledge of curators, collectors and garden leadership.”

We are grateful to the Institute of Museum and Library Services for supporting this project (especially MA-30-18-0273-18, MG-245575- OMS-20,), and to a long list of gardens, zoos, associations, and individuals who participated in the research.

You can find additional resources, by clicking here.