Arboretum Committee
Annual Report 1981-1982
During the past academic year, the Committee has met on a regular basis, about once a month, to review
plans for landscaping and planting and to plan future developments.
The most important project to surface during the year is undoubtedly the plan for relandscaping the space
between Monroe and Newcomb Hall. The plans have been approved by the Committee and by the Arts and
Architectural Review Council, and we are currently negotiating the finances. Arboretum has approved
expenditures from the Seward Fund of $13,275 for landscaping and contingencies in Phases I and II. We hope
that additional funds will be forthcoming from other parts of the University.
A sub-committee chaired by Mr. Caplow has been working on arboretum development. They have
arranged to hire a graduate student to revise and correct the tree map. This information will then be placed in a
data bank with the capability of sorting and retrieval of sub-sets of the data as well as computer generation of
maps. The Committee has approved $5,000 to the support of this system.
Significant new plantings by the Committee this year include completion
of a row of Sugar Maples (Acer saccharum) at the Law School entrance, a row of
Willow Oaks (Quercus phellos) on Whitehead Road, and two Zelkova serrata, not
yet in place, for t sunken court at Newcomb Hall.
Over the year, the Committee has reviewed numerous landscaping and planting plans. The following list
indicates the level of activity around the University.
1. Overall plan for the Alderman-Monroe axis.
2. Bollarding for the lower Lawn.
3. Law School entrance circle.
4. Vehicular access to eastern side of Rotunda.
5. Scott Stadium picnic area.
6. Darden Memorial Garden.
7. Garrett Hall access for the handicapped.
8. Clemons Library landscaping.
9. Darden School parking lot.
10. Garrett Hall bus stop.
11. Overall plan for McCormick Road.
12. Relandscaping and planting for Whitehead Road.
13. Bayly-Campbell courtyard.
14. Fencing the physics playing field.
The Committee carried out its annual inspection trip to Blandy Farm. Despite some losses to ice and
wind, the collections are being maintained and improved by Mr. Ewert. Federal cutbacks on the programs for job
training have
hurt the program, making the maintenance more difficult to accomplish. The most encouraging aspect of the
Blandy program is the increased use of the farm by members of the Department of Environmental Sciences who
have several research projects underway, including some cooperative work with the Smithsonian research
establishment at Front Royal.
Finally, we should like to express our concern about the columbarium proposed for the site adjacent to
the University cemetery. Mr. Middleditch has not replied to our letter requesting information about the project.
We believe that a proposal with such a large impact should receive the widest possible discussion in the
university community.
The Committee will continue to function over the summer on an ad hoc basis until the new committee
takes over for 1982-1983.
Respectfully submitted,
J.J. Murray, J Chairman
