RRA Awarded $250,000 Green Acres Matching Grant

Reeves-Reed Arboretum
Awarded $250,000 Green Acres
Matching Grant for Accessibility

Summit, NJ The mission of Reeves-Reed Arboretum is to engage, educate, and enrich the lives of all of our constituents, no matter what their abilities, so that they become better stewards of nature and the planet. With an ever increasing visitorship of over 100,000 annually, the Arboretum acknowledges and embraces this responsibility, and since 2016, has embarked on a multi-phase Accessibility Project.

It is with honor and humility that the Arboretum gratefully acknowledges an extraordinary grant from the Department of Environmental Protection/Green Acres Program, to help further our goal of accessibility for all. This matching grant of $250,000 will enable the Arboretum to complete this project which includes: a safe and accessible welcome/drop off area; an outdoor classroom; a series of tiered and accessible sensory gardens; a water feature; accessible pathways and ramps utilizing recyclable, porous materials; education "stops" with informative signage; and an amphitheatre with a backdrop of lilacs. These paths, education stops, gardens and amphitheatre will create a full circuit from the parking area, through the historic grounds and up to the perennial border, back to the parking area. The ribbon cutting for the amphitheatre will be April 2020, and the following spring for the remainder of the project. The Green Acres Program is committed to preserving New Jersey's rich, natural, historic and cultural heritage while taking into account and meeting the diverse needs of the people of the state.

Many hands (read funders) are needed to achieve this goal. The Arboretum wants to also acknowledge the continued support of the Hyde and Watson Foundation, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the Kessler Foundation, Celgene, the Grassmann Trust, the Union Foundation, the Manley-Winser Foundation, the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust, Investors Bank and Investors Foundation, and the Mary Reinhart Stackhouse Foundation, all of whom recognize that meaningful public access to our parks and green spaces is of paramount importance, and especially a priority at Reeves-Reed Arboretum.

For more information about the Arboretum's Accessibility Project, or for naming and dedication opportunities of the new gardens, pathways, and other features, please contact Reeves-Reed Arboretum's Executive Director, Frank Juliano (f.juliano@reeves-reedarboretum.org).

Celebrating over 40 years as a historic public garden and education resource, Reeves-Reed Arboretum engages, educates and enriches the public through horticulture and environmental education, and the care and utilization of the gardens and estate. Open 7 days, the Arboretum is listed on both the National and New Jersey State Historic Registers. Funding for RRA has been made possible in part by the NJ Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State, through a grant administered by the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Dept. of Parks & Community Renewal.

REEVES-REED ARBORETUM....a place to grow for everyone!