Reeves-Reed Arboretum Receives Grants Totaling $40,000
Submitted by Frank Juliano
The mission of Reeves-Reed Arboretum is to engage, educate, and enrich the lives of our constituents to become better stewards of nature and the planet. With an ever increasing visitorship – now over 100,000 annually – the Arboretum acknowledges and embraces its responsibility to make the grounds safe and welcoming to visitors of all abilities, and to fully embody the goals of our mission. One of the most compelling ways this goal is achieved is through partnerships with community organizations.
Thanks to recent funding for general operating support from The Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust, The Summit Foundation, and from an anonymous local foundation, a total of $40,000 has been received to help sustain the Arboretum’s efforts during the COVID-19 crisis.
“It’s truly a rare gift to receive a grant for operations. Keeping staff working and paid, and the lights on isn’t as attractive as a new program or initiative. So, to have three donors support our everyday efforts is simply overwhelming,” according to Frank Juliano, Executive Director of the Arboretum.
By craftily scheduling the bulk of grounds work for the morning hours, the Arboretum has been able to remain open, safe and accessible to visitors throughout the pandemic. The gardens have never looked lovelier and a vote of appreciation goes to the efforts of the Arboretum’s horticultural team and volunteers. It takes many hands to maintain a public treasure – both on the grounds and through funding. Together, Reeves-Reed Arboretum acknowledges the efforts of all to help ensure a legacy of service that has become the hallmark of the Arboretum.
For more information about the programs, events, workshops, camps and classes at Reeves-Reed Arboretum, or learn more about our virtual initiatives during the COVID-19 crisis, please visit our website at reeves-reedarboretum.org or call 908-273-8787 x 1010.
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 a week, 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.
