Our members are a critical component to the success of the Arboretum. In 2022, over $30,000 was raised through memberships, which helped to support:

• • Free, year-round access to our trails and botanical gardens.
  • Youth programs and summer camp
  • Educational programs and events for adults and children
  • Free ski and snowshoe rentals for children
  • Interactive and educational exhibits
  • Maintenance of dozens of botanical collections
  • Development of new climate research project
  • Conservation of our natural environment 
    Read more: Arboretum Membership...

There is no better way to beat cabin fever than digging out your skis, snowshoes or hiking cleats. As we finally begin to see snow accumulation here in Maine, more people will be seeking opportunities and recreate outdoors. Even on one of the many mild winter days we have experienced this winter when the sun is shining and temperatures hover around 40 degrees, it is important to take safety seriously and be prepared for you activity.

If you have been in our Visitor Center recently you may have noticed we recently received a generous donation of fall bulbs from a local retailer that wasn't able to sell them. While the best way to a bounty of spring flowers from bulbs such as tulips is to sow them directly in the ground in the fall, past seasons bulbs can still be planted for future blooms in the spring. 

We are excited to announce the creation of a new April Break opportunity for youth at Viles Arboretum; The Garden-to-Table Youth Workshop.

We are excited to announce some exciting new changes to our existing youth summer programs at Viles Arboretum!

Viles Arboretum is excited to announce the arrival of exciting new programs and events opportunities for 2023!

Many of our members are familiar with our deep history - a confluence of events that took an abandoned farm formerly used by the State Mental Health Hospital to a unique outdoor experience worthy of Statewide notoriety. 

A recent study by the Northeast-Midwest State Foresters Alliance highlights the economic impact of urban forestry in states across the Northeast and Midwest regions of the United States. It is difficult to calculate the true value of a tree fully, as their impacts extend far beyond the value of their lumber. In urban communities perhaps one of the most valuable services of trees is air quality improvement. 

Visitors to Viles Arboretum the week of Nov. 14 (2010) might make the following observations:

From a distance and in the right light, you might be fooled into thinking that forsythias is in flower again along some of the pathways here at Viles Arboretum. 

If one was to fly a helicopter or plane over the state of Maine, you would see trees, trees, and even more trees. Maine has the most trees in the United States; ninety percent of the state is covered by forests. Maine’s forests contain a wide variety of tree species with over 55 species sampled in 2017. Out of those 55 species of trees, a few of them are in danger of extinction, One of which is the ash (Fraxinus) tree.