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> News & Events > Annual Campaign
Annual Campaign
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The Bartlett Arboretum Association is a 501(c)(3)non-profit organization that has maintained the historic Bartlett site since its inception over 40 years ago. Although the Bartlett has received an annual funding allocation from the City of Stamford since it entered into a partnership with the City in 2002, in addition, each year we must raise 60% of our operating funds through gifts, grants, and contributions from the community.
Sustaining the Bartlett in the year ahead will be a challenge. It will require support of at least $600,000 from Bartlett members, friends, local corporations and foundations, and generous individuals in our community and beyond.
Please consider a gift to the Bartlett's Annual Campaign today. Join your friends and neighbors and designate a gift to support our work. Give generously to preserve and protect this valuable community asset. Your donation will have an immediate impact and enduring effect in many ways.
Thank you for your support.
Warm regards,
Kenneth A. DellaRocco
President, Board of Directors
Karen B. Wilder
Chair, Development Committee
Your gift to our Annual Campaign will help to:
Maintain and expand our collections of plants and trees: The Bartlett was originally the Connecticut State Arboretum and our living museum of plants and trees comprises over 1,000 specimens, including 14 notable trees and 8 champion trees. Many of these trees were planted by renowned dendrologist Dr. Bartlett himself, the property's namesake, as long ago as the late 1800s.
New additions to our collections this year include the Bamboo collection, the Native Plant Garden (in progress); and the expanded Tropical Garden that more than doubled in size. The Arboretum's collections now contain 7 plants listed as threatened or endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Protect the biodiversity of our site and restore our native woodlands: The Bartlett is mandated to maintain the horticultural diversity of the property and is committed both to enhancing our collections and to preserving our 91 acres of varied habitats for the benefit of the public. Bartlett staff and committed volunteers are involved year-round in projects to remove invasive plants.
Invasive species projects conducted this past year include removal of Euonymus alatus (burning bush), Acer platanoides (Norway maple) and Phellodendron amurense (cork tree).
Provide vital programs for children and adults: We offer public lectures and workshops on sustainable practices, public school programs free of charge, professional certification classes on tree care, a summer nature day camp, and one of the most successful branches of the Master Gardener program in the state.
As of this year, full scholarships to many of these programs are available to eligible adults and children.
Expand our understanding of the environment through innovative research: The Arboretum's original purpose when used as the headquarters of the Bartlett Tree Company in the late 1800s and early 1900s was to perform cutting edge research in the field. Since 2006, the Bartlett has again pursued research as a vital part of the Arboretum's daily activities.
Today, the Arboretum's research program includes floristics, plant ecology, and invasive species. Each year Arboretum staff conduct research trips to remote locations including Peru and Puerto Rico, and in 2009, published several scientific research papers.
Offer the community opportunities for cultural growth and recreation: The Bartlett Summer Music Sundays series is well-acclaimed and notable for its loyal audience. For the benefit of the community, the Bartlett also exhibits the work of emerging and established artists in the Visitor Center Gallery, and this year hosted our first Plein Air Art Auction. The Bartlett strives each year to expand our cultural activities, and enhance our gardens and grounds for the enjoyment of all members of the public.
All of these initiatives are critical to sustaining the Bartlett but also important to the wellbeing of our community. As the health of the environment becomes increasingly precarious, our efforts to connect to nature and institute sustainable practices become ever more important.
Please give generously to our Annual Campaign so that we can preserve this jewel in our community, educate the public, and continue our research to enhance our understanding of the environment.
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