Jacksonville Arboretum receives $1 million grant, largest in its history

The Jacksonville Arboretum and Botanical Garden in Arlington has received the largest grant in its 16-year history, a $1 million donation from the Ponte Vedra Beach-based River Branch Foundation.

“This grant represents a turning point…and we are incredibly grateful,” said Executive Director Dana Doody. “With this crucial funding, we are well positioned to become a leader in environmental education and serve as a family-friendly green space for all Jacksonville residents to enjoy.”

Meanwhile, designs are being finalized for an $8 million children’s garden announced for 2023, with fundraising set to begin afterward. The children’s garden is the first phase of the arboretum’s new master development plan.

“Because this is such a large project and we want to make sure every aspect of the garden fits well with the location, we’ve taken the time to carefully work through the design between our staff, board and designers,” Doody said.

The source of the new grant, the River Branch Foundation, has donated to many environmental groups in the area. In 2021, one particularly crucial donation helped the North Florida Land Trust purchase a chain of Intracoastal Waterway islands near Butler Boulevard for preservation.

According to the nonprofit, the grant will support the arboretum’s “sustainability as an organization” by enhancing events like the new Glowing Gardens light show. The “visitor experience” will also be improved with a parking lot redesign that will add spaces and increase wheelchair accessibility. And there are plans to widen and reinforce gravel paths to better accommodate disabled people.

The grant will also fund additional staff and maintenance equipment and enhance security measures.

“The arboretum has gained incredible momentum over the past few years and it’s great to see the support from the community,” said Jacksonville City Councilman Mike Gay, whose district includes the gardens. “I look forward to seeing how the nonprofit will continue to progress, especially with this generous support from the River Branch Foundation.”

The recent push stems from a series of changes at the arboretum, which had been run by volunteers since opening in 2008. The nonprofit hired its first director in 2018 (Doody arrived in 2020) and has since brought on several additional staffers. Volunteers have provided 3,528 hours of work to help maintain the site, according to the website.

The arboretum relied on event sponsorships and donations for funding, and visitors were asked to donate $3. But in 2022, a $3 entrance fee was implemented to offset the costs of improvements, ongoing maintenance and educational programming.

Memberships were also encouraged. In 2022, there were fewer than 200 members. In 2023, there were 1,025 and the total has since grown to 1,375. They pay between $40 and $750 a year.

Last year, Doody and President and Chairman Kevin Blalock announced the children’s garden, with a three- to five-year timeline for design, planning and fundraising. The design should “strike a healthy balance between education and recreation” and showcase the environmental diversity of plants and animals found on the grounds, according to the arboretum.

Councilman Ron Salem said the gardens have “unlimited potential,” particularly after the children’s section opens.

“If you can get kids interested in the outdoors, that’s a good thing because they’ll bring their parents with them, too. As people learn about the arboretum and visit it, they’ll come back,” Salem said in a video about the planned children’s garden.

The master plan also includes a performing arts amphitheater, a floral display garden, expanded parking, and a visitor and events center clustered around 18 acres surrounding the arboretum’s lake.

“It’s a transformative place that appeals to future generations,” said Chris Barkley of HDLA, one of two landscape design firms working on the master plan. “That’s really the impact it has on the community and families in particular.”

“It’s not a static thing. It’s going to continue to evolve with every generation,” Barkley said in the video.

The arboretum is located at 1445 Millcoe Road. For more information, to make a donation or to volunteer, visit jacksonvillearboretum.org, call (904) 318-4342 or email [email protected].

[email protected], (904) 359-4109

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