The Morton Arboretum's global network of arboreta and tree professionals sees momentous growth with 1,000th accredited arboretum

ArbNet—the only global accreditation program specific to tree-focused botanical gardens—welcomed its first accredited arboretum from Poland

LISLE, Ill., Oct. 14, 2026/PRNewswire/ -- Now in its 15th year, The Morton Arboretum's ArbNet program celebrated its 1,000th accredited arboretum this week with the addition of Kórnik Arboretum in Kórnik, Poland. As the only international accreditation program in the world specific to arboreta, or outdoor living museums of trees that serve the public, ArbNet doubled its network in the last five years alone.

ArbNet recognized Kórnik Arboretum's achievement of level IV accreditation standards—the highest granted—at the Oct. 12 "Trees and Forests in a Changing Environment" conference hosted in Poland by the Institute of Dendrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, which oversees the arboretum. The announcement marks the first accreditation of an arboretum in Poland and comes on the heels of Kórnik Arboretum's 200th anniversary.

"It is rewarding to reflect on how ArbNet has grown to be a community of 1,000 diverse and impactful arboreta across the globe over the last 15 years," said ArbNet Manager Andrea Brennan, Ph.D. "We are thrilled that Kórnik Arboretum is helping ArbNet mark this occasion by becoming not only our 1,000th accredited arboretum, but the first ArbNet-accredited arboretum in Poland, all while celebrating its own 200th anniversary this year."

Kórnik Arboretum holds the oldest collection of woody plants with documented origins in Poland, with some specimens among the oldest representatives of their species in greater Central and Eastern Europe. It is also home to Poland's largest collection of lilacs, with more than 250 different types comprising a national collection.

Given the number of research plots now more than 50 years old in its Zwierzyniec Experimental Forest, Kórnik Arboretum contributes high scientific value through its long-term observation of native and introduced plants. It provides a unique living resource for scientific exploration, conservation and environmental education.

"We are deeply proud and genuinely moved that Kórnik Arboretum has become the first ArbNet-accredited arboretum in Poland and, at the same time, the 1,000th member of this global community," said Professor Andrzej M. Jagodziński, director of the Institute of Dendrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. "For the Institute of Dendrology, this recognition has exceptional meaning. For 200 years, generations of people have created, developed and cared for these collections with the belief that an arboretum should be much more than a collection of remarkable trees—it should be a living place for science, conservation, education and the exchange of knowledge. Today, by joining ArbNet at its highest level of accreditation, we are giving that vision a new, international dimension. I see this achievement also as a tribute to all those who built the Kórnik collections before us. In many ways, it is the fulfillment of their idea: that the trees planted and studied here would serve not only one institution or one generation, but science, nature and society far into the future."

Poland is now one of 44 countries with at least one formally established arboretum through the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program, joining the recently accredited Cayo Levantado Arboretum in Samaná Bay, Dominican Republic, among others accredited this year in newly welcomed countries Bermuda, Denmark, Ecuador, Indonesia and Madagascar.

Administered by The Morton Arboretum, near Chicago, Ill., USA, ArbNet honors accreditations earned by institutions beyond arboreta and botanical gardens, like parks, historical sites, college campuses and nature preserves that commit to tending to their tree collections. Through its newly accredited Perkins Arboretum in Watertown, Mass., USA, Perkins School for the Blind intentionally curated a selection of trees with varying bark textures, leaf shapes, sounds and smells to allow its students to connect their classwork with the outdoors and nature.

Locally in Chicago, ArbNet is gaining rapid momentum, recently forging a partnership with the Chicago Park District that resulted in the accreditation of The Bloomingdale Trail, a nearly 3-mile path turned arboretum; Palmer Square Park Arboretum, which had just 27 individual trees in the 1980s and now has 28 different species of trees thanks to community-led efforts; Richard Clark Park, a 22-acre stretch of greenspace once the site of an amusement park along the bank of the Chicago River; and Wicker Park Gardens and Arboretum, maintained by the neighborhood's volunteer garden club.

ArbNet's collaborative model helped inform the foundation for The Morton Arboretum's "Green City Rising" co-winning submission in World Business Chicago's urban design vision competition, "Horizon Lines: Visions for Chicago 250." Green City Rising reimagines Chicago as a connected network of arboreta in which people and trees thrive together.

At the global scale, ArbNet facilitates cooperation through initiatives like the Botanic Gardens Conservation International / ArbNet Partnership Programme, a funding opportunity to support collaborations between botanic gardens and arboreta for the purpose of exchanging skills, resources and expertise to advance tree conservation efforts. Through ArbNet's Research Partner Directory launched this year, accredited arboreta of all types and capacities around the world can also express interest in hosting or joining scientific and conservation projects at various scales.

ArbNet prioritizes community and offers a free resource library providing practical guidance and real-world examples to help strengthen arboreta and support global efforts to plant, study, celebrate and conserve trees.

About ArbNet
The Morton Arboretum is an internationally recognized tree-focused botanical garden and research center located in Lisle, IL, USA. ArbNet, a flagship program of The Morton Arboretum, unites arboreta, botanic gardens with woody plant collections, and tree advocates around the world in a collaborative community dedicated to advancing the planting, study, and conservation of trees. Through its programs, shared resources, opportunities, and professional connections, ArbNet empowers institutions of all sizes to strengthen their collections, expand their impact, and contribute to global tree research and conservation efforts. More information can be found at www.arbnet.org.

SOURCE Morton Arboretum