What’s the story behind the UW Arboretum?

Well, how long do you have? The short story is that the UW Arboretum is a 1,200–acre “living laboratory” comprised of woodlands, wetlands, oak savannas, prairies, and horticultural collections on the south shore of Lake Wingra. But as many naturalists would attest, to appreciate what’s on the surface, one must understand its roots. The Arboretum’s roots extend 12,000 years to when the ancestors of the Ho-Chunk Nation lived on and cared for the land they call “Teejop.” This includes Wingra’s wooded shores, which still feature effigy mounds built by these early residents. After the land was taken from the Ho-Chunk in 1832, it was divided into parcels and farmed. In the 1920s, a failed attempt at a subdivision on Wingra’s south shore resulted in what is now known as the “Lost City,” remnants of which are still visible today. But perhaps the Arb’s most resonant legacy is as the birthplace of “ecological restoration.” Aldo Leopold, the Arboretum’s first research director, alluded to this concept during his 1934 dedication speech when he stated that the Arb would be “a reconstructed sample of old Wisconsin.” Today, the UW Arboretum is home to some of the oldest restored ecological communities in the country, and in 2021, it was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Parks Service.