Welcome to the Forest Park Arboretum! Our goal is to provide an educational showcase for highlighting the beauty and diversity of the trees and plants growing in Forest Park. Over 200 trees in the park are labeled with their common name and species, to help you identify those trees which you pass by every time you visit the Park. To date, we have over 900 trees mapped and cataloged, and labels for those trees are continually being added.
This page contains information on the Arboretum, as well as resources that will help you to develop skills and knowledge that you can use to learn more about the trees growing in Forest Park, and how you can join in the volunteer effort.
In The News
Forestry Division to Hold Volunteer Outreach Meeting for Forest Park Arboretum Project April 9th, 2026
Springfield, MA – City Forester Alexander R. Sherman will host a community-wide meeting for those interested in learning about and volunteering for the Forest Park Arboretum.
The Forest Park Arboretum is a collection of identified and catalogued trees throughout Forest Park. The Forestry Division is seeking motivated volunteers who will bring their unique talents and love of trees to help develop programming for the Arboretum.
Areas of opportunity include: Collections Management, Environmental Education, Public Outreach, and Volunteer Support.
If you are interested in learning about any of the above topics or just have a love of trees, please join us to create this new and exciting amenity at Forest Park!
The Forest Park Arboretum is a partnership with the Springfield Forestry Division, ReGreen Springfield, and local residents.
Mayor Sarno states, “Forest Park is a treasure for Springfield residents to enjoy nature in the heart of our City. The Forest Park Arboretum is a great way to showcase the immense natural resources and unique trees the park has to offer.”
Springfield Parks Department team lead by Director Tom Ashe says, “The Park Department is always looking to create new ways for guests to enjoy our beautiful Springfield Parks. The Forest Park Arboretum is yet another amenity that will showcase the important natural resource that is our trees.”
More About Arboretums
- The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program
This program was created to establish and share a widely recognized set of industry standards for the purpose of unifying the arboretum community and providing a mechanism for benchmarking and guidelines for professional development. The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program recognizes arboreta at various levels of development, capacity, and professionalism.
