Entry Garden greets visitors in front of James Hall.

I. Executive Summary

Brief History

The UNC Wilmington Arboretum was established in 1991 by Chancellor James Leutze. An Arboretum Advisory Committee was established and through their management, digital mapping from aerial photography was contracted as well as an initial site inventory and analysis of the campus. This established the base map for future facilities plans as well as future Arboretum planning. An Arboretum Department was created in 1996 and Tim Necaise was appointed Arboretum Curator.

Design Charette

In February 1997, an Arboretum Design Charette was held to discuss and develop the vision for the arboretum at UNC-Wilmington. In addition to conceptual guidelines and plans, a preliminary Mission Statement for the arboretum was developed:

Through attractive and documented landscape systems - natural and cultivated - the arboretum at UNC Wilmington provides to its University and regional community insight into North Carolina's coastal ecology.

The charette also proposed five major recommendations for the continued development of the arboretum, one of which was to undertake a Landscape Master Plan. In November 1997, the University selected O'Brien/Atkins Associates to develop a Landscape Master Plan for the arboretum.

Master Plan Intent

The Landscape Master Plan represents UNC Wilmington's commitment to develop an Arboretum campus of environmental and botanical distinction. The intent of the Master Plan is to guide and facilitate future growth and development of the campus landscape character. Though no timeline has been created, the Master Plan is to be used as a tool for long-range planning and will be implemented as funds and support are generated.

The Landscape Master Plan divides the campus into nine distinct landscape zones. Each zone is given a described character, landscape recommendations, a list of maintenance concerns and a plant material palette. Through the implementation of these recommendations, the campus landscape will develop in an organized manner to further enhance the Arboretum garden development (Refer to Landscape Master Plan Chart).