The mission of the FSU Arboretum is to provide a growing,
sustainable and safe resource for the campus and regional communities
to engage in education, research, observation and contemplation while
maintaining the natural miniature of the mountains of Appalachia. To
this end a management plan has been constructed to meet these goals.
1. The first and foremost part of the management plan
is to remove invasive plant species growing in the Arboretum. As the
Arboretum has not been well maintained in the past many species of invasive
plants (such as Japanese
Knotweed) have become a major problem within this
vital resource. By removing these alien invaders we can reach one of
our goals of maintaining the natural setting of the Appalachia mountains.
2. Several different types of planting will be constructed
within the Arboretum to increase the conservation awareness and aesthetic
properties of the Arboretum. These planting may include:
- Native plants of Maryland.
- Native plants of the Appalachia Mountains
- Medical plants from the US (and some possibly from
around the world with careful selection).
- Aesthetically pleasing plantings that will serve
to draw visitors from the surrounding area.
3. To increase the teaching and research potential
of the arboretum, plantings will also be instructed to meet the needs
of particular classes (e.g., Ethnobotany, Dendrology, Geography, Plant
Physiology, Plant taxonomy) offered by Frostburg State University and
other surrounding institutes of learning (ACM, Appalachian Laboratory).
Instructional/identificational markers for self-guided tours and general
information for people visiting the Arboretum will be installed.
