Community Survey
Summary of Survey Results
THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our community survey, which ran from Mother’s Day to August 11, 2023! More than 5,000 community members completed the questionnaire. Click here to read the survey consultant’s slideshow summary of key findings and recommendations.
Washington Park Arboretum Community Survey
ABOUT THIS SURVEY
The Washington Park Arboretum and Seattle Japanese Garden are in a period of growth and change. The Arboretum Foundation and UW Botanic Gardens surveyed and connecting with community members in summer 2023 to learn about their needs and desires for the future of this unique green space and cultural asset.
One exciting change is that a 28-acre parcel currently being used for the SR-520 bridge replacement project (see map below) will be returned to the Arboretum at project completion. Community input will shape the design and use of this land.
Aerial map showing the Arboretum in green and the North End Parcel in orange.
FAQS
What is the Washington Park Arboretum and the Arboretum Foundation?
The Washington Park Arboretum is the official arboretum of the State of Washington, and the region’s largest and most important botanical garden. It includes the Seattle Japanese Garden, constructed in 1960. The Arboretum is cooperatively managed by Seattle Parks and Recreation and the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, with major support from the Arboretum Foundation.
What is being considered for the 28-acre parcel?
This parcel, referred to as the North End Parcel, will be returned at the end of this decade. At this early stage, we are collecting very broad input and ideas, but priorities include recognizing the Coast Salish peoples as the original inhabitants of the land and hearing from non-users as well as current users of the park. The final outcome will require further study beyond this summer.
Who conducted the study?
The Arboretum Foundation, in partnership with the UW Botanic Gardens, contracted with Seva Workshop and Biederman Redevelopment Ventures to conduct the study.
Black Walnut Tree in Arboretum Tests Positive for Thousand Cankers Disease
Cankers and beetle feeding holes on the inner bark of a downed walnut branch. (Photo courtesy: Elizabeth Bush, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, bugwood.org)FIRST DOCUMENTED CASE IN WESTERN WASHINGTON! This summer, Seattle Botanic Gardens...
Hidden Treasure of the Arboretum: Witch-Alder
Fall foliage close-up of a witch-alder in the Arboretum's Woodland Garden. (Photo by Niall Dunne)BY PHIL WOOD As a retired garden designer, I am always on the lookout for plants that offer multiple seasons of interest. Witch-alders (Fothergilla species and hybrids)...
Volunteers Help Host First Seattle Botanic Gardens’ Plant Sale
Volunteers helping shoppers at check-out in the Big Greenhouse. (Photo by Polly Teeter)BY ALICIA HAMILTON Our annual Fall Plant Sale took place at the Graham Visitors Center in the Arboretum last Saturday, September 19. Though it happened on a single day, the sale was...