Salem’s F. Carroll Sargent Arboretum Awarded Level 1 Accreditation by ArbNet Accreditation Program
The F. Carroll Sargent Arboretum at Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts, has been awarded Level 1 Accreditation by The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum, for achieving standards of professional practices deemed important for arboreta and botanic gardens.
The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta at various levels of development, capacity, and professionalism. With this designation, the F. Carroll Sargent Arboretum at Greenlawn Cemetery is also now recognized as an accredited arboretum in the Morton Register of Arboreta, a database of the world’s arboreta and gardens dedicated to woody plants.
While the desire for accreditation had been percolating for months, the pursuit began in earnest in 2019 through a collaboration between Christine Lutts, President of the Friends of Greenlawn Cemetery, Inc., Robert LeBlanc, arborist and Superintendent of Cemeteries for the City of Salem, and Lisa Delissio, Professor of Biology at Salem State University.
In spring 2019, Delissio, her upper-level botany course, and community members conducted fieldwork in the cemetery. Students collected data on 25 of the hundreds of varieties of tree species found within the arboretum and studied their natural history. In 2020, LeBlanc and Lutts visited Delissio’s lab to teach to her students how measure tree diameters and heights, assess tree health, and determine whether a tree’s scientific name has been updated based on recent research.
“As a historic publicly-owned arboretum, accreditation opens up access to important resources that will support this unique collection.” Christine Lutts, President, Friends of Greenlawn Cemetery, Inc. These resources include access to funding opportunities, exchanges of seeds and seedlings, and collaboration on scientific studies.
“I am very grateful to the Friends of Greenlawn Cemetery, Prof. Delissio and her students, and Bob LeBlanc and his team for all of their hard work to make this distinction possible,” said Mayor Kim Driscoll. “This accreditation recognizes the important ecological and scientific value of the F. Carroll Sargent Arboretum and makes possible further efforts to preserve and improve this remarkable gem in our community.”
With Level 1 Accreditation achieved, the collaboration will continue to inventory trees and shrubs, identify species and collections of scientific interest, and add and update labels.
“This is deeply meaningful work,” said Delissio. “My students and I are excited to be part of it.”
About the Sargent Arboretum
The F. Carroll Sargent Arboretum occupies the 55-acre Greenlawn Cemetery in North Salem. In the mid-1930s, workers funded by the New Deal planted many hundreds of labeled trees, shrubs, and woody vines in the cemetery, creating one of the most diverse arboreta in Massachusetts. Today, the F. Carroll Sargent Arboretum is home to threatened and endangered species of woody plants and hosts an annual tree stroll. The Arboretum is supported by a collaboration between the City of Salem, Friends of Greenlawn Cemetery, and Salem State University.
About ArbNet
ArbNet is an interactive, collaborative, international community of arboreta. ArbNet facilitates the sharing of knowledge, experience, and other resources to help arboreta meet their institutional goals and works to raise professional standards through the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program. The accreditation program, sponsored and coordinated by The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois in cooperation with American Public Gardens Association and Botanic Gardens Conservation International, is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta based on a set of professional standards. The program offers four levels of accreditation, recognizing arboreta of various degrees of development, capacity and professionalism. Standards include planning, governance, public access, programming and tree science, planting and conservation. More information is available at www.arbnet.org. 
About Salem State University
Salem State University, established in 1854, is a comprehensive, public institution of higher learning located approximately 15 miles north of Boston, Massachusetts. One of the largest state universities in the Commonwealth, Salem State enrolls more than 7,500 undergraduate and graduate students. It offers 32 undergraduate programs and graduate programs that offer degrees in 24 fields. The university also has a continuing education division that offers both credit and non-credit programs. Known for the academic strength of its faculty, Salem State was named a Top Producer of U.S. Fulbright Scholars in 2011 and for the 2016-2017 academic year. The university is designated a Top College and University by Military Advanced Education and a Best for Vets College by Military Times. Salem State proudly participates in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement and has shown a student voting rate well above the national average, earning the university a gold seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.