All income earned by the Associates goes directly to the upkeep of the Arboretum. The new building, Horticulture II, was financed entirely through the efforts of the Associates. Completed in 1994, it has become a meeting place for many local groups involved with gardening and natural history. Volunteers also staff the Jean and Bill Lane Horticulture Library, an important source of information on gardening, horticulture, natural history, and botany. Along with a yearly symposium, the Associates sponsor a free lecture series open to the public that covers a wide range of botanical and gardening-related subjects.
Potlucks precede most evening talks and a fundraising plant raffle is held after the lecture.
All of these events are held in the Horticulture Building and are advertised in the Bulletin, a quarterly newsletter circulated to all Associates free of charge. Associates officers are elected by the membership every two years. The Arboretum Associates has grown to approximately 980 generous members. Manifesting in innumerable ways, their lively interest and continued support enable the Arboretum to flourish. You are invited to join the Associates.