Recently,  the Maple (Acer) Collection at Hoyt Arboretum was selected by the North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC) to participate in a collaborative effort with ten other botanical gardens in North America to grow and conserve all of the world’s maple species.   Tree and plant species are increasingly threatened and endangered throughout the world.  Scientists predict that over half the world’s plant species may become extinct in the next 100 years.  Just as zoos around the world are involved in breeding programs to conserve wildlife species, botanical gardens are growing trees and plants to conserve global plant biodiversity.   As native habitats disappear, the growing of endangered species at places like Hoyt Arboretum is critical in order to assure that live germplasm is maintained that can eventually be used to replant native ecosystems. 

Becoming part of this conservation effort is a sign of the progress being made at Hoyt by the partnership between Portland Parks & Recreation and the non-profit group, Hoyt Arboretum Friends.   While Hoyt has always had a world-class tree collection the trees have had so little care during most of its 80-year history that they have merely survived, not thrived.   Dedicated park employees,  like Ernie Fisher (1950 – 1968), Jim Bray (1968 – 1984), Jim Sjulin (1984-1986) and Fred Nilsen (1986-2008), have done their best with inadequate resources to take care of the Arboretum’s 8,000 trees from around the world.    Yet they have been trying to do a job that anywhere else would have required a considerably larger staff.   

Over the last five years, Hoyt has seen a modest increase in its staffing levels from Parks but is now able to use funding raised by the Friends group to increase staffing by 50% and add  basic infrastructure such as an irrigation system.  Even though Hoyt is still short about 10 staff (the basic minimum required to do the job) the increase in funding has allowed the Parks employees at Hoyt to begin to take proper care of the special trees entrusted to them and to qualify for inclusion in this important global conservation project.