Over the past year, Holden Arboretum visitors got to experience a wide array of special exhibits and events, ranging from enchanted woodland fairy gardens to the return of youth summer camp, all geared toward the organization’s mission of connecting guests with nature.
Holden Arboretum, which is open year-round, spans about 3,500 acres in Lake and Geauga counties, with the main entrance to the grounds located at 9550 Sperry Road in Kirtland. The arboretum features multiple hiking trails, hundreds of acres of cultivated gardens and is a home for local wildlife.
According to Margaret Thresher, vice president of public relations and marketing at Holden Forests & Gardens, the arboretum saw an excellent year of attendance as locals sought to get out and enjoy nature amid the pandemic. From September 2020 through September 2021, over 120,000 visitors walked the trails and enjoyed special activities and exhibits.
“The past year has been an exciting one,” Thresher said. “We have seen an increase in first-time visitors as people look for more experiences to enjoy outdoors in nature. The natural world, being in the middle of a forest, has countless mental and physical health benefits.
“More people are seeing the arboretum as a great place to spend quality time with family and friends.”
Along with its permanent attractions like the Murch Canopy Walk and Kalberer Emergent Tower, where guests can get a bird’s eye view of the park from 120 feet high, the arboretum also features various special exhibits and experiences throughout the year.
One of the most popular exhibits in 2021 was Stickwork, a towering natural artwork structure created by artist Patrick Dougherty, whose art has been featured in more than 300 locations around the world. True to its namesake, Stickwork is collection of mazes and structures completely crafted from sticks and branches.
Stickwork was first installed at Holden Arboretum in August 2020 with the intention that it would be on display for at least one year, or until it naturally deteriorated. According to Thresher, the creation is still in great condition.
Over the summer, teams at Holden Arboretum and its sister location, Cleveland Botanical Garden, which is also owned by Holden Forests & Gardens, created an enchanted experience for guests — Fairy Doors: Magical Garden Gateways.
The Holden crews worked with 22 regional artists to create more than 50 handcrafted “fairy doors” and several fairy-inspired interactive exhibits to encourage guests to explore further into the forests and gardens in search of the whimsical spots.
Along with offering fun activities, Holden Arboretum also made progress on its mission work this year, Thresher said. The organization launched the People for Trees initiative, which aims to have 15,000 more trees planted and maintained in the Northeast Ohio area by 2025.
Participants in the People for Trees movement committed to planting 6,000 trees in the first year, but Thresher said it is important to keep the momentum going.
“Although we’ve made progress in the past five years, according to the 2020 Tree Canopy Progress Report for Greater Cleveland, the tree canopy continues to decline, and climate change will have the greatest effect on communities that already have the greatest need,” she said. “It is imperative that we act now to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change and other factors on the health of our urban and rural forests.”
To learn more about People for Trees or pledge to participate by planting one, visit https://holdenfg.org/make-an-impact/people-for-trees/.
“We recommend planting a tree that will stand the best chance of thriving in our region. For a list of options, we have a tree selection guide on our website,” Thresher said. “And if you cannot plant a tree, you can always donate to help purchase one that will be planted in a community that needs more trees.”
Holden research staff also published 11 peer-reviewed scientific papers over the year, including a paper focused on groundbreaking pollinator research by scientist Na Wei. Wei’s article, entitled “Pollinators contribute to the maintenance of flowering plant diversity,” was recently featured in “Nature,” an internationally recognized science journal.
Looking ahead to 2022, Thresher said that Holden Arboretum patrons should “stay tuned,” because the organization will be announcing a new special exhibit in the coming months. In the meantime, she encourages anyone who’s interested to come out and pay a visit to the grounds — and especially check out Stickwork while its still in place.
“If you haven’t seen Stickwork yet, or even if you have, come out and see it again. It’s a beautiful place to snowshoe or cross-country to and take photos,” Thresher said. “Or, if you are a member, you can walk to Spruce Knoll at sunrise or sunset and take gorgeous pictures of the natural artwork then.”
