On a campus that is rapidly reaching an enrollment of 12,000 students, University of North Carolina Wilmington has committed itself to providing a beautiful, educational, and environmentally friendly setting. Majestic live oaks and stately longleaf pines provide the framework for the transformation of the university landscape into an outdoor classroom, an Arboretum. Enhancements are underway that will improve both the aesthetics and the educational value of the landscape. Theme gardens and the placement of plant identification signs have already created new learning opportunities. Equally as important as our cultivated landscape is our natural landscape. The Bluethenthal Wildflower Preserve, wetlands, and pine savanna, all display the richness of our native flora. These natural resources provide valuable insight into the unique ecology of southeastern North Carolina.

Mission Statement of the UNCW Arboretum

The campus of UNC Wilmington is an institutional arboretum. It is intended to educate the campus and regional communities about native and cultivated plants, improve the beauty and atmosphere of the campus setting, engage in and promote the conservation and preservation of our natural resources, and provide public services. As a microcosm of south eastern North Carolina, the UNCW Arboretum will be distinctive. Landscaping throughout the campus will support academic departments with specimen plantings and living laboratories of native biological communities.