Holden Forests and Gardens

What unique situations and initiatives have you undertaken or do you plan to undertake to address climate change that were not captured in our initial survey?

Holden Forests and Gardens consists of two campuses, the urban Cleveland Botanical Garden and the exurban Holden Arboretum. The Holden Arboretum has 3,000 acres of natural areas including 2000 acres of forest. Our working woods project seeks to demonstrate sustainable forest management whereby land owners may obtain income while managing their land to increase biodiversity and mitigate climate change (e.g. increasing tree growth rates, keeping woody debris within the forest). This project couples research with educational outreach while allowing us to increase our own forests ability to sequester carbon.

What are the most pressing problems or opportunities in your community that can be leveraged to address climate change?

One pressing problem centers on the potential increase in temperatures within urban areas, and the enhancement of the “heat island effect” with climate change. As an advocate for tree planting within urban and built environments, our work can increase resilience to climate change within our communities.

What unique features of your garden can be leveraged to address climate change?

As noted above, Holden’s extensive natural areas act as both a laboratory and a method by which Holden can learn, educate and mitigate the effects of climate change.