The University of Guelph Arboretum, described as the largest and most comprehensive sanctuary of its kind in Ontario, has a new director.
Prof. Shelley Hunt, a forest ecologist and faculty member in the School of Environmental Sciences, took over last week from Prof. Jonathan Newman, who heads the School of Environmental Sciences. Newman had served as the Arboretum’s interim director since Prof. Alan Watson stepped down from the director’s post in 2012 after more than 20 years at the Arboretum.
More than 73,000 people visit the Arboretum annually, and more than 6,000 people participate in workshops, guided tours and special events, a news release said. The 407-acre green space is home to more than 18,000 specimens in more than 30 plant collections, as well as gardens, wetlands, nature trails and forests.
The Arboretum “provides opportunities for teaching and research and extensive outreach to the broader community, with dedicated volunteers from on and off campus,” Hunt said in the release. “This is important green space on campus and part of the City of Guelph’s natural heritage system.”
Hunt is looking forward to contributing to the work being done by the Arboretum in fulfilling its mandate of promoting education, research and teaching.
“My first steps as director will be listening to and learning from the staff, visitors and the community,” she said in the release. “I hope to increase awareness on campus of the wonderful work being done at the Arboretum in biodiversity conservation and environmental education, and to strengthen its role as a research hub.”
She will continue to teach and conduct research at the university, where she has been on faculty since 2006, the release said. Her research currently focuses on forest restoration in southern Ontario.
Hunt, who earned B.Sc. and PhD degrees at U of G, said the Arboretum was one of her favourite places to visit on campus when she was a student.
“When I was living in East Residence as an undergraduate student, the Arboretum was our backyard, the go-to place for walking, running and occasional late-night cross-country skiing,” she said.
Hunt has also used the Arboretum as a field site for undergraduate research projects.