Those efforts include fighting a decline in the tree population due to climate change and invasive species including the emerald ash borer, as well as preserving wildflowers that have been displaced or threatened due to development and other factors.
While these conservation efforts have been ongoing, the Center for Sustainable Horticulture now offers visitors the chance to experience some of the processes.
A private ribbon-cutting was held this morning at the new facility. A $1 million donation to the James M. Cox., Jr. Arboretum Foundation in 2007 made the new center possible. The facility is named after Barbara Cox, the younger daughter of Gov. James M. Cox. Along with her sister, Anne Cox Chambers, and brother, James M. Cox., Jr., Cox inherited Cox Enterprises, which includes the Dayton Daily News. When Barbara Cox died in 2007, the gift to Cox Arboretum was specified in her estate.
“We’re so thankful we were able to partner with the foundation as well as for the funding we’ve received,” said Rebecca A. “Becky” Benná, the executive director of Five Rivers MetroParks. “For me, it’s all about community partnering. It’s a great example of working together.”
“Our mission and vision are to connect people with nature and help them learn about the sustainability of plants,” said Mandy Goubeaux, board president of the James M. Cox, Jr., Arboretum Foundation.
On the frontline of these projects are MetroParks staff as well as more than 1,000 volunteers. The new center helps them in their efforts.
“It’s going to open up many opportunities for volunteers and bring horticulture to a new level,” said Irv Biecer, a Five Rivers MetroParks commissioner.
One of those volunteers is Jim Facette, who appreciates the amenities of the new center. "It's really good. The refrigeration is much better. The ventilation is much better. The tables and storage areas are in good shape," he said.
To date, more than 30,000 trees have been planted since the MetroParks’ reforestation campaign got under way in 2012, according to Joshua York, the education coordinator for Five Rivers MetroParks. “Our reforestation campaign is one of the biggest community-based efforts in the nation,” York said.
With the center now open to the public, visitors can the MetroParks’ preservation efforts. They’ll find tree seedlings at different stages of growth. Also, they will see examples of “integrating native plants and materials into their urban environments,” said Russell Edgington, the regional park manager of Cox Arboretum, Sugarcreek, and Hills and Dales MetroParks.
“The arboretum has always been about the landscape and plants, but more on the horticultural side instead of the natural side,” Edgington explained. “We will continue to promote horticulture, but part of that message is to encourage native plants instead of invasive species that are detrimental to our native environment.”
The Center sits on the site of the old greenhouse complex. The complex that was over 40 years old was deconstructed to its bones and “recycled” into a modern, energy-efficient building with new greenhouse glass, Sauer explained.
Features include a stormwater harvesting system that will be used to re-water all of the trees and wildflowers with rainwater, plus a permeable paver pathway.
The hope is that visitors will be able to learn how to take these basic principles found at the Center and adapt them for practical application in their own homes, Sauer said.
“Trees are extremely important for cutting down carbon dioxide, which causes climate change,” Facette said. “All across the world trees are being cut down at a tremendous pace. Planting trees is one way to mitigate that.”
“The Cox family is dedicated to solving environmental issues. This horticulture center will undoubtedly support our local community’s efforts toward sustainability and conservation. It will also be a beautiful place for Miami Valley residents to visit and explore,” said Julia Wallace, Vice President of Cox Media Group Ohio.
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