Strategic Plan
Strategic Plan 2023-2027 Summary
Mission
The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden cultivates our natural, horticultural, and historic resources for learning, enjoyment, and inspiration.
Vision
The Arboretum welcomes the diverse communities of Southern California to provide experiences of discovery, respite, and beauty. With exceptional botanical and cultural resources, and through a robust public-private partnership between the Arboretum Foundation and Los Angeles County, we build connections to the natural world and enhance quality of life for all.
Goals
I. Visitor Experience
A. Transform the visitor arrival experience by completing the new entrance construction project and making additional improvements to adjoining areas.
B. Enhance the visitor experience and provide new educational opportunities through new interpretation and orientation programs.
C. Address mobility and distance issues for visitors by providing new options for site transportation.
II. Water Conservation
A. Achieve exemplary standards in water conservation using all available resources, horticultural techniques, and technologies.
B. Further develop gardens and collections of climate-adapted plants, continuing to procure plants from regions with conditions that approximate the projected future Los Angeles area climate, including California native species.
C. In response to the current drought, utilize Crescent Farm and other sites and programs to provide water conservation education and inspiration for our community and region.
III. Baldwin Lake
Re-establish Baldwin Lake as the centerpiece of the Arboretum through its restoration as an exceptional historic, scenic, ecological and educational resource.
IV. Botanical Collections
A. Enhance documentation and data management for botanical collections to facilitate curation and public information and education.
B. Enhance Engelmann Oak Conservation Program as the Arboretum’s leading contribution to plant conservation and native biodiversity.
C. Continue to develop the botanical collections toward targeted goals with an emphasis on Mediterranean climate floras.
V. Landscape and Collections Care and Management
Achieve exemplary standards in horticultural care for botanical collections and gardens.
VI. Historical Collections
A. Create multi-cultural interpretive programs for historical structures and the larger landscape that share the stories and contributions of the many peoples who have participated in the history of the site.
B. Enhance preservation management of historic structures, including both Baldwin-era and mid-20th century buildings.
C. Enhance management and preservation care for Arboretum artifact collections and develop strategies for public display and interpretation.
VII. Library
A. Expand Library services to support Arboretum positioning as a leading resource for plant information in Los Angeles County.
B. Explore better connecting the Library to Arboretum visitor flow and increasing utilization by construction of a new library entrance along the southwest face of building.
VIII. Education
A. Enhance effectiveness of general field trip program that serves the majority of visiting classrooms by more directly supporting science and history curriculum goals.
B. Enhance science education through focused programs that provide direct support for teachers to implement the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in Title I schools.
C. Further establish the Arboretum as an important teacher resource to enhance life science education.
IX. Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA)
A. Serve the diverse communities of Los Angeles County by increasing utilization and enjoyment of our landscape and programs, and building upon the high levels of diversity already achieved.
B. Build an organizational culture and team that affirms, reflects, and celebrates the exceptional diversity and richness of the communities we serve.
C. Publicly communicate our commitment and celebrate our progress.
X. Communications and Marketing
A. Grow communications, marketing and multi-media outreach to expand and engage the Arboretum community and advance our mission.
B. Celebrate the Arboretum’s 75th Anniversary in 2023 as a means of communicating our historic and ongoing contributions to quality of life for all in the region.
XI. Membership
Achieve significant growth in membership, through both recruitment and retention, to build community and enhance support.
XII. Development
A. Build the Arboretum Endowment to support mission goals.
B. Invest in the growth of a formalized planned giving program to secure new commitments to the Arboretum’s future.
C. Achieve continued growth in fundraising by inspiring the Arboretum community of friends and supporters to engage more deeply in the organization’s mission.
XIII. Earned Income
Develop earned income programs to support the Arboretum mission.
XIV. Governance and Board Development
A. Continually enhance the board, governance, and supporting structures.
B. Work with the CEO to purposefully grow the Los Angeles County/Arboretum Foundation Partnership.
XV. Human Resources
A. Recruit, retain and develop an outstanding staff team to accomplish the Arboretum mission.
B. Create a professional development program that encourages and supports staff in building skills and knowledge.
C. Continue to enhance volunteer recruitment, education, and retention efforts to increase support for visitors and other areas of critical need.
XVI. Facilities and Infrastructure
A: Work with County partners to develop a 5-year plan for capital investment in infrastructure and facilities.
B: Develop a long-range master plan to guide and organize future facilities and landscape development.
