Boone County Arboretum

Boone County Arboretum — A Living Classroom Just 25 Minutes from UC

Nestled in Union, KY—an easy, 25‑minute drive from UC’s main campus—the 121‑acre Boone County Arboretum is Northern Kentucky’s flagship public garden and the first arboretum in the nation built inside an active recreation park. 

• 5,000+ Trees & Shrubs, 28 Theme Gardens
  Explore diverse plant collections along 2.5 miles of paved, multi‑use trails—perfect for a quick study break or a full morning of fieldwork.

• Level IV ArbNet Accreditation
  We’re the first Level IV Arboretum in Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati, offering research‑quality collections and professional‑grade horticulture practices.

• Hands‑On Learning & Networking
  Volunteers work side‑by‑side with certified horticulturists on real‑world projects—ideal for UC students seeking résumé‑worthy experience and alumni looking to stay connected to the green‑industry community.

• Flexible, Impact‑Driven Service
  From weekly garden care to special design/build projects, you choose how deeply to dig in. Complete a brief training and you can “adopt” a garden bed or specialty area to steward on your own schedule.

• Open, Welcoming, and Free
  Grounds are open daily dawn to dusk, with no admission fee—so you can drop in for a quick volunteer shift, capstone project, or peaceful walk between classes.

Join us to grow your skills, expand your Bearcat network, and help keep this regional treasure thriving for everyone.

How We Partner with UC Students

Boone County Arboretum is more than a volunteer site—it’s a living classroom for Bearcats:

• Paid & For‑Credit Internships
  Each season we host UC interns in horticulture, environmental science, landscape architecture, and related majors. Interns rotate through plant collections, nursery operations, and public‑education programs, gaining résumé‑ready skills under certified horticulturists.

• Course‑Based Field Labs
  Faculty bring classes to the Arboretum for hands‑on labs in plant identification, ecology, soils, and sustainable landscape management. We provide equipment, data sets, and staff expertise to enrich the curriculum.

• Capstone & Independent Study Projects
  Students design and implement real‑world projects—everything from native‑plant trials and pollinator surveys to interpretive signage and GIS mapping. Completed projects are showcased on our trails and in annual reports.

• Service‑Learning & Volunteer Events
  Bearcat volunteers tackle seasonal garden tasks, invasive‑species removal, and special design/build days that tie community service directly to course objectives.

• Research Collaboration
  The Arboretum’s Level IV collections and on‑site weather and soil sensors support undergraduate and graduate research. Recent studies have examined urban heat‑island mitigation, drought‑tolerant cultivars, and storm‑water infiltration.

Whether you need a semester‑long internship, a one‑day lab site, or data for a thesis, we’re ready to collaborate.