The Thielke Arboretum in Glen Rock

 

 

 

For the past several years, development & maintenance of the Arboretum has been driven by Carol Thielke,  with the help of many volunteers.

A few years ago, the Board of Trustees of the arboretum drew up 5- and 10-Year plans to provide for a smooth transition in the management of the arboretum when Carol retires from her active involvement of the day to day activities in the arboretum.

Significant issues became immediately apparent: There is no on-site location for all of the files and information Carol has. There is no place for the many volunteers maintaining the arboretum to meet, hang their hats, and use the facilities. In fact, there are no facilities for schoolchildren, civic groups, or the many visitors that come to the Arboretum.

There are tremendous opportunities to use the Arboretum as an environmental lab, supporting the NJ Core Curriculum science requirements, totally unique to the Glen Rock School System. The Arboretum is a fantastic site for weddings, civic organization functions, nature classes, pre-school field trips and so much more.

With concerns that Arboretum development and even maintenance were at risk as Carol becomes less involved, and in view of the tremendous benefits the Arboretum could provide to residents of Glen Rock, the Friends of the Arboretum decided to privately fund and build an Environmental Center.

The small (1,750 ft²) facility would allow administration of the Arboretum on-site, provide a location for visiting schoolchildren to work and so many other benefits to the Borough and residents of Glen Rock.

 

In 2009 the facility plans moved along, and we've completed several milestones on the way to construction, including architectural drawings and surveys by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. Please refer below to the most recent floor plans. The facility plan is still in development, but this gives an idea of how it might be set up.

 

As we enter 2010, we're working with the Borough Council to assure that the facility is developed to benefit the town at little to no cost to residents, at startup or in the years to come.

If you're interested in Volunteering to help maintain the arboretum, click HERE.
If you'd like to make a Donation, click HERE.
If you'd like to Become a Member, click HERE.