Background

One of the key “Strategic Directives” of the Fullerton Arboretum is to focus on “Programs and Services of Excellence.” This goal has been identified to further develop and deliver programs, services and facilities with the purpose of supporting the University’s Mission and curriculum in the area of education.

Accordingly, we have established and continue to increase public educational programs aligned with our Mission and Vision. The Fullerton Arboretum offers adult and children’s lectures, classes, and workshops that not only offer educational insight, but help prepare all us to better understand our environment and appreciate nature and our natural surroundings.

From home composting to the care and pruning of roses, the Fullerton Arboretum offers community education classes on Saturday mornings, some evenings and during the week that will help you to grow with your garden and better understand the impact of botany, recycling and conserving water and natural resources.

Some topics often included are: growing deciduous fruit trees, gardening with perennials, exploring California native plants, the selection and care of orchids, botanical watercolor painting, and the art of pressing flowers. Kid’s classes for junior gardeners are also available from time to time. But this is only the beginning—you cannot fully discover or appreciate the huge diversity of classes offered without looking at our line-up of lectures, classes and workshops.

The Fullerton Arboretum Education Department offers a variety of classes designed to introduce the pleasures and rewards of gardening and botanical arts for both adults and children. Check our “Lectures, Classes and Workshops” section of the website for up-to-date information on all classes.

Children’s Rainbow Garden Tours

In addition to special scheduled lectures, classes and workshops, the Fullerton Arboretum offers some recurring special seasonal programs.

One of our better examples of an annual successful spring children’s program is the Children’s Rainbow Garden Tours, which typically runs in March and April each year. These are garden tours for kids at 9:00 am, 10:00 am & 11:00 am (Monday – Fridays) for kids ages from preschool, kindergarten and 1st grade.

A tour of the Rainbow Garden accompanied by our Rainbow Gardeners shows them the spring flowers and vegetables. They can literally touch, taste and smell the flowers and vegetables. They plant their very own seed! Packets with lessons teaching the growing cycle of plants are distributed to parents/teachers.

Arboretum Tuesdays

During summer, the Arboretum is open late in July, August and September so visitors can enjoy the grounds during the beautiful twilight hours. All summer long, special events will be held on selective Tuesday nights for children and families. Check our calendar listings to make sure you do not miss the fun! Look for the “Arboretum Tuesdays” listing.

Pumpkin Patch

In the fall, our Pumpkin Patch program at the Fullerton Arboretum is scheduled. Usually in October and November, this popular program runs about 3 weeks with activities at 9:00 am, 10:00 am & 11:00 am. during scheduled days.

Youngsters in preschool, kindergarten and first grade are invited to visit the pumpkins each weekday. Pumpkin Pals will lead the tours so the children can:

Touch pumpkins Smell pumpkins See and touch the seeds inside the pumpkin Taste pumpkin seeds And select a classroom pumpkin

Each teacher/leader will receives an information packet including pumpkin recipes, activities, songs, stories and poems along with a Polaroid snapshot of the group.

Arbor Day

The Fullerton Arboretum supports the annual Arbor Day poster contest in the state of California with many local schools. Check back for more information on the contest this year. You can find more information here.

Local History Program

All third grade students in the Fullerton School District visit Heritage House as part of the local history curriculum. The program is sponsored by the Friends of the Fullerton Arboretum Victorian Society of Heritage House and Children’s League of Fullerton.

Among the listings of major functions of the future arboretum was included “....to to provide the university and the community with a resource for environmental, horticultural and historical education.” Throughout the years that goal has been pursued diligently. Because of the significance of the Arboretum as an educational institution the importance of education to the City of Fullerton should be understood. In 2004 it is known as “the education city” because of the presence of the state university; the 1913 junior college, now Fullerton Community College, the oldest continuously operated two-year College in California; the elementary and high schools as well as the privately operated Southern California College of Optometry, Western State College of Law and Hope International University.

In historical terms, education was one of the first priorities of Fullerton city pioneers with men such as William Starbuck, Alex McDermott and B.F. Porter pushing for establishment of a high school in 1893. Elementary schools have been operating since 1888. The community college has educated thousands of local and even out-of-state youth but it was always necessary to pursue college degrees elsewhere. The post-war growth of the local population led to the establishment of a state institution first called Orange State College, eventually California State University, Fullerton (CSUF).

The new college was located on the former Hetebrink and Gilman Properties. In 1971, after dead and declining orange trees were cleared, the Orange State College buildings were constructed or relocated if not constructed on-site. Various professors saw the value of preserving part of a proposed parking lot as an agricultural preserve. Prominent among these were Franz Dolp, Eugene Jones and Miles McCarthy, acting University President.

Biology Professor David Walkington directed the Arboretum from 1985 until his death in 1992. Dr. Walkington’s vision and enthusiasm inspired efforts that transformed the Arboretum from “work in progress” to reality. Under his leadership, two advisory boards were active in assisting with the Arboretum. The first was the Arboretum Advisory Board consisting of local nurserymen, landscape architects, Friends officers and others who held quarterly inspections of the grounds and identified problems.

The second was an educational advisory group created to help carry out the mission of community education. This group consisted of representatives of school districts, high schools and private educators. On result was the agreement with Science Adventures to hold children’s programs during summer. In due course, the Arboretum developed its own educational staff under the leadership of Dr. LeNelle Cittadin. Dr. Walkington deserves credit for increased understanding in the community of groups including People over Pollution, the first environmental awareness entity in Fullerton; the Fullerton Museum Center and the education structure of the City, new citywide interest developed.

Starting in 1990, Saturday garden education programs have been held for the public. First were specialties such as roses or fruit tree care, and a few years later a full-fledged series of workshops on nearly all aspects of home gardening began. It was recognized that many people would prefer specialized classes offered in short training sessions. These series have attracted hundreds of visitors to the Arboretum. Many of the public educational activities are provided at an open bleachers area with seating donated by the Rotary Club of Fullerton South.

Each year all third grade students in the Fullerton schools come to the Arboretum for tours of the grounds and Heritage House as part of their study of local history. Regular community adult and family garden tours led by Nature Guides are another educational aspect of the Arboretum docents.

Many events sponsored by the Friends have educational aspects with programs on art, local history and gardening. The Children’s Garden was constructed in the mid-nineties to encourage children’s interest in gardening. Programs include the Pumpkin Patch, Rainbow Garden and Saturday Children’s Gardening Program for 3 to 12-year-olds.

The education program expanded significantly in 1997 as it passed from the Friends to the jurisdiction of the Arboretum. Saturday gardening classes for adults are offered almost every weekend including Home Composting classes jointly sponsored with cities of North Orange County which received the first of two “Orange County Trash Bash Awards” for excellence in 2000 and 2001. Welcome grants have been received from Boeing Employees and from Disneyland for outstanding educational and environmental programs.