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The Ringling Awarded Level 2 Accreditation as an Arboretum By Arbnet Accreditation Program Contact Name: Virginia Harshman Contact Email: virginia.harshman@ringling.org Contact Phone Number: 941-359-5700 x 2803 Sarasota, Florida – The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota is thrilled to announce that they have been awarded a Level 2 Accreditation by The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum for achieving particular standards of professional practices deemed important for arboreta and botanic gardens. The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta at various levels of development, capacity and professionalism. The Ringling is also now recognized as an accredited arboretum in the Morton Register of Arboreta, a database of the world’s arboreta and gardens dedicated to woody plants. The mission of the Arboretum at The Ringling is to provide an environment relating to trees that inspires, educates and entertains our visitors. The history of the gardens dates back to 1913 with the construction of Mable Ringling's rose garden and, soon after, her Secret Garden. Mable envisioned an estate filled with exotic trees and plants and collected them with the same passion that her husband collected art. The arboretum, which covers 66 acres, boasts an impressive collection of trees, among them 14 Banyan, the largest collection in Florida; two Shaving Brush; one Tiger Claw; one Monkey Puzzle; two Ear, the largest in Florida; two Rainbow Eucalyptus; and six varieties of bamboo. Included in the lush collection is Florida's Millennium Landmark Tree, a Banyan, located near the Ca'd'Zan driveway. The Millennium Tree Trail at the southern end of the estate, created to mark the year 2000, provides a welcome respite from the intense Florida sun and showcases a wide variety of trees, including oak, holly, citrus and magnolia. There are over 2,300 trees within the arboretum representing native, exotic, historical and culturally significant trees. To be accredited as a Level 2 Arboretum, an arboretum is required to have a minimum of 100 species, varieties or cultivars of trees or woody plants. Additionally, an arboretum collections policy must be in force that describes the development and professional management of the plants in the arboretum collection, in accordance with standards developed in the public garden and museum fields with consideration given to the Saint Louis Declaration regarding invasive species. Such a policy and related practices include a rationale for holding the particular collections of the arboretum, and collections inventory and record-keeping practices. One or more arboretum employees must be dedicated to the management or operation of the arboretum. An enhanced level of educational and public programming, to include programs that must be related to trees such as tree identification, ecology, conservation, collections or some other tree-focused aspect of the arboretum mission or master plan is also required. Steven High, the Ringling's Executive Director, said, "We are pleased that our grounds are now recognized as a Level 2 Arboretum by Arbnet, joining such Level 2 institutions like Arlington National Cemetery and the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Horticulture was a great passion of Mable Ringling, and we are pleased to carry on her legacy by providing beautiful green spaces and gardens for our visitors and members to explore and enjoy." Kevin Greene, The Ringling’s assistant director, Gardens & Grounds, knows firsthand the level of dedication that his staff and volunteers have to make to keep The Ringling grounds as an exceptional space for visitors, “I’m excited to formally introduce the Arboretum at The Ringling. This is just the beginning of wonderful things to come.” ### About The Ringling The Ringling is a center for art, history and learning situated on 66 acres on Sarasota Bay. It is built on the legacy of circus entrepreneur, collector of art and financier John Ringling and his wife Mable. The Ringling inspires visitors with an acclaimed collection of Old Master paintings, explores with them the diverse cultures and art of Asia, delights them with the story of the American circus, and transports them to the Roaring Twenties during a tour of the magnificent Ca’ d’Zan mansion. The Ringling is also committed to exhibiting the work of an emerging community of living artists that moves beyond traditional practice and features dynamic and engaging contemporary visual and performing arts, including a diverse roster of theater, music and dance. The Ringling is the State Art Museum of Florida. Affiliated with Florida State University, it is one of the largest university art centers in the nation. Media Contacts The Ringling: Virginia Harshman Public relations specialist Virginia.harshman@ringling.org 941-359-5700 X 2803 About ArbNet ArbNet is an interactive, collaborative, international community of arboreta. ArbNet facilitates the sharing of knowledge, experience, and other resources to help arboreta meet their institutional goals and works to raise professional standards through the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program. The accreditation program, sponsored and coordinated by The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois in cooperation with American Public Gardens Association and Botanic Gardens Conservation International, is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta based on a set of professional standards. The program offers four levels of accreditation, recognizing arboreta of various degrees of development, capacity and professionalism. Standards include planning, governance, public access, programming and tree science, planting and conservation. More information is available at www.arbnet.org.