Speaking about the renewal of the ArbNet accreditation, Dr Eoin Lettice, of the UCC Arboretum, said:

“It is wonderful to see our tree collection being acknowledged on the global stage. Since the foundation of the university, 180 years ago this year, the botanical collection has played an important teaching, research and outreach role across diverse disciplines at UCC. The collection remains a ‘living laboratory’ for teaching and learning as well as contributing significantly to UCC’s status as one of the world’s most sustainable universities”.

"The UCC tree collection contains over 2,500 trees of about 130 different species from all over the world. Not only do they contribute to the key aims of the university, as tools for teaching, research and public engagement; they are contributing to the ex situ conservation of some of the rarest plant species on the planet," said Dr Lettice.

Ahead of a recent event to celebrate the renewal of accreditation, Dr Barbara Doyle Prestwich, Vice-Head of School at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences said:

“We are delighted to celebrate the renewed accreditation by putting into some context the modern role of an arboretum in driving and facilitating innovation and research. When we reflect on the important role of plants and trees in society and culture, it is clear that they have the capacity to solve some of the existential problems of our time such as climate change and food insecurity.”

For 180 years, University College Cork has nurtured an arboretum that is both a living archive and laboratory. Planted at the foundation of the university in 1845, these trees chart a history of global exploration, scientific curiosity, and cultural exchange. Today, the collection links past and present: a heritage landscape where oak and sequoia stand as symbols of resilience, and where students and researchers explore innovation, climate, ecology, and sustainability. Beyond science, the arboretum shapes campus culture, inspiring art, storytelling, and community. It remains a rooted yet evolving symbol of UCC’s commitment to knowledge, culture, innovation, and the natural world. All this and more is celebrated by the arboretum’s recent accreditation renewal.

ArbNet created its Arboretum Accreditation Programme to establish and share a widely recognised set of standards for the purpose of unifying the arboretum community. No other international programme of accreditation exists that is specific to arboreta. Accreditation is based on self-assessment and documentation of an arboretum’s level of achievement of accreditation standards, including planning, governance, number of species, staff or volunteer support, education and public programming, and tree science research and conservation.