The Crosby Arboretum: Thirty Years of Native Plants in the Mississippi Piney Woods, Poster Board #093

In late 1978 an idea was born from the death of Mississippi resident and entrepreneur, L.O. Crosby.  A living legacy, that would not only give back to the community but provide educational opportunities for generations to come, was developed on Crosby-owned property in Picayune, Mississippi. Established as a living memorial to Mr. Crosby, The Crosby Arboretum was the first ecologically designed arboretum. After years of developing and implementing a Master Plan and following the completion of the Pinecote Pavilion, The Crosby Arboretum opened to the public in1986. The Arboretum joined forces with Mississippi State University Extension Service in 1997. Today the Arboretum encompasses more than 1000 acres at seven sites in two coastal Mississippi counties. “The Crosby Arboretum is a not-for-profit institution dedicated to educating the public about their environment by: Preserving, protecting, and displaying plants native to the Pearl River Drainage Basin in Mississippi and Louisiana, Providing environmental and horticultural research opportunities, and Offering cultural, educational, scientific, and recreational programs.” In this mission, the Arboretum also meets the goals of the Mississippi State University Extension Service, which: " . . . provides research-based information, educational programs, and technology transfer focused on issues and needs of the people of Mississippi, enabling them to make informed decisions about their economic, social, and cultural well-being.” With limited staff, the Arboretum relies on the hard work of a dedicated volunteer program, present since before the Arboretum opened to the public. While the site Master Plan is still being implemented, the next major goal is the funding and construction of the Visitor/Education Center which would replace the current structure. Recent outreach efforts include an Arboretum blog, twitter account, updated website, and YouTube channel. Google Alerts, a free email alert monitoring system, is being used to track the Arboretum brand weekly. Data are being collected to determine the success of the website, social media outlets, and to evaluate the volunteer program.