Patrick Bohlen
I am delighted to send out this first communication through ArbNews as the new director of the UW Arboretum. It is a tremendous honor to lead this phenomenal place and its programs as it enters the tenth decade of its storied history.
I am indebted to Karen Oberhauser, who as the previous director made significant contributions to staffing, fundraising, and strategic initiatives. Thanks to her tireless efforts, the Arboretum has valued community support and strong staffing, and is guided by a comprehensive strategic plan that will shape our direction in the coming decade and beyond. I am also grateful to Josh Goldman for his outstanding work as interim director over the past year, and I look forward to working with him in his capacity as associate director as we move us forward toward the hundredth anniversary.
It is hard to imagine arriving at the Arboretum at a more beautiful time of year, when Arboretum Drive is adorned with peak yellow foliage of the sugar maples, the bright scarlets and crimson of the red maples and black tupelos, and the brown-red and russet colors of the autumn oaks. It has been many years since my wife and I have had a chance to spend time “up north” during the peak color season, and we are both savoring the opportunity to enjoy this brief color season.
It is a dramatic break from Florida, where we resided for twenty-six years prior to moving to Madison. Many people have asked me whether I have a connection to Wisconsin or why I would choose to move to Madison after such a long time in Florida, but I think most Madisonians will appreciate the benefits of living in this wonderful community and being part of this special place.
Another question concerning my background came during my interview when a staff member asked me how I would deal with needing to learn all the new plants and ecological systems of Wisconsin after being so long in Florida. Indeed, it will be a challenge to reorient myself to northern flora and fauna, but after growing up in Ohio, spending four years in Ann Arbor studying biology and ecology as an undergraduate, and doing my graduate and postdoctoral work in Ohio and upstate New York, I am very familiar with north temperate ecosystems, including the forests and prairies of the Midwest. I still have my copy of Michigan Trees, which I acquired as an undergraduate student forty years ago – and the book is also available in the Arboretum gift shop. It will be a challenge to remember names, but I am confident it will all come back to me as I explore the glorious biodiversity of the Arboretum and the southern Wisconsin region.
The staff bring unique skills, experiences, and perspectives to the Arboretum’s work, and I look forward to collaborating with this talented team to build a shared vision for the future. All our program areas – research, education, land care and administration – have committed individuals who make valuable contributions, and there is strong cross collaboration among teams. Several key staff members have been at the Arb for many years, and they provide a valuable resource for understanding the organization’s history. Newer staff bring new perspectives that will help shape our direction in the coming years. I look forward to getting to know all staff members better and supporting their professional success and growth.
The Arboretum has a storied history and a bright and promising future. One of our great strengths is the amount of support we receive from our friends and stakeholders. I am committed to strengthening engagement with our local community, our connections with the campus community, and our collaborations with Wisconsin’s conservation community. Equally important is maintaining our commitment to the program’s core mission of restoring and caring for Arboretum lands, making scientific contributions to restoration ecology, and advancing Aldo Leopold’s land ethic, which is as relevant to guiding our conservation efforts as it ever has been.
– Patrick Bohlen, director
