The Edith J. Carrier Arboretum does not charge an admission fee for both JMU students, staff and community members to enjoy this beautiful space. In order to help preserve and enhance the grounds for years to come, we invite you to consider donating a gift, in any amount.

EJC Arboretum Membership:

A donation of $35.00 or more per-year qualifies you as a Friend of the Arboretum Member.  Visit our Membership page for more information on Membership benefits.

Starting 2025, a donation of $50.00 or more ($30 for students) qualifies you as an Arboretum Member. 

Give to the Arboretum:

The Edith J. Carrier Arboretum Fund supports programs, garden and specimen tree plantings, educational signage and identification signs, student projects, new improvements, garden features, designs, and other seasonal projects. Your gift will be used over the course of the year for the many needs that arise throughout the calendar year.

GIVE NOW

The Arboretum endowment provides economic sustainability for the Arboretum and its operations and development, so that the Arboretum can continue supporting future generations of students, both young and old, who benefit from using the grounds here as an outdoor classroom. Your gifts to the Arboretum Endowment will be invested to help ensure the Arboretum's future. If you would like to know more about giving an estate gift or have questions about how your gift will serve the Arboretum, please call (540) 568-3194 or contact us at ejcarboretum@jmu.edu 

ENDOWMENT DONATION

The renovated and reopened At Home in the Woods Family Garden has added to the excitement and appreciation of visitors. The garden requires finishing touches, ongoing programming, and continued care. To help support the positive impact this new space has had in the community, you may contribute directly to the At Home in the Woods Family Garden Fund.

FAMILY GARDEN DONATION

Other Ways to Give:

For major donors wishing to memorialize their name, or the name of a loved one, a variety of significant architectural and garden features presently in design phase, such as the Herb Garden, Children's Garden features, the Labyrinth, Sycamore Flat area, and the Pavilion, are available as naming opportunities. Please phone or email to be referred to appropriate JMU development officers and the Arboretum Director for more information, (540) 568-3194 or contact us at ejcarboretum@jmu.edu. All major memorial donations for significant feature naming opportunities in the Arboretum must be coordinated with the Arboretum Master Plan.

Memorial Trees & Benches

The Arboretum offers dedicated specimen trees as living memorials and recommends size, species, and location of each memorial tree. The donation for a memorial tree is $1,500. This amount is needed to purchase, plant, water, and maintain until established, and produce signage. Funds remaining are managed for long-term upkeep of the memorial trees, and replacements of unsuccessful tree plants as needed. The Arboretum identifies the beneficial site for memorial trees.

Memorial trees are tended for their lifetime and every effort is made to ensure that they thrive and the Arboretum replaces failed trees as needed.

Signage is consistent with Arboretum tree labeling. The Arboretum is a public scientific research preserve and garden, and the emphasis is on the educational aspect of memorial plantings.

For a donation of $5,000, a memorial bench with a sign naming an honoree, can be placed within strategic gardens or scenic locations of the Arboretum. The memorial bench donation is priced to include ongoing maintenance of the bench over its manufacturer's lifetime. 

To designate a memorial tree or bench, go to the "Give Now" button above and specify your gift as "Memorial Trees and Benches". Once your donation is received you will be contacted to begin creating your memorial.