Living Among the Trees: Virginia's First Accredited Retirement Community Arboretum
How Susanne Clark and Resident Volunteers Created a 153-Acre Living Laboratory at Williamsburg Landing
"There is a concerted effort to both identify/catalogue plants and add them to Plantsoon right now. There are over 300 unique plants in our catalogue and the number is growing."
From Vision to Accreditation: A Community Achievement
When Susanne Clark moved to Williamsburg Landing in 2019, she saw more than just a retirement community—she envisioned an arboretum. In 2022, her proposal to seek accreditation transformed into reality when Williamsburg Landing became the first life plan community in Virginia to receive Level 1 Accreditation from the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program. With the mission to "enhance the quality of life by bringing people and nature together," the 153-acre gated community has catalogued over 300 unique trees, shrubs, and vines, including 22 cultivars of holly. In addition, the resident volunteers aim to catalogue over 220 crepe myrtles in an upcoming project.
Technology Meets Nature: The Plantsoon Renaissance
When Plantsmap crashed, the arboretum team's momentum faltered—until Plantsoon came to the rescue. Plantsoon not only restored the QR codes on 50 existing labels but opened new possibilities for presenting their collection. Meeting weekly in fall 2024, the team explored Plantsoon's expanded capabilities and created detailed instruction sheets for data entry. The result? A robust and sustainable digital presence that connects residents and visitors to the landscape through their smartphones, transforming every walk into an educational journey.
Virtual visit to their garden: https://experience.plantsoon.com/visit/williamsburg-landing
Natural Preservation and Community Engagement
Beyond the planted landscape, Williamsburg Landing protects its natural areas, preserving ravines that provide crucial wildlife habitat and watershed protection. The 16-member volunteer team, supported by the landscape manager and staff, creates self-guided tours, educational programs, and an annual event highlighting different aspects of the arboretum. Three new patios overlooking dramatic ravines and the Ravine Overlook Trail offer residents peaceful spaces to connect with nature while learning about the ecological benefits of their surroundings.
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