Joy as Dartmouth Park awarded arboretum status
A much-loved park has been awarded a "prestigious" arboretum status after meeting standards set by an international organisation.
Dartmouth Park, in West Bromwich, was awarded the accolade by Arbnet – a network of worldwide arboreta run by US-based Morton Arboretum.
It represents a major boost to the park which has a rich history, having been donated to the people of West Bromwich by the Earl of Dartmouth.
The park was officially opened in 1878 by the Earl and the current holder of the title – the 10th – is patron of the Friends of Dartmouth Park.
And it was down to members of the group that the popular park has achieved the status, with some help from the Friends of Brunswick Park.
Annette Welch, treasurer of the Friends of Dartmouth Park, said: "It's good news, really, we were set on the track by the Friends of Brunswick Park who've achieved arboretum status.
"The chairman, Ian McDermott, has helped us to make the application and we're just really pleased. It's a prestigious thing and it gives the trees a great deal of protection as well."
And she hopes Sandwell Council will pick up on the fact two parks have achieved arboretum status and encourage other parks to follow suit.
The park achieved arboretum accreditation level one by Arbnet with the hope of it being a stepping stone, allowing the site to climb through the ranks to achieve higher levels of prestige. They received the accolade based on how many trees are in the park, varieties of trees, their maintenance plan and criteria surrounding carbon emissions.
The popular space includes 710 trees and 58 species with some of the trees dating back to when it was part of the Earl of Dartmouth's estate. And there are a range of Pine trees in the park and it's proposed the area become a Pinetum – a collection of the coniferous trees.
Meanwhile the Friends of Dartmouth Park are fundraising to replace benches and plant new trees. To donate, visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/fodp1
