In 2025, MBGNA welcomed learners, visitors, and volunteers of all ages. From growing food at the Campus Farm to exploring nature through Wonder Walks, hundreds of thousands of people engaged with the gardens and natural areas that make MBGNA a living classroom and community hub. What follows is a snapshot of the year, told through the people and partnerships that make this work possible.
Learning Across the Lifespan
MBGNA supports learning at every stage of life through school field trips, family programs, adult education, and moments of discovery outdoors. These experiences help build curiosity, confidence, and a sense of connection to the natural world.
- 4,129 K–12 students joined 76 school field trips
- 1,300+ attendees participated in Harvest Fest, exploring food systems, sustainability, and campus-grown connections
- 98 Wonder Walks invited families and adults to slow down, notice, and learn together in nature
- 65 Nature Play Pop-ups created space for open-ended, imaginative play outdoors
- 4 new Nature Play stations were installed in the conservatory
- Special engagement weeks welcomed over 100 participants each during both Snake Week and Lake Week
- 23 adult guided tours supported deeper place-based learning
MBGNA also connected with hundreds of people at public-facing events, including the Marsal School of Education SPARK Festival, Huron River Day, Ann Arbor District Library Farm Fest, the Washtenaw County Conservation District Native Plant Sale, Big Play Day, Things With Wings, and Pumpkins, Lanterns & Leaves.
University Education, Outreach, and Research
As a living-learning laboratory, MBGNA brings students out of the classroom and into the landscape, supporting applied learning across disciplines.
- 1,208 university students engaged through 37 class visits and 15 recurring onsite courses
- 21 student-led research projects and 6 capstone projects were supported
- 41 student interns engaged in hands-on learning across MBGNA programs
- 2 student organizations, the Ecological Restoration Club and the Campus Farm Club, were sponsored
Students worked alongside MBGNA staff on projects spanning engineering, sustainability, landscape architecture, digital curation, restoration ecology, and conservation, advancing both academic learning and real-world impact.
The Campus Farm: Growing Food, Skills, and Community
The Campus Farm continues to demonstrate what’s possible when education, food systems, and collaboration intersect.
Student-Grown Food for Campus
Students planted, harvested, and delivered 25,929 pounds of fresh, ecologically grown produce, shared through M-Dining, the Maize and Blue Cupboard, and the collaboratively run Campus Farm Stand, connecting hands-on learning to campus food access.
Urban Agriculture & Community Partnerships
The Urban Agriculture Internship Program provided students with immersive, hands-on experience in sustainable food systems, urban farming, and food equity. Students rotated through partner sites such as D-Town Farm, Oakland Avenue Urban Farm, and Cadillac Urban Gardens, planting, harvesting, and distributing while seeing firsthand the challenges and opportunities within real-world food systems.
The Refugee Garden
The Refugee Garden
Located within the Campus Farm, the Refugee Garden provides space for growing, learning, and building community. 20 refugee families cultivated plots at the Refugee Garden, growing familiar foods and connecting across generations, languages, and cultures, supported by youth programming and multilingual learning.
Arts, Well-Being, and Belonging
MBGNA deepened its role as a place for care and creative expression.
Nature Therapy Group
Launched in partnership with University Health & Counseling (UHC), the Nature Therapy Group supported mindfulness, stress reduction, and personal connection through guided experiences at Nichols Arboretum.
Arts for All Workshops
Through the Arts for All partnership with the Arts Initiative, U-M students engaged in hands-on workshops using natural materials, making art accessible, welcoming, and rooted in place.
Visitors, Volunteers, and Shared Stewardship
MBGNA is sustained by people who show up, whether for a quiet walk, a class visit, a celebration, or to lend a hand.
- 150,000+ visitors explored Matthaei Botanical Gardens
- 56 weddings marked life’s milestones
- 889 volunteers contributed 9,095 hours supporting horticulture, education, visitor experience, research, and care of the land
- 4,580 members helped sustain MBGNA as a place for learning, reflection, stewardship, and connection
Together, visitors, volunteers, and members reflect a shared commitment to keeping MBGNA open and welcoming for generations to come.
Every number in this story represents people - students learning outdoors, families finding connection, staff and volunteers giving their time, and visitors discovering something new. This is what it looks like when a community grows together.
