Shared Vision
The LSU Hilltop Arboretum will be a nationally-recognized center for the study of plants and landscape design. Hilltop will build upon donor Emory Smith’s love for native Louisiana plants and sanctuary. Stewardship of Hilltop is shared by the LSU Reich School of Landscape Architecture and the Friends of Hilltop. Hilltop is an integral part of the School which uses the arboretum in its research, teaching, and service activities. Friends of Hilltop will provide education programs to engage the broader community, operational support and fundraising activities.
Mission of the LSU Hilltop Arboretum
The mission of LSU Hilltop Arboretum is to provide a sanctuary where students and visitors can learn about natural systems, plants, and landscape design.
The Purpose of Hilltop
Hilltop was donated to Louisiana State University with the intent that it remain a model of the natural landscape and continue its traditional use as an outdoor laboratory for students and the community as well. For many years, students of landscape architecture, forestry, botany, and horticulture have utilized the arboretum as a classroom to study native species in their natural habitats. Because of the example that Hilltop provides, students and the community at large learn how the landscape can be both beautiful and ecologically sound.
The arboretum is part of LSU’s School of Landscape Architecture. It is fully supported and managed by the Friends of Hilltop. The future growth of the arboretum, as a vital link to the natural world and a source of inspiration, will be directed by the implementation of a master plan developed by Emerson and Associates and accepted by the Friends Board of Directors in March 2005.
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