In 2021, the Oswego Tree Stewards, the SUNY Oswego Office of Sustainability, and Rice Creek Field Station banded together to revitalize the Centennial Arboretum by planting 21 new and diverse trees. The Centennial Arboretum now hosts 45 trees and over 30 different species chosen specifically for their resilience to anticipated climate changes, their ability to provide habitat and food for native fauna and/or food for humans, and their contributions to upholding the Arboretum’s original mission of providing beauty and knowledge to the surrounding landscape.

The Centennial Arboretum was gifted to SUNY Oswego in 1961 by the community of Oswego, NY to commemorate the centennial year of the academic institution. The arboretum was originally centrally located on campus, but the campus subsequently tripled in size, leaving the arboretum on the edge of campus and largely forgotten.  Receiving accreditation for our arboretum on campus not only honors the original work of community members in Oswego and the SUNY Oswego campus to enhance the campus but to also demonstrate the connection between the City of Oswego and SUNY Oswego and how we can work together in the pursuit of knowledge and appreciating our landscape.