This comprehensive master interpretive plan has been prepared specifically for the Wilbur D. May
Arboretum located in Reno, Nevada. The Arboretum is owned and operated by Washoe County and continues to receive funding from the May Foundation as well as other supporters such as the May Arboretum Society and private donors.
An integral part of the interpretive planning process is understanding the experience from a visitor’s
standpoint. We have conducted visitor interviews at the Arboretum and an online survey. Visitor
experiences deal with emotions, inspiration and relationship to the subject matter. We talked with
visitors to determine why they come to the Arboretum and if they have thoughts or ideas about the
future of the area.
This plan includes interpretive recommendations for the current Arboretum as well as future phases.
- This Interpretive Plan (Phase I) encompasses research from October, 2017 through March, 2018.
- This Plan provides recommendations such as highlights for each garden or grove; panel locations; and future suggestions to enhance the visitor experience.
- It is recommended that this Plan be used as a “guideline” for the individual garden panels. It is expected that some of the highlighted themes and subthemes may change due to a variety of reasons, e.g. the health of a particular species, need for consistency with the digital mapping program, or additional expert input from team members.
