John C. Gifford Arboretum

The John C. Gifford Arboretum is an arboretum and botanical garden located at the northwest corner of the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables, Florida in the United States.

A view of the John C. Gifford Arboretum, located on the campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida

History

The Arboretum was founded in 1947, by Prof. Frank J. Rimoldi and Dr. Roy Woodbury. In 1949 it was named for Prof. John C. Gifford, an expert on tropical woods and professor of tropical forestry at the University of Miami. In 1950, the Gifford Society of Tropical Botany was formed to promote the study of tropical plants, and the arboretum grew to more than 500 plants. The garden is divided into several exhibits, including a special one dedicated to the plants domesticated by the Mayans.

Development and preservation

Coral Gables resident Kathryn Gaubatz has been an active force within the community, and is currently working to preserve and protect the John C. Gifford Arboretum from future development. In 2005, the Coral Gables City Commission voted to approve the construction of a road within the Coral Gables campus. The reasoning for this vote was to ease traffic off of San Amaro Drive, US-1, and Granada Boulevard, the three main streets which encircle the 260-acre (1.1 km2) campus and therefore handle the vast majority of vehicular traffic coming and leaving from the University of Miami.

The Coral Gables Planning Department will review and edit any plans for proposal for the suggested road through the Coral Gables UM campus. The overall design and impact on traffic will be taken into consideration and then proposed to the Coral Gables City Commission for final vote and approval. As of 2007 leading into 2008 and 2009, no plans for the proposed street were submitted to the Coral Gables Planning Department. Citing the University's cessation of all construction projects, the proposed street through the University of Miami's Coral Gables campus has been indefinitely postponed and is not a talking point within the Coral Gables community.

Access

The University of Miami campus is served by the Miami Metrorail at the University Station.

See also

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