Department of Biology

Additional information is available from:
Association pour l’Arboretum Morgan
(Morgan Arboretum Association)
Tel: (514) 398-7811; e-mail: arboretum@nrs.mcgill.ca

The MORGAN ARBORETUM consists of approximately 245 hectares of land located at the western tip of the Island of Montreal. The property is part of the Macdonald Campus and has been used by the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences as a teaching and research facility since its acquisition, in 1945. The site presents several distinct collections of cultivated trees, numerous experimental tree plantations, a forest reserve, as well as managed woodlands, which comprise a maple grove used in maple syrup production.

The property is a complex mosaic of soil types and moisture regimes that are reflected in the diverse composition of the natural forest stands. It comprises small areas of the maple-hickory associations, remnants of the forest ecosystems that used to prevail in the St. Lawrence River Valley. The Arboretum has been open to the public since the early 50’s. As part of the Senneville Migratory Bird Sanctuary, it has become a very popular sight for bird watching. The prime location of the Arboretum, on the outskirts of a large urban centre, sets it as an outstanding asset in the areas of popular ecological education and nature-based recreation, but also adds to the challenge of its protection and management.