Arboretum reopens Jan. 2
after months of renovations

The UH facility seeks additional
funds for more improvements

Lyon Arboretum, which has been closed since late August for safety improvements, will reopen to the public on Jan. 2.

Arboretum hours Special reopening hours on Sunday, Jan. 2, will be from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Starting Jan. 3, Lyon Arboretum's regular hours will be Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The arboretum does not charge admission, but donations are welcome. For more information, visit www.lyonarboretum.com.

"We're inviting the public to join us for a New Year rediscovery of the beauty and serenity of this special place," said Peter Englert, chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. "I'm delighted that we will now be able to make the gardens, trails and special plant collections available."

The Manoa arboretum, a research unit of the university, has an extensive collection of palms, heliconias, gingers and tropical plants, along with classrooms. It was closed in late August because of dangers posed by aging facilities and trees that threatened to fall.

Since then the university and its public and private partners have:

The Lyon Arboretum conducts research, instruction and public service in tropical biology and horticulture. It is the only university arboretum in the country in a tropical rain forest, with about 15,000 plants of more than 6,000 species and varieties. The Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association established the arboretum in 1918.