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NANNEN ARBORETUM SOCIETY
Ellicottville, NY · EIN 464731072 · Form 990EZ · FY2023 · NTEE C41 · Environment · Micro (<$100K) · nannenarboretum.com
revenue
$12K
expenses
$17K
net assets
$309K
employees
—
program ratio
11%
mission · from form 990

The primary purpose of the Nannen Arboretum is providing home garden and natural resource education and an opportunity for nature appreciation and leisure. This is accomplished through quarterly educational programs throughout the year as well as tours of the arboretum to interested groups.

profile · synthesized from sources

Nannen Arboretum Society maintains an 8-acre arboretum in Ellicottville, NY, focused on horticultural education and nature appreciation. The organization offers educational programs, guided tours, and community events centered around its themed gardens and natural features. It supports leisure, environmental learning, and local engagement through volunteer-led stewardship and partnerships with schools and community groups.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2022

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $325
    A Tree and Shrub Workshop was held inJune 2022 offering two sessions for attendees to attend allowing them a choice between two speakers in each session. Topics included, The Joy of Birding, Western New York Land Conservancy Introduction, Pruning and Fertilizing Trees and Shrubs, and Caring for Gardening Tools.
  2. #2 $0
    Wreath Making class was held in December 2022. Nan Miller presented several examples of evergreens explaining how to identify the different types of evergreens based on needle size and structure. She also presented broad leaf evergreens explaining how they provide texture and color variation in a finished wreath.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Educational Programs for Schools
Hosts field trips and interactive tours for elementary students, such as the ECS third grade visit with eight educational stations on arboretum features
Silent Book Club
Community program encouraging independent reading in a natural setting followed by socializing; promoted through flyers and online registration
Tree and Shrub Workshop
Quarterly educational event offering sessions on topics such as pruning, fertilizing, birding, and gardening tool care; held in June 2022 with two speaker sessions
Wreath Making Class
Seasonal hands-on workshop held in December featuring instruction on identifying and using evergreens in wreath design
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Commemorative Brick and Memorial Installations 1 activity
    • Administer memorial and donor recognition programs
      Manages a memorial program that includes installing personalized bricks on the Celebration Walkway and placing memorial benches in designated garden areas, offering individuals, families, and organizations opportunities for commemoration within the arboretum.
  • Nature Preserve Management and Public Access 1 activity
    • Develop and maintain educational infrastructure and exhibits
      Constructs and maintains physical educational features including the demonstration pond, quarter-mile nature trail with kiosks, tree identification signage, photo display boxes, and memorial walkways to enhance public learning about horticulture, pond construction, and arboretum history.
  • Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
    • Host public events and community gatherings
      Organizes and hosts recurring and seasonal public events such as the Farmers Neighbor Dinner, Arbor Day celebrations, wreath-making workshops, and book club meetings, often incorporating educational components, refreshments, and community engagement activities like art auctions and tree giveaways.
  • Free Public Access Nature Sites 1 activity
    • Manage and maintain Nannen Arboretum for public access and education
      Operates the Nannen Arboretum for year-round public access from dawn to dusk at no charge, maintaining gardens, trails, and natural areas to support education in home gardening, natural resources, and nature appreciation. Includes upkeep of specialized spaces such as the Lowe Herb Garden, Al Cox Memorial Garden, Ryoanji Temple Stone Garden, and Chapman Nature Sanctuary.
  • Horticultural Education and Community Gardening 1 activity
    • Provide educational programming on gardening, nature, and conservation
      Offers in-person and virtual educational programs including workshops, tours, and presentations on topics such as herb gardening, tree and shrub care, edible plants, foraging, and land conservation. Programs include seasonal events like Arbor Day, silent book club meetings, and collaborations with institutions like Cornell University.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$12K
Contributions & grants$11K94%
Program service revenue$4304%
Investment income$3093%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$17K
Program expenses11%
Admin / overhead89%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$309K
Cash$68K
Investments$228K
Liabilities$0
Net assets$309K
Liquid reserves206.6 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2023 · YoY revenue +28.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

board members · 3
  • Gretchen Plough — Trustee
  • MJ Brown — Trustee
  • Steve Ward — Trustee
relationships · 28

Who they work with

  • Allegany State Park Partner — Collaborated with Adele Wellman, senior naturalist at Allegany State Park, for an educational program on edible plants and foraging.
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension Partner — Managed the arboretum site prior to transfer to the Town of Ellicottville and hosted early development efforts
  • Cornell University Partner — Collaborates on educational programming by hosting a prerecorded presentation from Cornell.
  • Ellicottville Alley Cats Partner — Inviting the Ellicottville Alley Cats to participate in community events or programs.
  • Ellicottville Central School (ECS) Partner — Hosted third-grade students for an educational tour; awaiting confirmation from fifth-grade class.
  • Ellicottville Ski Club Partner — Dedicated and installed the Al Cox Memorial Garden at the arboretum.
  • Ellicottville Ski Club Partner — Donated the Al Cox Memorial Garden
  • Ellicottville Town Government — Consulting on infrastructure projects including path development to pollinator area and pond feed.
  • Ellicottville Town Partner — Coordinates with the town on shared maintenance tasks including pollinator path development, hawthorne trimming, and pond feeding.
  • Group B Tourism Funder — Received a $350 grant from Group B Tourism to support programs.
  • Group B Tourism Partner — Collaborated on updating and printing the arboretum flyer.
  • Jim Rauh Enterprises Partner — Quoted for pathway sealing project.
  • Kingsview Partner — Quoted for pathway sealing project.
  • Lakeshore Paving Partner — Provided quote for pathway sealing project.
  • NY Forest Owners Assoc Alleghany Foothills Chapter Partner — Planning a family day event using educational stations previously used for school groups.
  • New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Partner — Distributes DEC spruce plugs at community events, indicating a partnership with the NYS DEC.
  • PayPal Partner — Used as a payment processing platform for donations.
  • Scott Johnson Partner — Point of contact for scheduling weddings and celebratory events at the arboretum.
  • Senior Group Partner — Planning a bus trip in coordination with the head of the Senior Group.
  • Smith Creek Partner — Source of pond treatment products used in arboretum maintenance.
  • Soil and Water Conservation Service Government — Partnered with the organization to create a demonstration pond for pond construction.
  • St. Mathews Partner — Coordinating on tree maintenance and pruning activities.
  • Town of Ellicottville Government — Collaborates on tree trimming, pond feed, and pollinator path planning; discussed use of millings and placement of picnic table.
  • Town of Ellicottville Government — Manages the Nannen Arboretum in partnership with the Nannen Arboretum Society.
  • Town of Ellicottville Government — Manages the Nannen Arboretum in partnership with the Town of Ellicottville.
  • Western New York Land Conservancy Partner — Collaborating with Marcus Rosten of the Western New York Land Conservancy for potential involvement in education or community programs.
  • Whispering Pines Partner — Vendor for grass carp used in DEC pond management application.
  • Young Adult Conservation Corp Partner — Provided labor to excavate drains and planting holes for the Northrup Memorial Nature Hall
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Contemplative Landscape as Educational Practice
    methodology: contemplative_design
    By designing landscapes with meditative elements such as stone arrangements and raked grit inspired by Zen traditions, the organization promotes reflection and nature appreciation, because sensory and symbolic engagement enhances learning and emotional connection to natural environments.
  • Experiential Landscape Education
    methodology: experiential_education
    By using curated plant collections, multi-station tours, and interpretive signage, the organization teaches home garden and landscape design through direct environmental immersion, because hands-on, place-based experiences improve public understanding and application of ecological principles.
  • Volunteer-Driven Stewardship Model
    methodology: volunteer_driven_stewardship
    By engaging volunteers in the management and maintenance of the arboretum, the organization fosters community ownership and expands educational programming capacity, because active participation deepens public commitment to environmental stewardship.