Westview Arboretum Talk and Walk
Join Conservation Nebraska and Omaha Public Schools for an educational and fun tour of the Westview Arboretum!
The Omaha Public Schools Westview High School Arboretum and Outdoor Classroom is a 4.7 acre former rural homestead planted with shelterbelts, prairie, and more than 80 species of native and adapted trees, shrubs, and perennial grasses and flowers. Since the school opened four years ago, over $430,000 in grants and donations, along with extensive volunteer work, has transformed the site into an interactive educational resource for the district and surrounding community. ADA accessible paths connect nine interpretive signs that explain plant communities, notable specimens such as a NASA Moon Tree, and the indigenous medicinal, cultural, and culinary uses of arboretum plants. In addition, a companion app supports wayfinding with maps, student audio, seasonal plant images, and short quizzes.
The presentation will outline the arboretum’s design and implementation while highlighting its core goals: advancing environmental education for all visitors, enriching curriculum through hands on learning in an accessible natural setting and fostering the restorative benefits of nature. A guided tour will follow to showcase the site’s educational, historical, and wellness focused features.
Joining in-person? Let us know here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/7UCLuG0hRE2X7xwYWVI-Cw2
Joining via Zoom? Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JAU_XaqOQfe9fkRf1xS9Lg
Steven N. Rodie, FASLA, is Professor Emeritus of Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where for nearly three decades. He also served twenty years as a Sustainable Landscape Horticulture Specialist with UNL Extension, producing design publications, training Master Gardeners, teaching national workshops, and advancing green stormwater practices across Nebraska. A registered landscape architect and ASLA Fellow, his research centered on plant–soil performance in green infrastructure systems.
Professor Rodie created the Master Plan, interpretive signage, and interactive app for the Westview Arboretum, and continues to coordinate volunteers, guide plant and prairie installations, and support grant efforts that sustain ongoing site enhancement.
