California State University, Long Beach Foundation (Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden)

California State University, Long Beach, will use grant funds for an innovatively designed detailed conservation survey of the tree collection of the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden, established in 1981. The survey will be done by a two-person team consisting of an expert in Japanese aesthetic pruning and a certified consulting arborist, each of whom brings a complementary approach to conservation. The survey will assess the health of each tree and its relationship to the aesthetic plan of the garden. Project activities will result in new management tools to care for the collection including a collections database, a geographic information system map of the garden with specimen locations, a DVD for training and educational purposes, an educational event around conservation issues and the collection, and a maintenance manual for the garden's trees.