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The Matthaei Botanical Gardens was established in 1897 with a mission to study and disseminate knowledge of plants as they exist in nature. The Gardens serve as an educational resource for the University of Michigan and local community. The Nichols Arboretum consists of 123 acres of land adjacent to the University of Michigan's Central Campus. In 2004, the Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum were joined as a single administrative unit. The Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum (University of Michigan) records consist of administrative files, materials from events and projects, and publications produced by the combined Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, dating from 2004 to 2013.

The Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum (University of Michigan) records comprise 0.7 linear feet of materials spanning the years 2004 to 2013. The records document the various organizational and community service activities undertaken by the newly combined unit, ranging from administration work to special events for the public.

Established in 1897, the Matthaei Botanical Gardens, with its mission to study and disseminate knowledge of plants as they exist in nature, serves as an educational resource for the university and local community. In 2004 the Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum were joined as a single administrative unit. The records document the Gardens' various organizational, research, and community service activities.

The Matthaei Botanical Gardens records comprise 21 feet of materials spanning the years 1905 to 2012. The records document the Gardens' various organizational and community service activities ranging from administration work to special events for the public. The records have been divided into 11 series: Administrative, Correspondence, Topical, Photographs and Scrapbooks (except for Friends and Docents), Friends of Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Docents, Events, Plans, Projects, Research, and Topical Files. Unfortunately, due to multiple accessions and different processors, these series are not exclusive and researchers are advised to examine the entire finding aid carefully.

The University of Michigan Herbarium, started in 1837, is home to over 1.7 million species and is one of the world's leading botanical collections. The U-M Herbarium records collection includes correspondence, photographs, and research materials documenting early Herbarium history, U-M's ethno botanical research practices, and the international professional discourse surrounding botanical research.

The collection represents the Herbarium's actions as a collector of the historical correspondence and photographs of botanical researchers. The records contained within this collection primarily document the research methods and professional conversations of American botanists. Through the correspondence and papers of Michigan and U-M botanists, this collection also documents the development of the Herbarium, its activities, and its status as a collector of botanical specimens and historical records. Researchers should note that there are photographs and plant specimens scattered throughout the correspondence series, and whereas the plant specimens are noted in the box listing, the photographs are not. The collection's four series include Harley Harris Bartlett Papers, Herbarium Historical Correspondence, Herbarium Historical Photographs, and Archived Website.

Botany professor and Director of the Matthaei Botanical Gardens at the University of Michigan; records include administrative and research files related to his positions with the university.

The W. S. Benninghoff collection consists of three series: Botany Department, Matthaei Botanical Gardens, and University of Michigan Biological Station. The strength of the collection is its documentation of the administrative aspects of the Botany Department and Matthaei Botanical Gardens in the 1970s and 1980s.