Statute for the Nordic Arboretum Committee

1. Definition. An arboretum is a collection of trees of different species and origins, intended for study.

2. Justification. Arboreta serve scientific, educational, recreational purposes and may serve as source of material for forestry, landscaping and gardening. Arboreta can inform about species biogeography and help to understand reactions of trees to climate change.

3. Purpose. The Nordic Arboretum Committee (NAC) is an interest organization representing different arboreta in the Nordic countries, founded 1972.

NAC has as primary objective to promote collaboration between Nordic (and exterior) arboreta, through sharing of knowledge and facilitation of sharing and exchange of plant material.

In this way, NAU aims to build up knowledge about plant societies from other regions/countries and thereby contribute to the provision of scientific knowledge about woody plants, and provision of such plants that are adapted to different climates and used in forestry, landscaping and gardening.

4. Member countries. Participating countries are Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Denmark (should they be interested, the Faeroe Islands and Greenland may join as full members as well).

Other, principally neighboring, countries may participate as associated members.

5. Board. Each member country appoints one person for the board, which is the executive body of NAC. The person should be representative of an institution with a recognized arboretum.

6. Focal points. Each country appoints a national contact person, who is responsible for informing arboretae in his or her country about the activities of NAC. This contact person may be the same person as the country representative in the board, or a person that work together with the country representative.

7. Presidency. The board appoints a president (usually a member of the board), which is shifting between the countries at 5 years intervals.

8. Voting. Decisions of the board are usually made by unanimity. Should it be necessary, decisions will follow the majority vote. No decision can be made however, which engage members against their will.

9. Activities. NAC arrange regular (annual or biannual) meetings in the participating countries. The meetings usually include visits to arboreta and other points of natural history interest, a symposium and a general meeting of the committee.

Besides, or as a replacement of the regular meetings, NAC may arrange collection travels to collect new material for the Nordic Arboreta.

NAC facilitates orderly exchange of seed and plant material between arboreta, following international conventions and national regulations.

NAC engages into fund raising to finance or partly finance activities.

These are the current statutes for the Nordic Arboretum Committee. They were first discussed on the meeting in Russia 2017 and then approved by the committee on the business meeting in Hafnarfjörður, Iceland 2018-08-08.

/Johnny Schimmel, Chairman of the NAC 2016-2020