The Crosby Arboretum is an asset to Pearl River County that many may now know about or visit often enough.

But after receiving $13,000 in grant funds from the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area, we anticipate the planned additions these funds will provide will attract larger audiences.

The Crosby Arboretum Foundation was awarded one of the 13 grants totaling to $179,800 as part of this effort.

The funding awarded is expected to help support projects across the state’s six southernmost counties of Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, George, Stone and Pearl River. The goal of the funding is to help facilities like the Crosby Arboretum increase awareness and appreciation among residents of their respective areas as residents and tourists alike learn about the history, culture, traditions, and lifestyles that are specific to each area.

Using the money provided by the grant, Arboretum staff plan to host four major ecological and cultural festivals, including the annual Piney Woods Heritage Festival, Forge Day, Strawberries and Cream Festival and a Nature Festival. While these events have been held for several years, at times they are underappreciated and minimally attended.

To fix this problem, the Crosby Arboretum Foundation will work to utilize the grant money to make these four annual festivals more attractive by increasing the visibility of these events installing historic markers throughout the facility to provide a greater insight into development of what the arboretum is today.

The grant has also provided necessary funding so that Arboretum staff can gather and transcribe oral and digital history of the area, which has been collected from community elders who have provided insight into early life within Pearl River County.  Through this grant, and the hard work of the arboretum staff, we expect more and more people to begin to enjoy the beauty that the Crosby Arboretum holds, ensuring it will continue to inspire minds young and old for decades to come.