Donovan Park

The Peoria Park District is proud to have Donovan Park be accredited as an Arbnet Level 1 Arboretum, which marks Peoria’s first accredited arboretum. Arbnet accreditation provides the Peoria Park District with the resources needed to publicize the Donovan Park Arboretum and the importance of woody plant appreciation, knowledge, and research not only on a global scale, but also in everyone’s local green spaces. Unique trees & collections:

• Two old white oaks (Quercus alba) along the south property line have been cored and aged to approximately 230 years.  There is a plan to remove invasive species and other unwanted vegetation that poses a threat to the health and vitality of these trees in the next few years.
• Several large black oaks (Quercus velutina) scattered over the property that stand out and play key roles in restoration of certain areas within the park.
• As oaks tend to suffer with regeneration issues, the old growth oaks listed above provide a perfect source for natural regeneration at Donovan Park and throughout Peoria. The ecology of the Donovan Park Arboretum offers an increasingly rare opportunity to showcase upland savanna moraine top species, as these areas are typically prime for human development. Many of the species planted at Donovan Park since 2017 have a special focus on Quercus species, to support sustainability of the species.
• Especially large percentage of planted trees are eastern white pine (Pinus strobus).