Arboretum History
Arboretum History
Pink flowers and green bushes run alongside either side of a dirt path which recedes into the background. Large conifer trees are seen in the background behind a wooden fence.

The Gosling Wildlife Gardens

Header image: Garden one of the Gosling Wildlife Gardens, 2007.

The Gosling Wildlife Gardens are a group of gardens designed to demonstrate how to make an urban or suburban backyard more wildlife-friendly. 

In 1986, The Arboretum held a contest for designs of a “backyard wildlife habitat” display that would be installed in The Arboretum. University of Guelph Landscape Architecture student Katherine Dunster submitted her design and won. The winning design was later featured in the local newspaper and drew the attention of Philip and Jean Gosling, two local environmental activists. The Goslings were intrigued by the idea and chose to fund the project. The Gosling Wildlife Gardens were later opened in 1988 as Canada’s first public wildlife garden and have become one of the most popular destinations in The Arboretum.

Navigate the buttons and images below to see more photos of the five gardens included the Gosling Wildlife Gardens. If you’re interested in learning more about the Gosling Wildlife Gardens and attracting wildlife to your garden, visit the Gosling Wildlife Gardens page on The Arboretum’s main website.

A sign reading "Gosling Wildlife Gardens, The Arboretum," stands to the left of a gravel path. The gravel path leads away, under an arbor constructed from wooden logs, and into a garden. Under the arbor, a yellow informational sign providing a map of the gardens, a description, and pictures of wildlife can be seen.
General
A small pond is situated in the middle of a green lawn. Some stepping stones lead up to the pond. Stones and reeds surround the pond. In the distance, a gravel walk way and an open field can be seen.
Garden One
A lawn of green grass as a large area of overturned dirt in the middle of it. To the right of the overturned dirt is the base of a conifer tree. A wooden fence goes along the left of the lawn.
Garden Two
Yellow flowers bloom in the middle of the Prairie Garden. Tall grasses can be seen behind the blooms. Behind the field, a wooden building with a slanted roof is surrounded by tall conifer trees.
Garden Three
Two small square vegetable gardens surrounded by chicken wire are situated in the middle of a lawn. The garden in the front many green plants that are low to the ground. The garden behind it appears to be growing tomato plants up wooden stakes. The tomatoes are not yet ripe. To the left of the gardens and behind them is a densely wooded area.
Garden Four
Purple pansies grow in a flowerbed. Behind them, a bush of tall pink and red flowers bloom. Behind the flower bed, there is a grass lawn and a wooden shed with two windows surrounding a door.
Garden Five

The land where The Arboretum now grows has been home to plants and animals for thousands of years. It was home to Indigenous peoples before settlers arrived. We recognize the Dish with One Spoon territory, the treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Between the Lakes Treaty 3 lands on which the University of Guelph and The Arboretum now sit. We are honoured to work on and care for this land.