Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest

Isaac W. Bernheim established Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in 1929. Bernheim's mission is to strengthen the bond between people and nature by finding new ways to connect nature with people's everyday lives. We do this by providing ample opportunities for quiet, personal experiences with the outdoors; fostering curiosity and the love of learning with imaginative, inter-disciplinary, outdoor-oriented horticultural and natural history programs and exhibits, as well nature-inspired art and cultural activities; and by increasing understanding of the natural world through progressive, inter-disciplinary research in horticulture, natural areas management, and habitat restoration.

“Bernheim will be a nationally treasured leader in ecological stewardship that inspires the exploration of our deep connections with nature.”

Goal One: EXPLORING DEEP CONNECTIONS WITH NATURE: Bernheim is well positioned to provide people with opportunities and environments that encourage deep personal interactions with nature over time.

Goal Two: LEADERSHIP IN ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP: Continuously learn from nature, form innovative relationships with individuals, organizations, and corporations, and be a leader in ecologically focused planning.

Goal Three: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: Actively support ongoing communication among people with a passion for improving how communities and individuals coexist with nature in a healthy ecology.

Individuals are provided with professional development opportunities that may include seminars, networking events, conferences, workshops, online courses, and work reviews to assess goals and growth.

Bernheim curator links art to preservation of nature. The larger-than-life art installation, “OXYGEN,” is the work of Netherlands-based artist collective AKUNZO, part of Bernheim’s 2022 artist-in-residence program. It’s a metaphor for humanity’s inseverable tie to a planet that it has routinely abused. This summer, the monument has stood against a sky stained by the smoke of Canadian wildfires, while record heat, flooding and other climate extremes have battered other parts of the country. Art like this, Zeller said, has the ability to reach hearts and minds in ways nothing else can. And when people feel a connection to natural places like Bernheim, she said, maybe they’ll take steps to protect them. “Nature needs art now more than ever,” Zeller said. “Art attaches our hearts to what we deem as important. It can educate in ways that are different than science.” Her curation aims to bring visitors to the forest, but also to get them thinking about topics like conservation, biodiversity and climate change in approachable ways. Now, those same debates are banging on Bernheim’s gates, as a utility’s proposed gas pipeline threatens to slice through the forest’s Cedar Grove Wildlife Corridor. A judge in Bullitt County recently granted LG&E the authority to break a conservation easement to build the pipeline under eminent domain laws, a ruling Bernheim has appealed. LG&E says the pipeline is necessary to serve nearby communities. When the Bullitt Circuit Court issued its ruling against Bernheim, bringing the proposed pipeline one step closer to construction, Carla Rhodes called Jenny Zeller, in tears. Rhodes, a wildlife conservation photographer, was an artist-in-residence in 2022. She photographed the Cedar Grove area, seeking to capture under-appreciated life, like micro snails, and promote its importance as a wildlife corridor. Her photography of the corridor was published in multiple publications, bringing an international audience to the pipeline fight.