Unlike most arboretums or gardens, Lake Wilderness Arboretum did not begin as a privately owned estate or as part of a government project. The development of Maple Valley’s arboretum is considered a Cinderella story.

The idea of a public arboretum in south King County began to take form in 1965 at a meeting in the Renton home of George Tersiisky, an immigrant from Bulgaria. Enthused by his dream, Ardis Johnson, Lillie Wagner and Isabel Hogan became the first supporters of the idea and recruited like-minded volunteers to design a blueprint for action. The team incorporated a non-profit foundation in the state of Washington that same year as the South King County Arboretum Foundation, which is now known as the Lake Wilderness Arboretum Foundation.

Busy years followed as the founders addressed the many needs of a young, all-volunteer organization with limited funds and minimal public familiarity. They established a logo brand for the foundation, which features a flower of the Pacific dogwood (cornus nuttallii), a plant native to the Pacific Northwest. Then they began to search for an appropriate and affordable site.

Visit LakeWildernessArboretum.org, email info@lakewildernessarboretum.org or call 253-293-5103 to volunteer, donate or become a member.