The New Brunswick Botanical Garden is a provincial park located in suburban Saint-Jacques neighbourhood in Edmundston, New Brunswick. Situated on next to the Madawaska River, it has more than 80,000 plants, making it the largest arboretum east of Montreal. The Botanical Garden opens in early May and is open daily for the summer season. In addition to the Botanical Gardens, the Province of New Brunswick also maintains an antique automobile museum on the same grounds. The Trans Canada Trail also passes beside by the park. History The Botanical Garden opened in June 1993. A lack of operating funds nearly caused it to close a few years after its inauguration. The garden was rescued by leaders of the University of Moncton Campus at Edmundston (UMCE), which was subsequently given the mandate to manage the garden from 1997 to 2007. In November 2006, the UMCE informed the Province of New-Brunswick, Tourism and Parks Department, that they would not renew their management contract and on June 21, 2007, the City of Edmundston signed an agreement with the minister of Tourism and Parks for New Brunswick for one-year management of the garden. Ultimately, the City declined to get involved directly with the management and that mandate was transferred to the New Brunswick Botanical Garden Society. A five-year agreement was signed in April 2008 between these three organizations to ensure the functioning and long-term development of the garden. Mission The New Brunswick Botanical Garden (NBBG) subscribes to the "mission" of most of the largest botanical gardens. This general mission has been defined by the International Agenda for Botanical Gardens in Conservation and can be summarized as follows: Slow the loss of plant species and their genetic diversity. Concentrate on the prevention of degradations in worldwide natural environments. Increase public awareness and comprehension on the value of plant diversity and potential threats. Engage in practical actions for the benefit and improvement of the natural environment. Promote and ensure sustainable management of natural resources by present generations and those to come. The accomplishment of the mission asks botanical gardens to undertake a large range of activities as suggested in the Agenda. However, as botanical gardens cannot accomplish this mission on their own, they need to work in partnership with many institutions, societies, communities and individuals. Displays There are several display areas in the Botanical Garden, some of which vary from year to year. Recent displays have included: