The annual fundraising campaign for the Newton Arboretum has officially launched. Letters have been sent out and donations are coming in, according to the non-profit organization. Vice President of the Newton Arboretum and Botanical Gardens’ Board of Directors and co-chair of Program and Events Ina Heideman says their annual operating expenses easily exceed $80,000. That money goes to seasonal and perennial plants, utilities, water, employees, equipment, and other expenses on the 19.5 acre site.

“At the Botanical Gardens we have all different varieties of trees, including some of the oldest that are still living in the state. We also have beautiful gardens attended by our horticulturist and volunteers. We have a butterfly garden, a pond, many sculptures, and we are establishing a prairie that used to be a farmground.”

Heideman says the nonprofit receives no tax-subsidized support from the city or the state. The Celebrate Nature Annual Appeal Campaign. Donations through several payment options can be made on the Newton Arboretum and Botanical Gardens website www.newtonarboretum.com,