Special Projects
Every year, we undertake a wide variety of special projects and initiatives to help Mount Auburn thrive. Learn more below and help support our work!
Current Projects to Support
Nathaniel Bowditch Statue Conservation
This historic statue is a tale of community—all throughout the Northeast, people banded together to memorialize astronomer, mathematician, and the "Great Navigator" Nathaniel Bowditch in a prominent location within the Cemetery. Today, we're asking for your support to return this important artwork to its original condition to honor the memory of this local innovator.
The Friends of Mount Auburn needs to raise $20,000 to conserve the statue to this beloved figure—help us reach our goal!
Our Special Project Areas
Horticulture & Urban Ecology
You can help us keep our landscape beautiful and sustainable for everyone. Mount Auburn is an accredited arboretum and botanical garden, featuring a nationally-significant collection of more than 5,000 trees and 10,000 shrubs and groundcover plants. It is also a vital wildlife refuge and a living laboratory for scientists and educators studying how best to support the species who depend on this urban ecosystem.
Upcoming project:
Preservation & Archives
When you walk around Mount Auburn, you are surrounded by the evolving history of funerary art. Our diverse collection of monuments is the reason for so much of our landscape’s beauty, educational value, and historical significance. You can help us preserve these unique monuments by supporting our staff’s daily work across Mount Auburn, or by making a gift to one of our specific upcoming projects.
Current project to support:
Nathaniel Bowditch Statue Conservation
Recent completed projects:
Arts at Mount Auburn
You can help continue Mount Auburn’s long tradition of inspiring art and creativity. Since its founding, visitors have experienced our landscape as an outdoor museum and place for inspiration, as well as a place of burial. From public programs to our Artist Residency, we continue to support the creation of new work every year. Watercolor by Zhonghe (Elena) Li. Read More about our past and current Artists.