Beal Botanical Garden and Campus Arboretum illuminates the interconnectedness of people, plants, and place through learning, research, and stewardship.
Beal Botanical Garden and Campus Arboretum illuminates the interconnectedness of people, plants, and place through learning, research, and stewardship.
The Beal Scholars Program is a paid internship open to current MSU undergraduate students from any discipline. Beal Scholars are mentored positions, with selected individuals working closely with our staff to implement a chosen project that aims to benefit the garden by contributing to our mission and goals.
We are looking for an enthusiastic student for Fall 2026 to assist us with monitoring migratory bird populations across campus. Duties include field monitoring, data processing and organization, and bird identification through calls and songs. Full description can be found on our Beal Scholars Application page.
The application is currently open and closes at 12:00 a.m. (midnight) on September 20, 2026.
From their first date in the garden to decades of family walks, Beal became woven into the fabric of Therese and Craig Fedore's lives. Their story celebrates the powerful connections to nature and how gardens hold memories across generations. The family's gift will create the Therese and Craig Fedore Michigan Flora Garden, where Michigan native plants can grow, thrive, and inspire future Spartans.
Photo Credit: Chase Stanton, University Communications and Marketing
We are proud to announce that the garden has earned accreditation from Botanic Gardens Conservation International, or BGCI. With this accreditation, we join an accomplished group of just over 100 international botanical gardens that have demonstrated success in conservation of plant species, inspiring people, sharing knowledge, and addressing global challenges. We are the first and only BGCI-accredited garden in Michigan. This is also the first time the garden has been accredited since its founding.
What makes a botanical garden thrive?
You might be surprised to learn that many of our sustainable gardening practices can work in your own backyard. From planting native species to working with your landscape instead of against it, our experts share five simple ways to create a healthier, more resilient garden.
Photo Credit: Leah Ferenczi
Land Acknowledgment
We collectively acknowledge that Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Anishinaabeg—Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi peoples. In particular, the University resides on Land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw. We recognize, support, and advocate for the sovereignty of Michigan’s 12 federally recognized Indian nations, for historic Indigenous communities in Michigan, for Indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and for those who were forcibly removed from their Homelands. By offering this Land Acknowledgement, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty and will work to hold Michigan State University more accountable to the needs of American Indian and Indigenous peoples.