The Orange County Arboretum is operated and maintained by the County Parks Department in cooperation with the advisory Friends of the Orange County Arboretum, a non-profit (501-C3). The 35-acre facility is built on former pasturelands a natural site for the organized display of trees, shrubs, and plants. There are magnificent raised gardens and cascading water features. The Arboretum's pathways connect the gardens and teak benches throughout making this facility an ideal spot where everyone can come to escape the stress of everyday life. The 35 acres and wooded areas are an environmental resource and garden whose primary purpose is the display of tree collections. These collections are placed to contribute to a learning experience organized around botanical family relationships, tree habitats, and wetland characteristics. The wooded borders of the six-acre Al Durland Memorial Pond back the Arboretum. In the distance, visitors can view the dramatic profile of the Shawangunk Mountains. The Arboretum offers a venue to compare and evaluate plants. Others may look to the Arboretum as a resource for learning about plant selections for environmental enhancements. Students may enjoy the site as an outdoor living laboratory to study and identify the various species. Homeowners can examine tree and shrub varieties for possible use in their landscape design.