The Viikki Arboretum was established in 1969 for research and educational purposes. It occupies 23 hectares of land approximately eight kilometers from the center of Helsinki city. The grounds are surrounded by the Viikki Science Park and the Viikki Campus, new housing areas and a nature reserve, renowned as a bird sanctuary. Diverse nature as well as the size and location make the Viikki Arboretum one of the most popular recreation areas in Helsinki.
The Viikki Arboretum has an active role as a living learning environment as well as an outdoor recreation area and strives to provide opportunities for research. The Arboretum thus fulfils all three core duties of the University of Helsinki: research, teaching and community relations.
By it’s centenary in 2069 the Viikki Arboretum will be a well-maintained recreation area favored by urban residents and plant collections will be visited by people from all over the metropolitan area. The Arboretum will be actively involved in teaching at all levels of education and offer plenty of opportunities for self-study. In addition, the Arboretum will be an active and knowledgeable participant in social debate, interacting with citizens and different institutions. The Viikki Arboretum aims to be engaged in scientific research in many different fields, with versatile and international scientific cooperation.