The arboretum at the Forestry College is used for educational purposes. It is the most northerly located arboretum in the country. It is situated in the northern part of Šluknov Foreland and it is recorded in the list of the world arboreta and botanical gardens. It consists of two parts, one is situated near the dormitory in Sukova Street, and the second part is situated in the suburb of Kunratice south of Šluknov.
The origins of the arboretum are linked with the history of the Forestry College. Already in the first years of the existence of the school there was a need to have an arboretum where the most important species, along with some decorative species, would be represented for educational purposes. Field trips organised into the nearby surroundings, that might be interesting from the dendrological point of view, were not deemed sufficient and they were time consuming. Therefore in 1958 a plot of land, covering 0.95 hectares, was earmarked for the Forestry College in Sukova Street. The design was created by the now deceased Ing. Antonín Kunt. The earmarked area was covered in beech, pine and fruit trees.
In 1959 plants from a nursery in Říčany were planted in the future arboretum. Later, more plants were obtained from abroad and from the various arboreta and botanical gardens in the country. At the end of 1965, 241 taxons of wood species were collected in the arboretum. It was soon clear that the area of the arboretum is not sufficient and a search for a new plot of land started. In 1960 parts of land of Lesní závod (Forest Management Co.) in Rumburk were set aside for the school. This enabled the Forestry College to establish a larger arboretum. The land was a field that had not been cultivated for some time, bits of forests, some meadows and a sand quarry along the road Šluknov - Kunratice - Brtníky, ca 2.5 km from the Forestry College.
The arboretum was designed by Ing. Antonín Kunt in cooperation with a team of specialised tutors. The plot of land was landscaped and fenced off, the first planting took place in 1967. 155 taxons of wood species were planted by 1974. In 1975 a decision was taken to abolish Forestry Colleges, and planting of further wood species was stopped; the arboreta were hardly looked after. In 1995 the Forestry College purchased adjacent plots of land, fenced them off and added them to the existing arboretum. In 1999 a shrub arboretum was established on this plot of land. In 2007 Prof. Václav Klaus, president of the Czech Republic planted the Oriental plant (Platanus orientalis).
Currently, the composition of species is 146 pine taxons and 151 deciduous taxons in both arboreta. There are ca 2,100 wood species, but this number changes as some die off and new ones are planted. The arboreta are used for teaching specialised subjects, such as biology, botany, cultivating forests, environment studies, both in terms of theory and practice. The wood species are represented with the teaching requirements in mind. The arboretum is also used by other schools who organise field trips here, but it is also open to laymen and specialists.
The importance of the arboreta, established and managed by the SLŠ and SOŠS schools in Šluknov, reaches beyond the borders of the region. The schools correspond with many various institutions in Europe, Asia, America and Australia. Every year, ca 15-20 field trips are organised to the arboreta, plus there are other visits by individuals and specialists from the Czech Republic and abroad.
