New Zealand's oldest curated botanical garden devoted to trees received its most visible acknowledgement recently.

New signs have been installed renaming the former Thames William Hall Reserve as the William Hall Arboretum.

The former Thames William Hall Reserve has been renamed the William Hall Arboretum. Back row, from left: Forest and Bird's Ken Clark and Malcolm Sowman, and TCDC's Parks Officer Chris Muller. Front row, from left: Hauraki Plains students William Park and Isaac Heron, Forest and Bird's Beverly Woods, and students Ingrid Hurle and Natasha Shand. Photo: TCDC

The William Hall Arboretum has an incredible collection of nationally and internationally significant trees grown from seedlings in the early 1870s by the garden's namesake.

The flora also includes the separate Totara species know as Hall's Totara, named in honour of the Thames pharmacist and botanist.

Hauraki Plains College students were on site last week for a working bee as part of their Environment Day studies.

They were joined by representatives from Forest and Bird, and Thames-Coromandel District Council's new Parks Officer and arborist Chris Muller.

Forest and Bird have had a close association with the TCDC and William Hall Arboretum over the years and have contributed via fundraising for projects in the park.

Recently they donated $16,000 to help carry out tree work when a listed pohutukawa was damaged.

At the time Chris wrote the tree report as a consultant arborist that helped Forest and Bird fundraise.

Forest and Bird Thames-Hauraki spokesperson Ken Clark says it is satisfying to see the community recognising the importance of the pioneering botanist.