Arboreta and botanical gardens provide ideal settings to study and address some of the most pressing ecological challenges of the 21^st century. These spaces typically house a variety of resources including plant collections and natural areas. Gardens have a unique long-term commitment to research and monitoring that extends beyond individual researchers. Additionally, public gardens have a strong outreach mission to promote and improve the natural environment and connect people with plants. These features allow scientists working within public gardens to address issues ranging from adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change impacts, to best practices in restoration. All of this is done in the context of strong public engagement. Here, we bring together scientists from a variety of public gardens to showcase the ways in which arboreta and botanical gardens serve as a hub from which to connect cutting-edge ecological research with public outreach to address 21^st century issues related to global change and the mitigation of these impacts through management of degraded ecosystems.