Amid new construction and urban development there is accompanying habitat loss and decreasing biodiversity.  Deer are displaced and have become more integrated into the urban landscape.  Anise arboretum hosts a collection of rarely, seldomly and occasionally deer damaged plant species according to the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.  While deer browse almost all deer resistant plants in the winter, the arboretum seeks to share its success with the plants that resist and/or tolerate deer browse in the spring through fall.  It is this shared experience that the arboretum hopes to encourage its visitors to witness nature's strength through struggle and be assured that even in the dark and cold, there is a spring ahead.​