Munger grew up next to the large estate of Hillhouse Woods, an eighteen-acre natural area, which facilitated his lifelong interest in forests.
Almost immediately, Munger began his influential studies of the Douglas fir trees found in the western Cascades, establishing research plots in the Wind River area.
Munger used the arboretum to test the suitability of exotic trees in the specific climate and conditions of the Pacific Northwest.
After working to further establish the Wind River Arboretum, as well as a nearby nursery, the area was selected by the Forest Service to be a permanent research site.
Wind River was the site of valuable long-term studies of plants and wildlife in the Pacific Northwest, with many of the projects continuing on for decades.