what it is to be TIMELESS. LONGSTANDING. FISCALLY SOUND.

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1 MORRIS ARBORETUM

2 what it is to be TIMELESS. LONGSTANDING. FISCALLY SOUND. These are the aims of Morris Arboretum s Ever Green campaign: to sustain and grow the Arboretum as a premier public garden and as a center for botanical and horticultural research in Greater Philadelphia and beyond. Since first opening to the public in 1933, the Arboretum has made careful stewardship of its resources a priority in order to realize its vision to be a thriving public garden, educational resource, and cultural center as well as a leader in plant collection, research, and promotion of environmental stewardship. Your gift whether a modest amount or a major commitment will help Morris Arboretum achieve its mission to promote understanding, conservation, and enjoyment of plants now and for years to come. MORRIS ARBORETUM IS A SOURCE OF RESEARCH AND RENEWAL THAT BENEFITS OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR WORLD.

3 CHAPTER I CULTIVATING a living collection This particular katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) is one of the Arboretum s most noteworthy trees and a Pennsylvania champion for this species. Planted by John Morris between 1901 and 1909, this is perhaps the largest specimen in North America. In fact, Morris Arboretum is steward to a large number of the Commonwealth s champion trees, the largest of their species. GAZE UP AT THE AWE-INSPIRING KATSURA, and marvel that this magnificent tree a signature tree of the Arboretum was planted here with purpose, for the enjoyment of generations past, present, and future. The katsura is one of thousands of plants in the notable living collection, a vibrant museum of plants that is carefully researched, curated, managed, and sustained. The Arboretum continues to acquire and exchange seeds and plants to both preserve and expand its collection. Further, staff maintains a comprehensive online catalogue with records of the Arboretum plants, cuttings, and seedlots. Native to eastern Asia, the katsura is well adapted to North America. Fossil evidence suggests it was once indigenous to this region as well. The tree is known for its stunning fall color and for the sweet scent its fallen leaves emit. INSPIRE STEWARDSHIP Your gifts enable the Arboretum to enhance its living collection by protecting trees and plants, preserving history, and pursuing new specimens for further study. 2 EVER GREEN CULTIVATING A LIVING COLLECTION 3

4 Founder John Morris began collecting plants that today form the basis of the Morris Arboretum s living collection. Over the years, the Arboretum has participated in collaborative plant collection efforts in Asia and the U.S. to increase the diversity of plants available in urban environments. Today the collection includes plants from more than 34 countries. MORRIS ARBORETUM REMAINS A LEADER in the effort to preserve a living collection that can educate, inspire, and be sustained in an urban environment. 4 EVER GREEN CULTIVATING A LIVING COLLECTION 5

5 CHAPTER II ENGAGING curious minds LOOK THROUGH THE TREETOPS FROM OUT ON A LIMB and watch birds fly from tree to tree. Enjoy the fresh air, the leafy canopy, and the stunning view from above. Here among the giant chestnut oaks (Quercus montana) and black tupelo trees (Nyssa sylvatica) people of all ages are invited to touch, feel, see, hear, and experience the environment. In this way, the Arboretum encourages an interest in trees and other living things and inspires people young and old to understand the interconnection between humans and nature. Opportunities to get close to nature through the Garden Railway exhibit, Out on a Limb, summer camp, and enrichment programs are as significant as conferences, seminars, and lectures that extend the depth and breadth of knowledge not only for plant scientists but curious laypeople as well. The Arboretum uniquely serves people of all ages and education levels scientists, students, parents, and patrons with opportunities to deepen their understanding of the natural world. ENCOURAGE WONDER Your gifts enable the Arboretum to create new opportunities for engagement and learning that serve a wide range of needs and interests. 6 EVER GREEN ENGAGING CURIOUS MINDS 7

6 The Arboretum is proud of its many opportunities for experiential learning as well as its depth of classroom and professional education for aspiring and career horticulturists, landscape designers, ecologists, and arborists. The summer Explorar! program enables the Arboretum to engage with young English language learners in hands-on STEM learning. Year-long internships enable deeper study and unique experiences that prepare serious students for careers in public gardens, horticulture, botany, and other related fields. With a variety and depth of programming, Morris Arboretum benefits members, non-members, scientists, and students of all ages and experience levels with a unique educational resource. MORRIS ARBORETUM IS AN ACCESSIBLE, INCLUSIVE SPACE, here for the wonder, enjoyment, education, and inspiration of curious people of all ages. 8 EVER GREEN ENGAGING CURIOUS MINDS 9

7 CHAPTER III SHARING knowledge ADVANCE RESEARCH Your gifts enable Morris Arboretum to make a greater contribution to botanical and horticultural research in the U.S. and abroad. CONSIDER THE MYRIAD DETAILS AND SHEER VARIETY of remarkable plants here. This tranquil sanctuary inspires wonder as much as it soothes the soul. Each path explored at the Arboretum awakens the desire to learn as much as possible about these fascinating plants and how they respond to a changing environment. The Arboretum is known for its disciplined approach to research and for detailed study, documentation, and collection of plants. Staff botanists, arborists, urban forestry consultants, and horticulturists cultivate a deeper understanding of plants, insects, natural and man-made threats, and growth patterns. The Arboretum recognizes the urgency in understanding biological processes at work in plants in an urban environment. Morris Arboretum leads the Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis Project to digitize more than 700,000 herbarium specimens from 11 universities, state agencies, arboreta, museums and botanic gardens in the northeast corridor from New York to Washington, DC. The resulting data will lead to a unique opportunity to study the impacts of urbanization on flora. See mamdigitization.org for more information on this innovative and exciting project funded by the National Science Foundation. 10 EVER GREEN SHARING KNOWLEDGE 11

8 The Arboretum encourages its patrons to appreciate the details as much as its broad vistas. Indeed, research is very much about observing, studying, and appreciating small details that indicate a larger story. The Arboretum s nearly 13,000 accessioned plants serve as a living laboratory. These plants provide the basis for research projects that range in scale from whole plant evaluation and propagation to evolutionary and molecular analysis. The dogwood (Cornus) collection demonstrates the horticultural and scientific value of the living collections. Extensive holdings of Cornus kousa (kousa dogwood) from across its native range have allowed the Arboretum to study differences in cold-hardiness. Likewise, having a large number of dogwood species has contributed to greater understanding of genetic diversity within this plant group. ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND INTERNATIONALLY, the Arboretum is a leader of botanical and horticultural research, sharing scientific understanding of plants and encouraging green infrastructure in the wake of increased urbanization. 12 EVER GREEN SHARING KNOWLEDGE 13

9 CHAPTER IV x CONSERVING a legacy WANDER BY THE GROVE OF DAWN REDWOODS (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) along the East Brook in the Sculpture Garden. These tall sentinels keep watch over the inspiring green landscapes and gardens, but more important, they are living tributes that remind people of the enduring ties to those who came before, and of the great responsibility to preserve these natural gifts as time and environments change. These deciduous conifers fast-growing living fossils that stand more than 100 feet tall with trunks nearing 13 feet in circumference are awesome reminders of the stunning beauty and power of nature. PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES Demonstrate your support for Morris Arboretum and enable the ongoing preservation and conservation of plants. The Arboretum serves an important role in the conservation and preservation of plant species both within and beyond its gates. The Arboretum devotes considerable resources to studying the effects of climate change and environmental impacts on plant species, developing and cultivating plants that can withstand changing weather patterns and urban stress factors. 14 EVER GREEN CONSERVING A LEGACY 15

10 Morris Arboretum participates with other organizations in efforts to understand how best to encourage the longevity of natural resources in light of urbanization and changing environmental factors. An outstanding example of the Arboretum s leadership in this regard is the Acer griseum Conservation Project now under way. The paperbark maple, known for its peeling cinnamon-hued bark, is native to China where it is threatened. Introduced in the West more than a century ago, the plant produces few fertile seeds and is difficult to propagate by cuttings. Through the North America-China Plant Exploration Consortium, a team of scientists from Morris and other arboreta have traveled to provinces throughout China to collect valuable seed samples and study the DNA of the Acer griseum. The aim is to understand both wild and cultivated plants so that the paperbark maple can be preserved in its natural habitat. THE ARBORETUM IS AN ACTIVE, VOCAL CHAMPION for land preservation and conservation; its work and advocacy is essential to preserving the varied and unique plant species on our planet. 16 EVER GREEN CONSERVING A LEGACY 17

11 CHAPTER V SUSTAINING the future This spectacular blue Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica Glauca ) lends a dramatic presence at the Arboretum where several mature specimens can be found. Native to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, these trees are accustomed to hot, dry summers and cold winters. They are well adapted to Philadelphia growing conditions. APPRECIATE THE MAGNIFICENT SIZE, GRACEFUL LIMBS, and distinctive needles of the blue Atlas cedar, a stunning evergreen by all accounts. On crisp winter days, evergreens are the green beacons, buffers to cold wind gusts through the forest of otherwise barren trunks. On summer days, their limbs bring a lush, soft fullness to the woods. From time immemorial, the evergreen has held special meaning across cultures as a symbol of timelessness, constancy, and everlasting strength, something of keen focus for Morris Arboretum as it considers the next steps in securing its future. GROW OUR VISION The Arboretum provides an ever green place for generations to connect with nature, to be inspired and renewed here, and to become the next advocates for healthy, green, natural spaces. Evergreens are a reminder of the importance of enduring spaces people can return to, time and time again, and know that they will still be there. Morris Arboretum aims to endure as such a place. 18 EVER GREEN SUSTAINING THE FUTURE 19

12 Every gift represents a voice, part of a collective assent affirming the value of the Arboretum s efforts, especially in these times. With your support, Morris Arboretum will have an opportunity to inspire every visitor, to nurture budding environmentalists, to acquire more knowledge about plants and the environment, and to energize a spirit of advocacy for the natural health of the planet. SUSTAINABILITY REQUIRES STEWARDSHIP. Help Morris Arboretum remain Ever Green with an outright gift or a sustaining pledge. 20 EVER GREEN SUSTAINING THE FUTURE 21

13 CONCLUSION a verdant OUTLOOK PERHAPS YOU HAVE A FAVORITE CORNER OF THIS TRANQUIL PLACE near a specific tree or the stunning rose garden, fernery, swan pond, natural areas, or one of the Japanese gardens or perhaps you simply appreciate a sunny stroll through the woodlands or wetlands, or a pause by the log cabin. You may be drawn to the Arboretum because of your appreciation for nature, our beautiful specimen trees and other plants, and the distinctive landscape features like fountains that may transport you to a different time or place. An oasis from life s hectic pace, Morris Arboretum can be shared with friends and loved ones, children and grandchildren. Our responsibility today is to safeguard and be mindful stewards of this Philadelphia treasure, which has flourished as a public garden but also as a leader in research that is making an impact far and wide. We must plant deep roots to ensure Morris Arboretum can remain an institution that evolves and grows for generations to come. WHAT WILL YOU DO TO KEEP MORRIS ARBORETUM EVER GREEN?

14 campaign PRIORITIES CULTIVATE THE GARDEN preserve historic Arboretum features, tend the living collection, and enhance visitor amenities. LEAD RESEARCH INITIATIVES with endowment funds that support the professional, scientific study of plants, modernize record-keeping, and grow understanding of environmental changes and their impacts on the world. We are proud to be the Official Arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a self-sustaining historic public garden administered by the University of Pennsylvania. We very much appreciate your support, membership, and long-term commitment to this cherished resource. IMPROVE PUBLIC ACCESS AND INCLUSION with a pedestrian entrance on Germantown Avenue, expanded outreach educational programs for underserved students, and the establishment of a named endowment for the Director of Education and Visitor Experience.

15 In nature, a child finds freedom, fantasy, and privacy: a place distant from the adult world, a separate peace. RICHARD LOUV Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf. ALBERT SCHWEITZER You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. JANE GOODALL 100 E. Northwestern Ave Philadelphia, PA morrisarboretum.org