Philadelphia, PA, October 23, 2024 — The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education was awarded accreditation as an arboretum, making it the first accredited arboretum in Roxborough.
Founded in 1965, the Schuylkill Center is one of the first urban environmental education centers in the country, with 365 acres of fields, forests, ponds, and streams in northwest Philadelphia. The Schuylkill Center is the largest privately-owned open space within the city of Philadelphia – with four miles of hiking trails, diverse events, and school programs. The Center’s grounds hold a Visitor Center, environmental art installations, nature preschool, the only licensed wildlife clinic in Philadelphia, and various ecological restoration sites.
“We are thrilled to give visitors another reason to visit the Schuylkill Center–to see and learn about our trees,” said Erin Mooney, the Center’s executive director. “Although we have thousands of trees at the Schuylkill Center, we have highlighted some of our most important specimens, so that others may revel in them.”
Accreditation by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and the Morton Arboretum is awarded for achieving standards of professional practices deemed important for arboreta and botanic gardens. The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta at various levels of development, capacity, and professionalism. The Schuylkill Center is now listed as an accredited arboretum in the Morton Register of Arboreta, a database of the world’s arboreta and gardens dedicated to woody plants.
“The Schuylkill Center’s new arboretum designation – which involved cataloging trees and adding identifying signage – creates a marvelous opportunity for students and visitors alike to learn about the native trees of our region,” said Catriona Briger, author of Philadelphia Trees.
The trees at the Schuylkill Center are a variety of species native to Pennsylvania. Some notable mature specimens include American beech (fagus grandiflora), northern red oak (quercus rubra), black gum (nyssa sylvatica), and eastern cottonwood (populus deltoids). Just outside the main entrance of the Visitor Center is a mature eastern redbud (cercis canadensis), sweet bay magnolia (magnolia virginiana), and eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana). Younger specimens include swamp white oak (quercus bicolor), American sycamore (platanus occidentalis), and American linden (tilia americana).
The opening of the arboretum will be celebrated on Saturday, November 2 at 2:00pm. The Arboretum tour and ribbon cutting will include a ceremony, a tour led by Catriona Briger, author of Philadelphia Trees, and a hike through the Schuylkill Center. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is available on the Schuylkill Center website: https://schuylkillcenter.org/event/arboretum-tour/
The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education
The Schuylkill Center was founded in 1965 as Philadelphia’s first environmental education center. Our 365 acres of fields and forests serve as a living laboratory to foster appreciation, deepen understanding, and encourage stewardship of the environment. We offer a wildlife rehabilitation clinic, an environmental art program, volunteer opportunities, and educational programs for all ages. Schuylkillcenter.org
About ArbNet
ArbNet is an interactive, collaborative, international community of arboreta. ArbNet facilitates the sharing of knowledge, experience, and other resources to help arboreta meet their institutional goals and works to raise professional standards through the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program. The accreditation program, sponsored and coordinated by The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois in cooperation with American Public Gardens Association and Botanic Gardens Conservation International, is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta based on a set of professional standards. The program offers four levels of accreditation, recognizing arboreta of various degrees of development, capacity and professionalism. Standards include planning, governance, public access, programming and tree science, planting and conservation. More information is available at www.arbnet.org.
Media Contact
Mae Axelrod
Director of Communications
Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education
8480 Hagy’s Mill Road, Philadelphia, PA 19128
