Penn Treaty Elm’s Lightning Protection System Gets an Upgrade Morris Arboretum & Gardens Urban Forestry Consulting team helps manage the approximately 6,500 trees on the University of Pennsylvania campus, including the Penn Treaty Elm which requires a plethora of strategies to protect and maintain its biological health and structural stability. One feature of its defensive gauntlet is a lightning protection system, and the Morris has developed a sturdier, adjustable, more sustainable system dubbed the Morris Lightning Protection Attachment. Morris Arboretum & Gardens Urban Forestry Consulting team helps manage the approximately 6,500 trees on the University of Pennsylvania campus in the heart of West Philadelphia. While there are many great trees on campus, the Treaty Elm is undoubtedly the biggest. For this large, mature tree with a wealth of cultural and historical significance, we employ a plethora of strategies to protect and maintain its biological health and structural stability. Image Photo 1: Penn Treaty Elm on College Green is an iconic part of Penn’s landscape. One feature of its defensive gauntlet is a lightning protection system. As per American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A300 Tree Care and industry best-management practices, the Treaty Elm lightning protection system consists of a conducting copper wire that begins in the upper tree canopy and is attached to the trunk/scaffold limbs all the way down to where it is grounded in the soil below. Due to the Treaty Elm’s prominent location, accessibility to people, and rightful popularity, the staples that attached the lightning protection conductor to its trunk were frequently being pulled out, even after they were hammered back in. These detachments could potentially disconnect the copper wire conductor from the ground, compromising its effectiveness. Also, these staples are not adjustable, so the tree will eventually overgrow and subsume the staples and copper conductor. The standard staples …

The Story of the Lone Wolf Beech The American beech tree ( Fagus grandifolia ) that stood proudly in the meadow next to the metal sheep along the entrance drive has a storied past and a new future.  The American beech tree ( Fagus grandifolia ) that stood proudly in the meadow next to the metal sheep along the entrance drive has a storied past. Long before the entry drive, the magnolia slope, and even before the Morris family purchased the land to create their Compton estate, the front slope was draped with pastures. In the middle of one of these pastures stood this beech, a “lone wolf” tree that offered a shady respite for grazing livestock. This tree was already a notable specimen in the 1909 survey, listed as F. ferruginea (a synonym for F. grandifolia ). Image Magnolia Slope facing Northwestern Avenue circa 1908. The lone wolf beech is the first tree on the right and is secured inside a fence to protect it from livestock. We are a place of trees, and we deeply revere the many legacy trees in our collection. The lone wolf American beech on our front slope is one that we particularly cherish. In 1987, as the new entrance driveway was installed up the Magnolia Slope, special care was taken to give this tree a wide berth. This act of reverence allowed the tree to thrive, untouched by the encroaching construction. For decades, this beech welcomed visitors to the Morris Arboretum & Gardens with its iconic form:  a single trunk with three main branches or leaders forming a rounded canopy. However, this unique structure led to future problems. As the multiple leaders grew and pressed together, they caused issues with compressed wood and trapped bark, creating fissures where they were joined. Essentially, these branches were choking each other out and becoming a breeding grounds for potential diseases. In 1997, a large portion of one stem broke off during a violent summer thunderstorm. Given the dubious nature of this tree's structure, we realized this could mark the …

The Fernery The Fernery Image The Dorrance H. Hamilton Fernery  Image The Dorrance H. Hamilton Fernery is the only remaining freestanding Victorian fernery in North America. Originally built in 1899 under the supervision of John Morris, the Fernery stands today as a historical time piece, documenting the British obsession with ferns and glasshouses during the Victorian era. The building was constructed using locally mined stone and utilized cutting edge technology in glass cutting, steam heating, and architectural elements.  In the century following the original construction, the Fernery slowly fell into disrepair, with several small renovation projects to protect it from destruction. Finally in 1994 the Fernery was fully restored to its original grandeur with a gracious donation from board member Dorrance H. Hamilton and other contributors who responded to a major matching grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. This $1.2 million renovation included restoring the roof to the original curvature, replacing and updating the heating and electrical systems, installing an advanced climate control system, and restoring the waterfall, ponds and stone walls. The blue flagstone plaza was also installed during this project to welcome visitors, and provide a shaded relaxing place to stop and enjoy the arboretum.  Nestled in a curve of land below the Rose Garden, the Fernery has become an iconic part of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens. Its glittering rooftop welcoming visitors into a peaceful space filled with ferns, trickling waterfalls, and reflecting pools. A wonderful place to explore in all seasons.  Download a Self-guided Tour of the Fernery   Take a self-guided tour of the Fernery on your next visit. The Dorrance H. Hamilton Fernery is the only freestanding fernery left in North America and is home to over 200 different species of ferns and fern allies. During this tour, you will be introduced to some of the most notable ferns in the current collection.  …

Outside the School Halls and Within the Garden Walls Kevin Hennigan and Jo Schirling, both 2024 graduates of Lankenau Environmental Science Magnet High School, spent every Tuesday and Thursday of their senior year interning at the Morris—and they did everything, from decimating pests and diseases in the greenhouse to assisting Plant Science by using satellite technology. Image Jo Schirling and Kevin Hennigan, 2024 graduates of Lankenau Environmental Science Magnet High School who interned at the Morris during their senior year. “Quercus!” “Magnolia!” “Acer and Ilex! Oh, and I learned how to not bump into branches!” These are a few of the responses from our high school interns to the question, “What did you learn during your internship?” High school internships at Morris Arboretum & Gardens are all about getting outside the school halls and within the garden walls. Kevin Hennigan and Jo Schirling, both 2024 graduates of Lankenau Environmental Science Magnet High School, spent every Tuesday and Thursday of their senior year interning at the Morris. Some days they decimated pests and diseases in the greenhouse. Other days they loaded trucks with debris tossed down from the trees by our arborists. They created a scavenger hunt for the Education department, took phone calls in reception, greeted visitors at the entrance kiosk. Many, many days they assisted Plant Science, using satellite technology to take geolocation “points” in the garden as part of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens Plant Collection and Management Project . The internships are part of our ongoing outreach to public and charter schools in northwest Philadelphia. Along with field trips and summer workforce development programs, Morris is a host site for students in Lankenau’s Agriculture Food and Natural Resources (AFNR) internship program. And what did they learn? In addition to being able to identify trees by their scientific names, Kevin and Jo both acknowledge picking up soft skills like understanding …

Summer of Dinos: Photo Contest Take part in our Summer of Dinos photo contest for a chance to win a family membership to the Morris Arboretum & Gardens! TyrannoMorris Rex wants his photo taken with YOU! This 25-foot dinosaur somehow avoided extinction  and  traveled 66 million years into the future for Summer of Dinos! Capture this amazing moment with yourself, family, and friends in our  photo contest for a chance to win a family membership to the Morris Arboretum & Gardens and a feature on our social media! Image HOW TO ENTER Visit the Morris and take a photo with TyrannoMorris Rex. Post it on your Instagram or Facebook feed, tag @morrisarboretum, and include the hashtag #summerofdinos. Note: Your account must be set to public to enter so we can see your post. THE PRIZES The winner will receive a family membership for one year. The winning photo will be featured on our Instagram and Facebook pages with credit. THE DETAILS Contest runs from July 1 – July 31, 2024 Winners will be announced on Friday, August 2, and notified via direct message, as well as tagged in the winner announce post across Instagram and Facebook. JUDGING Contest entries will be judged by a jury of three highly specialized Morris employees with impeccable photographic taste, otherwise known as the Marketing Department, on the following criteria: Creativity (50%) – Points for originality and fun! Representation of Morris Arboretum & Garden (25%) – Points for showcasing the unique sense of place that can only be found within our gardens. Photo (25%) – Points for aesthetic appeal, including balanced color and lighting. CONTEST RULES All entries must tag and follow @morrisarboretum and include the hashtag #summerofdinos Submissions will not be accepted after the July 31 deadline. All photos must be original work, taken by the entrants. By entering the Summer of Dinos photo contest, entrants agree that photos submitted can be used by the Morris on our social media pages with photographer credit. …

Planned Giving Planned Giving Image Planned gifts enable donors to make significant gifts to the Morris Arboretum & Gardens in ways that complement their financial planning. Such gifts provide for endowments, new or renovated landscapes and gardens, and new programs critical to the Morris’s mission. Planned gifts may help donors reduce or eliminate capital gains or estate taxes, obtain significant income tax deductions and/or provide annual income. Bequests Bequests or gifts made by will are one of the Morris’s most important sources of individual support. Bequests can be made in the form of a specific gift of cash, securities or other property, or a percentage of the remainder of an estate. Retirement assets or life insurance may be included in a bequest. Life Income Gifts These planned gifts may generate immediate tax deductions and may also provide lifelong income to the donor while naming the Morris Arboretum & Gardens as the beneficiary of the gift. From the simplest form of gift annuity to more complex forms of charitable trusts, planned gifts can help provide for individual needs and for the future of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens. The Lydia Morris Legacy Society Once you have informed the Morris Arboretum & Gardens in writing of your intention to name the Morris as a beneficiary of a planned gift, you are invited to become a member of the Lydia Morris Legacy Society. You will be invited to special Morris events held for donors; your planned gift will be acknowledged in the Impact Report. For more information please contact: Mira Zergani, Director of Development at mzergani@upenn.edu …

Arboretum Archives: Connecting Events Across Time and Space Call it a passion, a service, or a fever—our Archive volunteers' often routine, sometimes remarkable work ties the Morris’s past to the present to the future.  Some people claim that those who hang out in archives risk getting “archive fever,” an unexplained syndrome that can occur when an object from the past, say a stash of wartime correspondence, shows up in a box of administration papers. Or maybe the object is a tattered map on a basement shelf. Perhaps it’s a box of old tiles in a cabinet drawer. These are the raw materials from which the history of Morris Arboretum & Gardens is made and a small group of intrepid Archives volunteers has the privilege of handling them each week. Image Graham Brent and Nathan Anderson peruse a contents list for a file drawer Sometimes, raw materials reveal things we never knew before. Archive fever can spike when we instantly recognize the significance of an object and we rush to tell everyone of the new finding. It’s a eureka moment on the third floor of Gates Hall and our excitement can be heard by folks downstairs.  Other times, fever doesn’t take hold until we’ve assigned the object an accession number, cataloged it in PastPerfect (the archives software program), and composed the description. Only then do we begin to understand that the correspondence, the map, the tiles have changed our assumptions of the Morris’s past. Image Judy Casale prepares a document for accession by carefully removing a rusty staple. Image Nathan Anderson prepares a map for storage and preservation. Take object number 2004.1.44GN for instance. I got a serious case of archive fever from this one. The object is a glass plate negative of a sitting room on the second floor of Compton. Lovely room, interesting furnishings, nice drapes. Then my eyes land on the decorative tiles surrounding the fireplace. And thus begins one of my first projects as an Archives volunteer—track down the tiles. My …

Summer of Swings Extended to October 2! If you didn't get a chance to experience the Morris Arboretum from the high up on a swing, you're in luck—by popular demand ,  Summer of Swings   has been extended through October 2!  Image If you didn't get a chance to experience the Morris Arboretum from the high up on a swing, you're in luck—by popular demand ,  Summer of Swings   has been extended through October 2! Admire the changing leaves, learn about  Galilieo's Law of the Pendulum , and play our  HIGH SPY  activity to explore your surroundings and discover something new! Thanks to everyone who entered the  Summer of Swings  Photo Contest . We received an astounding amount of entries, and we're so impressed with the talent and creativity our visitors expressed from both behind and in front of the camera. We are so pleased to announce Elizabeth Encarnacion as the winner! Her photo hits all the marks: originality, a unique view of the Arboretum, and the joy of swings. Congratulations, Elizabeth—we look forward to featuring your photo on our website and seeing you at the Arboretum with your prize membership!  Blog Image September 1, …