Moonlight & Roses
Friday, June 5, 2026
Save the date for our 2026 gala honoring Ellen Hass and Bartlett Tree Experts!
Moonlight & Roses has been a landmark event in the Philadelphia region for more than four decades. Today, the event provides a beautiful forum in which to recognize excellence and leadership in environmental stewardship. Close to 500 guests attend the gala, with proceeds directly supporting the Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ important role as a premier destination for environmental outreach, education, and research.
VIP tickets for Moonlight & Roses will go on sale in January, and formal invitations will mail in April. If you are interested in sponsoring the event, please contact Kristen Casalenuovo at kcasal@upenn.edu.
2026 Individual Honoree
Ellen Hass
This year, we are delighted to honor Ellen Nalle Hass at Moonlight & Roses for her longtime support of Morris Arboretum & Gardens. From her early days roaming the Wissahickon, Ellen's life has been driven by a reverence for nature. She lives by John Muir's mantra: "I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order." Ellen is a longtime neighbor and member, and served on the Board of Advisors for two decades. For six of those years, Ellen was the Board chair and provided strong and enduring leadership during a time of institutional transition. Professionally, she has worked at Conde Nast, Applause Magazine of WHYY, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (SCH), and is now with Team Whetzel at Kurfiss Sotheby's real estate. She is a board member of Chanticleer Garden of Wayne, PA, the President of the Henrietta Tower Wurts Memorial Foundation, and a former board member of the Children's Aid Society and SCH. Ellen and her husband, Jay, enjoy visits from their three grown children, Charlotte, Johnny, and Robert, who grew up enjoying the beauty of, and learning from, the Morris.
2026 Institutional Honoree
Bartlett Tree Experts
With more than 170 offices worldwide, Bartlett Tree Experts is dedicated to helping residential and commercial clients care for and preserve healthy, beautiful trees. For 119 years, the family-owned company has developed environmentally responsible products and championed sustainable tree care practices. Through its Legacy Tree Program, Bartlett Tree Experts provides tree seedlings for reforestation efforts and educates communities on proper tree care. The Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories, staffed by experts in plant pathology, entomology, and horticulture, support Bartlett Tree Experts’ arborists with the latest scientific insights and innovations in arboriculture.
2026 Gala Chairs & Host Committee
Honorary Chairs
Cameron & John Soroko
Gala Host Committee
Jan Albaum
Christine Bamberger
Amy Banse
Gabrielle Baugh
Ruth Chang
Amanda Cobb
Amy Coleman
Allison DeCaro
Maria Jesus Frank
Melissa Greiner
Natalie Hirshorn
Stacy Kennedy
Katy Palmer
Evan Pruitt
Sarah Salmon
Cinda Waldbuesser
Thomasina White
Anne Wilmerding
Charles Wilmerding
Christine Wilmerding
Jean Wilmerding
Wendy Wurtzburger
Moonlight & Roses is the Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ annual fundraising gala that raises money for the Morris’s annual operations. Funds raised through this year’s event will support all aspects of Morris Arboretum & Gardens and will ensure continued excellence in direct support of our mission.