Awbury Arboretum is a free public garden and farm serving Northwest Philadelphia. Building on the social justice values of our Quaker founders, we make a positive environmental impact, educate children and adults, and nurture an inclusive community.

Awbury Arboretum is a breath of fresh air. We serve as an accessible greenspace that welcomes the pursuit of learning, recreation, and peace. As a beacon of historical and environmental stewardship, these grounds shelter and protect both social and biological diversity. We envision Awbury as a vital part of a greener, healthier Philadelphia that encourages an ever-deepening integration of city life and the natural world.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

Awbury Arboretum Association remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) through our work. 

Acknowledging Our Past, Committing to a Better Future

As we continue our DEIA work we recognize that the arboretum’s very existence reflects some very hard truths, namely that the creation of this beautiful landscape came at the expense of Indigenous peoples who were driven from their ancestral lands, African peoples who were enslaved in service of the interests of White European colonialists, and poor working class immigrants whose homes were razed to create an expansive park. While keeping these historical truths in mind, we are building an inclusive and equitable future for the Arboretum and the surrounding community. 

In the summer of 2020, Awbury Arboretum formed a diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) committee to better reflect and engage with the diverse people and communities we serve. Since then, we have been working to become an antiracist institution, a commitment that necessitates ongoing listening, learning, and meaningful change.  

As we mark five years since forming the DEIA committee, DEIA principles now inform our major policy decisions. Recent initiatives include: 

• A DEIA Review of Core Statements: We have assessed and rewritten our Mission, Vision, and Value Statements through a DEIA lens, implementing changes to align with our DEIA principles.
• Incorporating DEIA into Policy and Planning: DEIA is embedded in our policies and strategic planning, including our new 2025-2028 Strategic Plan and Landscape Stewardship Plan, ensuring our land management, programmatic, and strategic goals reflect our DEIA values.   
• Vendor Diversity Review: We are conducting a diversity review of our major vendors to foster more equitable business relationships.
• Welcoming New Partners: Since 2020, we have welcomed nine new women- and minority-owned organizations as tenants and partners on The Farm, enhancing representation and collaboration.

Key Actions Taken: 

• Consulting Expertise: We hired a DEIA consultant who provided a comprehensive report in February 2021, which we have used as a roadmap for progress. 
• Neighborhood Engagement: Our team regularly attends the Awbury Arboretum Neighbors Association and Cliveden Hills Neighbors meetings.
• Community Planning Committee: This committee ensures transparency and accountability of the staff, Board, and committees of the Awbury Arboretum Association related to plans for capital projects, programming, and landscape or facilities changes.
• Diverse Representation: We have increased diversity on the Board and staff to better reflect the communities we serve.
• Community-Informed Wayfinding: We invited and acted on feedback to guide our new wayfinding and signage initiatives, aiming for accessibility and a sense of welcome for our neighbors. Feedback sessions took place during our Community Planning Committee meetings. 
• Scholarships for Access: Our camps and after-school programs reserve space for under-resourced families. 26% of summer 2024 campers attended on a full or partial scholarship, underscoring our ongoing commitment to accessible programming. 
• Staff Training and Development: Our camp counselors receive DEIA training and guidance on how to accommodate the varying needs of the children that we serve. 

We are committed to this ongoing and long-term effort and welcome feedback and partnerships with the immediate and broader communities within the Greater Philadelphia area.

Awbury Arboretum’s Board and staff wish to express our solidarity with the Black community and the efforts to end anti-Black violence, oppression, and injustice.

The Arboretum is free and open to our community and welcomes all to find respite in nature.

Black Lives Matter