Help Awbury Grow!

Read more below about the importance of Awbury’s environmental stewardship in these times, as well as stories from community members who have been part of the life of the Arboretum this past year.

A letter from our General Manager:

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Dear Reader,

The “Year of the Pollinator” is coming to a close at Awbury, and I am happy to share that it has been a very fruitful 12 months. Alongside regular classes and events, we engaged thousands of people through pollinator-related art exhibitions, tours, workshops, and dinners and piloted several new initiatives. Awbury Live – a free outdoor concert in partnership with ALL Entertainment – brought hundreds to the Arboretum on a beautiful July evening and set the stage for a series of concerts planned for 2019. Summer camps served more families than ever, and we partnered with Germantown’s Colored Girls Museum to offer Welcome to Wakanda, a new camp based on the groundbreaking Black Panther movie. Regular enabled hundreds of families to enjoy AdventureWoods – our new natural materials playground – free of charge, and just a few weeks ago, over 1,000 people attended our annual Harvest Festival – a new record.

In early spring, we installed hundreds of native plants in new beds bordering the Cope House and tent patio. The plantings compliment the historic building with year-round color, texture, and interest and provide food and shelter for native insects and birds. Across Washington Lane, an expansion of our Community Garden made it possible for more people to enjoy the benefits of gardening with neighbors. The restoration plan for our pond and wetland area has been completed, and the State has approved a $75,000 construction grant – only a small portion of what is needed, but it is a start. As we look toward 2019, there is no slowing down in sight, but we can’t do it without you.

As I write this letter appealing for your financial support, I write with a sense of urgency. Given the recent disregard for science-based environmental stewardship at the highest levels in our country, I believe our landscape and programs are more important than ever. Every child who visits Awbury and encounters a bird’s nest, a beautiful butterfly, a live frog, or one of our pesky groundhogs is forming crucial connections that will cultivate a lifelong appreciation for nature. Places like Awbury are essential to establishing and nurturing a connection to the natural world and developing citizens prepared to work toward lessening our impact on the planet.

I hope you will consider supporting Awbury Arboretum through a contribution to our 2018 Annual Appeal.

Sincerely,

Christopher R. van de Velde

General Manager

As we wrap up 2018, listening to some of those who have been part of the Arboretum’s activities this past year may help you appreciate how we are working to fulfill the vision of our founders – that Awbury would remain a place where people connect with the natural world and are enriched by that connection.

“This is really a love thing – you fall in love with it after a while. All of the community gardeners – they feel like the garden is part of them. I think that the soil, the garden, the planting – it really does something to you. When you get into the garden, it’s like you’re in another world. No politics, no nothing – all we talk about is food and growing food. We need more of that type of connection in everything we do. The older gardeners really help out the younger folks. Everyone is a team – like a family. Everyone has a part in what we do.” – Eldridge Ragsdale, President, Awbury Community Garden Club, Board Member, Awbury Arboretum Association