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THE ARBORETUM AT PENN STATE Docent Manual Docent Manual 0 The Arboretum at Penn State Docent Manual The Arboretum at Penn State The Pennsylvania State University 320 Forest Resources Building University Park, Pennsylvania 16802-3604 www.arboretum.psu.edu Table of Contents Accomplishing the Mission of the Arboretum ............................ 4 The Essential Elements of Every Tour ..................................... 5 Providing an Overview ............................................................. 6 Tour Stops within the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens .................. 7 The Overlook Pavilion ..................................................................... 8 Ridge & Valley Sculpture ................................................................ 9 Annual Display Garden & Joan Milius Smith Esplanade ............... 11 Joel N. Myers Sundial ................................................................... 12 Pollinators’ Garden ....................................................................... 13 Rose & Fragrance Garden ............................................................ 14 Oasis Garden & Lotus Pool ........................................................... 15 Margery Enes Smith Soaring Waters Fountain ............................. 16 Boardwalk and Dr. James J. & Lynn D. Ramage Marsh Meadow . 17 North (Conservatory) Terrace Garden and Poplar Court .............. 18 Bamboo Allée ................................................................................ 19 Childhood’s Gate Children’s Garden ...................................... 20 Garden Entrance ........................................................................... 20 Rocky Ridges ................................................................................ 21 Central Valley ................................................................................ 21 Fossil Gap ..................................................................................... 21 The Arboretum Beyond the Gardens ...................................... 23 Big Hollow ..................................................................................... 23 Hartley Wood ................................................................................ 23 Air Quality Learning and Demonstration Center ............................ 23 Avian Education Program ............................................................. 24 Hybrid Chestnut Seed Orchard ..................................................... 24 Rail Trail ........................................................................................ 24 Pennsylvania Prairie Reconstruction Project ................................ 24 Philanthropy & Commemorative Programs............................. 25 Tips for Docents ..................................................................... 26 Frequently Asked Questions .................................................. 27 Safety and Security ................................................................ 28 Appendix A: Supplemental Information ................................. 29 Appendix B: Maps ................................................................. 31 Accomplishing the Mission of the Arboretum The mission of The Arboretum at Penn State is to engage the academic strengths of the University in promoting scholarship and education about plants, their environments, their cultivation and conservation, and their history and importance on earth. ocents play a key role in assisting the Arboretum in accomplishing its mission. Docents serve as greeters and conduct the majority of visitor D tours. In fact, docents may be the only Arboretum representatives that many visitors will meet. It is therefore essential that docents be fully informed and thoroughly prepared before undertaking their responsibilities. This manual has been designed to serve as a resource for docents. Its primary focus is to articulate the essential elements of a successful tour, provide docents with the contextual information they need to convey to visitors, furnish supplemental material that can be helpful to docents when answering questions from visitors, and list emergency and other relevant information in a single document. 4 The Essential Elements of Every Tour Every docent-led tour of The Arboretum at Penn State should include the following elements: Welcome tour group visitors and introduce yourself; Point out locations for restrooms, water fountains, and brochures; Explain the mission of the Arboretum and provide an overview; Guide the group through all tour stops in the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens; Mention the upcoming opening of the Children’s Garden and point out its location; Describe areas of the Arboretum beyond the gardens; Provide opportunities for visitors to ask questions throughout the tour; Explain the role of philanthropy in the creation and growth of the Arboretum; Describe commemorative opportunities; Thank visitors for coming and invite them to return. Information and resources that can assist docents in addressing each of these elements are provided in the pages that follow. 5 Providing an Overview Contextual Information The mission of The Arboretum at Penn State is to engage the academic strengths of the University in promoting scholarship and education about plants, their environments, their cultivation and conservation, and their history and importance on earth. Detailed descriptions of the areas of the The Arboretum comprises 370 acres – from I-99 to Park Avenue. As of this writing, Arboretum beyond approximately 30 acres have been developed. Plans call for the addition of an gardens can be Education Center, a Conservatory, a Planetarium, and many more plantings. provided as a part of Phase I of Arboretum development was made possible through a $10,000,000 gift the introductory from Charles H. (Skip) Smith in April 2007. Because of that gift, the H.O. Smith overview or later in Botanic Gardens are named in honor of Skip Smith’s father, a State College the tour. Some contractor and real estate developer, were created. docents have reported that Phase I construction was completed in 2009. delaying descriptions Phase I included over 17,000 individual plantings of 700 plant varieties. As new until the tour group garden spaces are added the number of plants and varieties will increase. reaches an area with benches provides a At the present time, guided tours typically focus on the H.O. Smith Botanic welcome opportunity Gardens and Childhood’s Gate Children’s Garden. Tours of other areas of the to sit and hear about Arboretum will be added as development progresses. the other areas. In addition to the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens and the Children’s Garden, the Arboretum includes the areas listed below. Information concerning each of these areas is provided in the chapter titled The Arboretum Beyond the Gardens. o Big Hollow o Hartley Wood o Air Quality Learning and Demonstration Center o Avian Education Program o Hybrid Chestnut Seed Orchard o Rail Trail o Pennsylvania Prairie Reconstruction Project Many areas of the Botanic Gardens are available for event rental. Questions concerning rentals should be directed to Kathleen K. Reeder, Event and Marketing Coordinator. Ms. Reeder’s contact information is available at the brochure stand. 6 Tour Stops within the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens The H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens serve as the gateway to the 370-acre Arboretum, and, at the time of this writing, the primary focus of docent-guided tours. To assist docents in conducting tours, thirteen stops within the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens have been designated. This is useful in that it allows tours to begin and end at any stop, thereby allowing multiple tours to be conducted concurrently without delay. Guided tours may include stops at each of the thirteen designated locations, and may be tailored to suit visitor interests and the length of time available. The number of stops will be revised as additional areas are added. For purposes of conducting tours, the thirteen stops within the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens are as listed below. Descriptive information and listings of noteworthy plants are provided for each stop in the pages that follow. 1. Overlook Pavilion 2. Ridge & Valley Sculpture 3. Event Lawn & Kathryn Bower Smith Strolling Garden 4. Annual Display Garden & Joan Milius Smith Esplanade 5. Joel N. Myers Sundial 6. Pollinators’ Garden 7. Rose & Fragrance Garden 8. Oasis Garden & Lotus Pool 9. Margery Enes Smith Soaring Waters Fountain 10. Boardwalk and Dr. James J. & Lynn D. Ramage Marsh Meadow 11. North (Conservatory) Terrace Garden and Poplar Court 12. Bamboo Allée 13. Childhood’s Gate Children’s Garden 7 The Overlook Pavilion Description Plantings include: The Overlook Pavilion contains restrooms, water fountains, and brochure Beds Near Steps: dispensers as well as an office. Viburnum nudum ‘Winterthur’ It is a popular event space that can be rented for weddings and special (possumhaw events. Kathleen K. Reeder, Event and Marketing Coordinator, should be viburnum) contacted for rental information. Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’ The Overlook Pavilion is a certified “green” building, having achieved LEED (Virginia sweetspire) Silver(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) designation. The building incorporates many “green” technologies, including a geothermal Helleborus orientalis heating and cooling system, dual flush toilets for water conservation, and a (Lenten rose) rainwater infiltration system. Beds at Rear of Pavilion: The pavilion canopy, which