Paige Levan's life is currently all about striking a balance. Working toward her Psychology degree at Temple Ambler while also working full-time makes it a requirement."I will admit it, I'm a procrastinator, but you cannot procrastinate when you work full-time and go to school. Every single Monday I sit down with my agenda book and I write out for each class what exactly I'm going to tackle which day," said Levan, 26, who only has a few credits of her junior year left before she is a senior. "I usually leave myself one day so if I don't get everything I need to get done on the...
Alexandra Carr is a Temple Owl through and through. In fact, she comes from a whole nest of Owls!Her brother, Peter Carr, is finishing up his Business Management degree at Temple's Main Campus. Her aunt, Jennifer (Sheuring) McQuarrie has a degree from Temple in Business Management. Her mom, Anne (Sheuring) Carr, completed her degree in Business Management and a Master's in General and Strategic Management, both at Temple. She happened to go to Temple Ambler, "so she's a huge fan of the campus," Carr said.If you haven't sensed a trend, you're not paying attention. All of her...
By Kathy SalisburyDirector, Ambler Arboretum of Temple UniversityMonkey Brains in the Arboretum!Not really, but kind of. "Monkey Brains" is one of the common names for the lumpy, bumpy lime green fruit of the Osage Orange tree. Each fall we look forward to these enormous fruits, which are about the size of a grapefruit, falling to the ground so we can marvel at their weirdness. The Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera) is an ecological anachronism (something out of time and place) meaning that the fauna that would eat these giant fruits moving around their native region and planting...
Some people are dog people. Others are cat people. Still others have a marvelous menagerie of furry, feathery and scaly friends. Sarah Naughton, a Certified Investigator Trainer at Temple University Harrisburg, took a decidedly different path. Her passion is arachnids and insects. Here first eight-legged pet? A rose-haired tarantula (Grammostola porteri) named Doris, who is still with her today, along with more than 80 other friends! Read about Sarah and her pets here.Here is Sarah Naughton's story in her own words. "Hi! I'm Sarah, and my hobby is keeping pet tarantulas. I...
By Kathy SalisburyDirector, Ambler Arboretum of Temple UniversityDid you know there is National Moth Week! Moths range in size from smaller than your pinky nail like tube moths and fairy moths to the large sphinx and silkworm moths like the Waved Sphinx (gray above) and the Polyphemus (brown below). Both of these were found on the Arboretum grounds last summer.I am a self-described moth-er, often setting up a deck chair and an adult beverage to observe who visits her porch light on summer nights. I can be found into the wee hours of the morning investigating the moths and...
By Kathy SalisburyDirector, Ambler Arboretum of Temple UniversityWhat's in a name? Perhaps as you have been exploring the natural areas around you and learning the names of plants you have encountered some strange names. All plants have a scientific name. This is the name written in italics and it is the same all over the world. There is only one plant with this scientific name. Plants also have common names. These are names given to the plants regionally by the people who use the plant or grow the plant. While the scientific names of plants can be interesting in their own way...
By Kathy SalisburyDirector, Ambler Arboretum of Temple UniversityIf you happen to take a walk into damp shaded woods, perhaps next to a creek or stream or along a boardwalk, you may encounter Skunk Cabbages (Symplocarpus foetidus). The skunk cabbage are nearly past flowering by this point, but you may still see remnants of their pointy mottled maroon flowers right at the ground level. Rising up in shiny spring green newness are the large bold leaves of this native perennial. In my opinion there is not a plant more fascinating than the skunk cabbage. Here's why:They are...
By Kathy SalisburyDirector, Ambler Arboretum of Temple UniversityThe Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo) in front of the Hilda Justice Building is nearly defoliated. For the second September in two years, this plant is looking quite dead. The needles have been devoured leaving just brown bumpy twigs.If you look closely, not everything is brown. Clustered at the ends of the branches are black and green "caterpillars" with russet heads. These creatures are the larvae of the Redheaded Pine Sawfly. Sawfly, not moth or butterfly, this means these are not actually caterpillars at all, despite the...
Camp In. Camp Out. Camp On.
Temple Ambler EarthFest and Ambler Arboretum Present:
The Great American Campout 2020
Welcome to the Adventure!
Temple University Ambler EarthFest Presents and the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University are excited to provide essential information about camping, hiking and exploring nature for new and experienced campers alike. Rather than a day or a weekend, through these webpages, we're going to be celebrating the Great American Campout all summer and fall!
The National Wildlife Federation's Great American...
By Kathy SalisburyDirector, Ambler Arboretum of Temple UniversityThose of you have participated in one of my walks and talks or attended any program about native trees (especially our early March More than Maples: Tapping for Sap - which was the last face-to-face public program we had - feels like eons ago doesn't it?) or have just happened to walk past trees with me, you likely know I have a passion for Black Walnut Trees. Juglans nigra, Black Walnut, are native trees to our eastern deciduous forest ecosystem. Many people know then their bad reputation of not letting other...
By Kathy SalisburyDirector, Ambler Arboretum of Temple UniversityWhat are those things on the leaves? This time of year as you continue your nature walks around the neighborhood or start venturing into local parks, you may notice weird growths on the leaves of plants. They may look kind of alien or gross to you but they are really fascinating. These growths are called galls. Galls are abnormal cell growth. While we mostly see them on leaves or stems when we are exploring, they can also form on roots and even flowers. These lumps and bumps are caused by irritation to the plant's...
By Kathy SalisburyDirector, Ambler ArboretumThe Ambler Arboretum of Temple University is a teaching landscape. That means we have the luxury of experimentation. We have been doing some experimentation with mulches over the last couple of seasons. We have been using what we have around campus in great supply as mulches to see if they work to suppress weeds, hold soil, maintain moisture and are aesthetically pleasing with good results. Over the winter, we used white pine cones and Sweetgum balls and this spring we have introduced a new mulching material — wool! Curatorial...
Michelle Armour knows a little something about creating art. She also knows about healing and restoration.For the Tyler School of Art and Architecture and Temple Ambler graduate, Landscape Architecture was the perfect marriage of both, richly combined with science, sustainable and environmental action, and working directly with communities to initiate change."I went to Temple for one semester after graduating high school but really didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up, so I took a break from college. Before I came back to Temple Ambler, I was a professional massage...
By Kathy Salisbury
Director, Ambler Arboretum of Temple University
As you find yourself home more hours than usual you may be noticing all of the birds around your house. In some cases, you may be noticing how many birds are flying into the windows of your home.
There are a few reasons they do this. The window can act like a giant mirror reflecting the nature on the other side, making it look like the bird is flying to another tree. You also may have windows across from each other in a room which look like they can be flown through. This is...
There is a metaphor to be found clear as day in one of Horticulture major Thao (Emma) Le's first introductions to Temple University."I remember taking the virtual tour on Temple's website and there it was — the rock-climbing wall," said Le, an international student from Hanoi, Vietnam and a member of the Class of 2020. "I climbed it my first semester here. By my fourth semester I was hired to work at the rock-climbing wall and that community has had my back ever since."Challenge, meet Emma Le. You don't stand a chance. Her stratospheric 3.99 grade point average, not one...
Elizabeth Krohn was never meant for an indoor profession. The Class of 2020 graduate, who is completing her Master of Landscape Architecture degree, was meant for the outdoors, positively impacting environments and uplifting underserved communities."I grew up in seven different states; I got to experience a lot of different environments. I remember even as a kid seeing those differences and wanting to learn as much as I could about them," said Krohn, who came to Temple with bachelor's degrees in both biology and environmental science in addition to a wealth of experience in...
Horticulture senior Ibrahim Al-Nasser was formerly a biology major until the plants started "talking" to him, pointing him on the right path for his future."I have almost an inner voice — a guide that's telling me where I need to go, where I need to be. So, when it told me to pursue my degree in the United States, I made it happen," said Al Nasser, a Temple international student and member of the Class of 2020 originally from Sana'a, Yemen. "I came to the States in January of 2015 and after starting in Temple's Biology program, I decided Horticulture (offered by the Tyler...
Temple University Psychology major (offered through the College of Liberal Arts) Megan Harris thinks nothing of placing the needs of others before her own. She is basing her future career on the goal of helping individuals out of some of the darkest moments of their lives."I've always understood that I'm a natural career giver. I believe I have an innate ability to listen to others and I'm naturally empathetic," said Harris, 26, a member of the Class of 2020. "When I learned about the field of psychology, I felt it was a profession where I could use those traits — I...
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." — John LennonDarryl Sanford has been part of the Temple University community for most of his adult life, initially as a student in 1983. He completed his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and shortly after graduation took a "temporary" job with Temple's Library system.Fast-forward to 2020 and that temporary position has been a full-fledged career dedicated to supporting Temple students, faculty and staff that has spanned more than 30 years."When I began working in the Library, in my mind it...
Ever since she can remember, Temple University Psychology major (offered through the College of Liberal Arts) Breianah Raysor-Moore has had a keen interest "in trying to figure people out.""I try to determine who people truly are and factors that contributed to the way they are. Majoring in psychology has enabled me to learn and dig deeper into how people think, act and react," said Raysor-Moore, who transferred to Temple from Montgomery County Community College and Indian University of PA. "There are a lot of possible factors that can impact someone's mind — genetics,...
