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...
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...
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 Lennon
Darryl 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...
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,...
If you have visited Temple University Ambler and taken a tour of campus in the last four years, Kinesiology major Amanda Hoff may very well have been one of the first people you met."There's not another campus set up quite like it. We have the same variety of resources, but so much more green space — there are wonderful places to study," said Hoff, a member of Temple's Class of 2020. "I've taken courses at both Temple Ambler and Main Campus — I came to Temple Ambler in my first year and took many of my general education courses and electives. As an experiment for...
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...
For Dr. Jeffrey Featherstone, “sustainability” wasn’t a buzzword. It was an avocation. He welcomed every opportunity to talk about and showcase sustainable concepts to as wide an audience as possible within Temple and within the region.
Featherstone described “sustainability” as “the balance between the natural world and the buildings in which we live and work.” He was the founding Director of Temple University’s Center for Sustainable Communities. Featherstone left a giant hole in the Temple University community when he passed away after a sudden and severe illness in...
For Jeffrey Feathestone, "sustainability" wasn't a buzzword. It was an avocation. He welcomed every opportunity to talk about and showcase sustainable concepts to as wide an audience as possivbe within Temple University and withing the region.
Featherstone described "sustainability" as "the balance between the natural world and the buildings in which we live and work." He was the founding Director of Temple University's Center for Sustainable Communities. Featherstone left a giant hole in the Temple University community when he passed away after a sudden and severe illness...
The plants in the Greenhouse Education and Research Complex, a key component in the Temple Tyler School of Art and Architecture's Landscape Architecture and Horticulture programs, are being diligently cared for at Temple Ambler.
"The fundamental goal is to keep the teaching and research collection alive and thriving for our students, faculty and researchers. Our collection includes many plants that were collected in the wild, as well as rare items that you're not going to easily find and replace," said Benjamin Snyder, Manager of the Greenhouse Education and Research...
A dedicated group of scientists is hard at work seeking viable solutions to water contamination removal and oil spill containment and remediation — vital environmental issues that impact everything from potable drinking water to animal habitats to the fishing industry.
What makes this particular group of scientists stand out is that they were 10th and 11th grade chemistry students at Central High School in Philadelphia.
“Our students were working in small groups conducting chemical/water quality research to gain a better understanding of pollutants in our drinking water...
Elizabeth Hall, a 1924 graduate of the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women (PSHW), which became Temple University Ambler in 1958, went on to become a world-respected librarian for the New York Botanical Garden where she worked for more than 20 years.Her first position after graduating, however, was as a Horticulture Therapist. While prior to this time there was an understanding of the value of gardens in healing settings, this may be the first time someone was hired with the title and specific tasks of working to improve patients health through the act of gardening."...
Temple University is focused on ensuring the health and safety of our community members and campus and Arboretum visitors. The university is taking several measures to keep everyone safe amid the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. On March 12, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced that all Montgomery County schools, including universities, would be closed for two weeks. In accordance, Temple University Ambler closed on Thursday, March 12. The Ambler Arboretum will also be closed to outside guests at this time.Regretfully, Temple University Ambler...
Months of hard work, dedication and teamwork have certainly paid off for students and faculty in the Temple Tyler School of Art and Architecture's Landscape Architecture and Horticulture programs!Their 2020 Flower Show Exhibit, Course of Action: A Radical Tack for Suburban Tracts, has been recognized with top honors. Course of Action was presented with a PHS Gold Medal, awarded to a major exhibit that receives 95 or more points out of 100 in the criteria of design, horticulture, plantsmanship and educational value; the Alfred M. Campbell Memorial Trophy, given to the "...
