Ambler Arboretum Director Kathy Salisbury has received the 2022 Garden Club of America Hope Goddard Iselin Fellowship in Public Horticulture, which will support her doctoral study — Investigating the Role a Public Garden can Play in Adult Environmental Education after a Natural Disaster. Kathy is currently a candidate for a Doctorate of Education (DEd) in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning, Penn State Harrisburg. 

The purpose of the Fellowship in Public Horticulture is to further the study of public horticulture through experiential learning that takes place at a recognized public garden, botanic garden, arboretum, or other closely aligned public horticulture institution within the United States.

After the Ambler Arboretum was catastrophically damaged by a tornado resulting from Hurricane Ida on September 1, Kathy decided to change her dissertation research topic, which had been focused on the roles of Quakers in southeastern Pennsylvania horticulture. She is now focused on working to develop a model for community organizations to involve the community directly in developing educational programming post-natural disaster. 

If you were impacted by Hurricane Ida and its aftermath and are interested in being a part of this study and these programs, please complete the following survey online.