Medford Leas Residents Association
The Barton Arboretum
by Kitty Katzell

HOME

Medford Leas is the home of the Lewis W. Barton Arboretum, named for a founder and former resident of Medford Leas. The Estaugh Board’s Arboretum Committee, composed of board members, residents, staff, and a representative of the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, supervises all aspects of the Arboretum to ensure environmentally sound management and to enhance the natural aspects of Medford Leas with resident participation.

All of Medford Leas is part of the Arboretum – the 33 courts, each with a different landscape design; the woodlands, the meadows, the atrium, residents’ private gardens, the farm, Bridlington, Rushmore, the private houses, and the Lumberton Campus. While the primary purpose of the Arboretum is to provide a beautiful landscape for residents, this treasure is shared with those on the waiting list and with the general public. Individuals and small groups make use of "Self-Guided Tours" of the Pinetum, the woodland trails, and other special features; residents also serve as tour guides for Arboretum visitors. Betsy Pennink is the resident artist who maintains the diagrams in each of the courts showing the names and locations of the specimens planted there.

Another goal of the Arboretum has been the development of collections reflecting the diversity of the plant world, as shown by our collections of crab-apples, rhododendron, viburnum, conifers, and hardy, disease-resistant trees and shrubs.

The Arboretum also serves as a horticultural resource for South Jersey, providing information and education through classes, seminars, and the Master Gardeners who work in our Nature Center.

Residents are active in many of the Arboretum programs, such as trail, woodland, and nursery maintenance, the Bird Club, and guiding tours. The Tree-Taggers have been inactive in recent years, but will resume their task of identifying and tagging specimens in the Arboretum as soon as the weather permits. The group meets on Wednesday mornings at 9:30 at the Nature Center. From there, they set forth with maps and manuals to guide them in their appointed rounds. They maintain maps showing tree locations throughout the Medford campus, so that newly planted specimens can be added to the maps and those that have been removed can be deleted. This is obviously a great activity for residents who enjoy walking about the campus in nice weather and for those who have an interest in learning more about horticulture. The team’s work was greatly enhanced by the participation of the late Howard Kriebel, whose career was spent in the scientific field of horticulture.

In addition to its work with the Morris Arboretum, Medford Leas also works closely with environmental groups, with state and local agencies, and with Rutgers University.