A Penn State alumnus and his wife have pledged $3.2 million to create new gardens at the Arboretum and a scholarship for undergraduate students studying natural sciences.
The Thomas A. and Mary Jo Young Woodland Gardens will encompass about 7 acres, connecting the existing H.O. Smith Botanical Gardens and the Hartley Wood, a stand of old-growth white oaks.
According to the university, the new gardens will enhance the visitor experience while also providing opportunities for research and education.
The gift will enable the creation of the gardens and a supporting endowment for what interim Arboretum director Sanford Smith in a statement called a “unique” and “critical garden-forest connection.”
A scholarship in the couple’s name will benefit full-time undergraduate students in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management who are in their third or fourth year of study and demonstrate financial need.
Tom Young, a 1976 Penn State graduate in forestry science who had a long career as a forester in West Virginia and Maryland, said supporting the Arboretum was a natural choice.
“This seemed like a perfect fit because of our backgrounds in education and the natural sciences,” he said in a statement. “It will be a place for research for faculty and students, but also a great place for visitors to relax and enjoy nature. That’s important to me.”
Mary Jo Young, a retired teacher, added that she appreciates the learning opportunities the Arboretum and the new gardens will provide.
“I love the idea that it can be an outdoor classroom and that children can learn to appreciate the outdoors, among other lessons,” she said. “It will also provide an opportunity for all who visit to expand their knowledge of native and non-native tree species and shrubs.”
They credited now-retired Arboretum director Kim Steiner with helping shape the Woodland Gardens, as well as development director Patrick Williams and operations director Shari Edelson for bringing the project and the gift to fruition.
“We’re helping a small group of people via a scholarship, but with the gift to the Arboretum we are helping possibly thousands of people enjoy nature,” Tom Young said. “That will touch so many lives. Logically, if you can help a large amount of people, it makes sense to do just that.”
The Woodland Gardens mark another addition to the growing 12-year-old Arboretum. Last summer, the Arboretum opened the new 3-acre Pollinator and Bird Garden, joining numerous other gardens, such as the Childhood’s Gate children’s garden, that have been added over time. Other future gardens and a conservatory are in the long-term plans for the Arboretum.
Construction also began last year on the new Palmer Museum of Art adjacent to the Arboretum, a project the aims to transform the area north of Park Avenue into a cultural hub.
