John Bartram Arboretum

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Created: Sunday, 26 January 2020 21:55

The John Bartram Arboretum

As the pandemic wanes, Kendal at Oberlin is almost completely open to outside visitors. Access to the Stephens Care Center is still controlled. If you plan to visit our Community Center, where masks are required per Ohio regulations, please check with the greeter at the entrance or your Kendal host for current restrictions.

Visitors to the Arboretum may wish to use the digital map of our collection. The map software is from ArborScope and maintained by our Curator. Each item in the collection is identified by a number. Click on the number for taxonomic and other information about the item. Note: the aerial view of the Arboretum is outdated. Cottage outlines are accurate but other structures, such as garages are not if they have been added or altered in the past 5 years. For other specialized maps of the collection follow the Tree Data Walks and Maps link above. Enjoy your visit!

Trees and climate change! Kendal at Oberlin and The John Bartram Arboretum strive to do our part to reverse the climate crisis. To review these efforts, including planting trees that are champions at Carbon dioxide removal and the urban forest, iinstalling solar panels and encouraging electric vehicles see our blog page.

This is a perfect time for residents, visitors and staff to walk the Heiser Circle Tree Walk perhaps while using the Tree Walk GIS Map. To access the map follow the Tree Data, Walks and Maps tab at the top of the page. Then click on Map about half-way down the page.

The John Bartram Arboretum is an integral component of Kendal at Oberlin’s green infrastructure. The Arboretum is managed primarily by the Grounds department of Kendal at Oberlin’s Facility Services (Grounds) with guidance and assistance from the Arboretum Committee of the Kendal at Oberlin Residents Association.  We have a full-time certified arborist who manages most of day-to-day aspects of our collection. The residents who first envisioned the arboretum saw our more than 1,000 trees and 100 acres as an opportunity to enhance the lives of Kendal residents by creating a sustainable ecosystem for enjoying nature’s beauty, exercising, watching birds, and, of course, planting and fostering the growth and appreciation of trees.

As a community based on Quaker values, we decided to name our arboretum in honor of John Bartram (1699 - 1777), a Pennsylvania Quaker and friend of Benjamin Franklin who is known as America’s first botanist. Bartram traveled widely in the colonies, including trips to Ohio, collecting and cataloging plant specimens and seeds. Many of these were shipped in “Bartram’s Boxes” for sale in Europe. His introduction of the American Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Europe created a sensation when it was first seen. This inspired us to designate the Tulip Tree as the signature tree of the arboretum.

New at the Arboretum

Nature's Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy book review with addendum on keystone species that favor caterpillars of moths and butterflies.

New plants and prairies: under construction

Mission Statement

 The mission of The John Bartram Arboretum at Kendal at Oberlin is to be a model of responsible urban arboriculture to engage, sustain, and educate our residents and the broader community.

Accreditation

In October, 2022, The John Bartram Arboretum at Kendal at Oberlin was accredited as a Level II Arboretum by Arbnet, the international community of arboreta and other tree-focused institutions founded and run by the Morton Arboretum. Thus, we joined Kendal at Longwood and Crosslands among the continuing care retirement communities that support accredited arboreta on their grounds.The Arboretum is also a Tree Campus Healthcare Facility.

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