HGSAC’s Guided Arboretum tour on October 5th, 2022 was led by Robert Witkowski, a second-year graduate student in the Plant Biology program. The event started with cider and donuts, a wonderful way to warm up on an autumn evening! The beginning of the fall season made for the ideal weather to experience the unique flora (and fauna) that the Arboretum housed. The H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens at the Arboretum is home to a whopping 106 families, 334 genera, and 1,130 species of plants. The tour took students through the children’s garden, made with the theme of discovery and a gateway to childhood. There Robert talked about local crops grown in the garden (which donates its food to the local food pantry) and cave formations found in Pennsylvania. Then we went through the brand new pollinator’s garden where we learned about the importance of bees and birds and how to encourage them to live on your property. The final stop was the sensory gardens, which we were encouraged to revisit in the spring.
