Awbury Arboretum Association

About Awbury Arboretum Association

Mission:

Awbury Arboretum is a free public garden and farm serving Northwest Philadelphia. Building on the social justice values of our Quaker founders, we make a positive environmental impact, educate children and adults, and nurture an inclusive community.

Motto: Nature For All

Vision:

Awbury Arboretum is a breath of fresh air. We serve as an accessible greenspace that welcomes the pursuit of learning, recreation, and peace. As a beacon of historical and environmental stewardship, these grounds shelter and protect both social and biological diversity. We envision Awbury as a vital part of a greener, healthier Philadelphia that encourages an ever-deepening integration of city life and the natural world.

Values:

Stewardship
We love this place and want to leave it better than we found it.

Inclusiveness
We believe everyone belongs in our space and actively create opportunities to welcome more diverse communities.

Play
We offer safe spaces that encourage creativity and curiosity for all ages.

Integrity
We foster a spirit of openness and align our actions with our communications and values.

Learning

We believe in the power of knowledge to inspire, engage, and shape a sustainable future.

Relationships
We value human connections and are stronger through our partnerships within the community and beyond.

Sustainability

We are committed to ecological and organizational health at Awbury and protecting the environment in our neighborhood.

Awbury Arboretum is an historic 56-acre landscape located in the East Mt. Airy and East Germantown neighborhoods of Northwest Philadelphia. The Arboretum is the largest contiguous greenspace within a densely-packed urban community, and its landscape boasts 40 acres of meadows, woodlands, ponds, wetlands, rolling lawns, a Victorian mansion, and 16 acres of agricultural land, comprised of farming plots, orchard, community gardens, beehives, goat paddock, and chicken coop. Originally the private country estate of the Cope-Haines family, the Arboretum was given to the public in 1916 and it has served the city for over a century as a free and open public garden with an educational mission. Awbury is not part of Philadelphia’s municipal park system, but has instead been managed by the non-profit Awbury Arboretum Association since 1984. The Association stewards the Arboretum’s grounds and plant collections and provides a wealth of free and low-cost programming for people of all ages. Programs offered include camps, after-school programs, field trips, public school outreach, tours, lectures, classes, workshops, community festivals, dance performances, and art shows.