The Ambler campus of Temple University changed permanently when the remnants of Hurricane Ida tore through the property on Sept. 1, 2021. The storm damaged buildings and uprooted or shredded hundreds of trees that had stood for several at the university’s Old Growth Forest and Arboretum. Ryan Genova reported on the site’s revival for Around Ambler.

The Ambler Arboretum was founded in 1911 by Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women. It was acquired by Temple in 1958.

For many years, it was cherished by both faculty and students and the entire community, all of whom enjoyed free access to its gorgeous green spaces.

Now, nearly 18 months after Ida, the university is ready to start rebuilding and restoring the landscape.

Donald Pell Gardens, a Phoenixville landscape design firm, has been hired to provide concepts for a master plan of five garden spaces that surround the arboretum.

“The emphasis is to restore the campus to a place of beauty that inspires us to explore and learn and that allows for student experimentation while maintaining clarity in the landscape,” said Donald Pell, owner of his namesake firm. “The program will be as much about people as it is about pollinators.”

Read more about Ambler Arboretum in Around Ambler.

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A closer look at Ambler Arboretum.