An Epic Conservation Victory
Blue Mountain stretches from northern New Jersey down through 11 Pennsylvania counties to the Maryland state line. Rain and snow on the mountain drain into 1,597 sources of public drinking water and the mountain’s forests provide some of the best wildlife habitat in the state and are home to 160 miles of the Appalachian Trail. An alliance of sportsmen, conservation groups, businesses, landowners, and government and tourism agencies are working to conserve it, piece by piece. But most of it remains unprotected.
Encouraging Exploration
On my first day, I was taken aback when I realized that this oasis existed. To say that I was genuinely surprised would be an understatement. I could not believe that Philadelphia has this large space which so many residents were unaware of. I wanted to get the word out, to get people to come to Awbury and see the great things that the arboretum offers. In my first few months there, every day that I came to work I would see something different. Whether it was a homeschool class participating in an activity outside, a new artist gallery in the Cope House, or exploring a new part of Awbury, there was always something new.