The Hatfield Township Arboretum is a beautiful place for residents to visit, an educational site for learners of all ages, and a contribution to the health of our earth. This 5-acre parcel of space includes more than 200 trees, shrubs, and ornamental plants. Residential single homes surround the arboretum on three sides and a retirement community encloses the fourth. The goal of creating an arboretum was to preserve a place of public beauty that had minimal impact on both nature and the people who live in its vicinity.
Funding and Operation
Although the project was meant to benefit the community and the environment alike, it still required funding. The Municipal Tree Planting Program, a component of the Montgomery Country Open Space Initiative, recognized the environmental benefits and covered ninety percent of the total cost to purchase and install the plants. Maintenance at the arboretum has been handled by the Hatfield Township public works crew, outside contractors, and volunteers under the supervision of the Hatfield Township Shade Tree Commission.
Visit the Arboretum Today!
In order to please both township residents and wild critters, plantings within the area were chosen for beauty, interest, seasonal color, hardiness, and resistance to disease. The Arboretum, winner of the 2001 Suburban Greening Award by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, offers visitors a great walking trail meandering past the various plantings, and there are also resting benches and on-site parking off of the Princeton Place cul-de-sac. It is open daily from dawn to dusk as a public park.