On Saturday, September 28, 2002, Jenkins Arboretum attracted a multi-generational audience of music lovers at its successful "Music For All Seasons" Silver Anniversary Campaign Concert. Hosted in celebration of the Arboretum's public phase of a $3 million endowment campaign to preserve and enhance the future of the Devon botanical garden, the concert featured the talent of three local groups on a stage by the pond in an open-air, natural amphitheater setting.
Co-chair of the Silver Anniversary Campaign, Roger M. Whiteman, explained, "Holding a concert with lots of people in the Arboretum, which is usually known for its serene, natural beauty was a way to introduce more people to Jenkins Arboretum as a great open-aired recreation space in the middle of our suburban neighborhoods." James T. Carson, the Campaign's other Co-chair added, "Jenkins Arboretum is a great place for families to visit."
The concert attracted 372 people; about equal members of the Arboretum and first time visitors. The audience was multi-generational; two-thirds young couples with children and the remaining concert goers were 50 plus.
Leading off the concert at 4:00 pm, folk trio Steppin' Out, played a blend of folk, pop, bluegrass and country swing, delivering American favorites ranging from the Kingston Trio to Jimmy Buffet. Next, at 5:15 pm, the BrooksLytle Jazz Ensemble warmed up the atmosphere with their distinctive sound, rooted in traditional jazz and distinguished by the interplay between vocalist and instrumentalists. For the final set at 6:20 pm, the Caribbean Authentics added Caribbean steel drum music that blended traditional calypso and reggae with Latin, jazz and pop rock. Puppeteer Jean Coady presented "Jack and the Beanstalk and Other Woodland Tales" for the children in the audience at a side stage by the pond.
Notable were the local dignitaries who attended the concert, including State Representative Carole Rubley, Tredyffrin Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, John Brevacos and family, Paul Olson and family, also of the Tredyffrin Board of Supervisors, Barbara Cobb, of the Hamilton Family Foundation of Wayne.
Members of the Arboretum's Board of Directors, the volunteer corps and employees staffed the concert. Helping during the day's activities were aside from Whiteman and Carson; Mr. John Otto and Janet F. Haas of Wayne, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Herr of Radnor, Mrs. Robert Wolcott of Wayne, Mr. Scott Conking of Philadelphia, Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Simons of Devon, Mrs. Terry Boyle of Strafford, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Hood of Wayne and Mrs. Valerie Yardley of King of Prussia. Volunteers from the Berwyn Police Department managed traffic and safety for the event.
The Jenkins Arboretum is a carefully planned botanical garden established in 1968 through a bequest from H. Lawrence Jenkins to preserve the property as a public park to be used for horticultural and scientific study. The Arboretum is committed to conserving 46 acres of the once bountiful Pennsylvania woodland and nurtures one of the state's major horticultural showcases of native trees, shrubs, rhododendrons, azaleas, laurel, blueberries, ferns and wildflowers. The Arboretum's preservation of natural habitats and watershed presents a compelling model for others to follow.
Jenkins Arboretum features several native habitats that support native wildlife, open vistas and 1.2 miles of easy paved walking paths through hilly terrain. Plant collections are clearly marked for a self-guided botanical tour. The Arboretum is open from dawn to dusk every day and admission is free.
In closing, Carson and Whiteman said, "The endowment will give the Arboretum the financial self-sufficiency to offer more family learning programs and become a resource for the people interested in using and conserving native plants. Jenkins Arboretum is a wonderful place worth caring for and we'll be approaching community partners to help make this $3 million goal a reality."
