Ornamental Horticulture Students Enjoy Educational Excursion
Published 05.05.2009
Fourteen ornamental horticulture students along with Pennsylvania College of Technology faculty members Carl J. Bower, Dennis Fink and Dennis P. Skinner, and Melissa M. Stocum, coordinator of matriculation and retention for the School of Natural Resources Management enjoyed a beautiful and education-filled field trip to the Philadelphia area on April 29.
The trip began with a short visit to a regional branch of Valley Crest, a landscape-maintenance company in Norristown. Students got to hear from Patrick McVicker, regional recruiter; Fred Barberra, designer; and Michael Romano, branch manager, as they learned more about the many different positions available within such a large commercial landscaping company.
The students received a tour of the extensive facilities and learned how a large maintenance company functions on a daily basis. Already a generous Penn College supporter, Valley Crest's continued hospitality was exceptional: Each student received a backpack containing Valley Crest items as he or she concluded the tour.
The next stop was a self-guided tour through the lovely Chanticleer Garden in Wayne. The former estate of Adolph Rosengarten Sr. now is a meandering pleasure garden with more than 35 acres open to the public. The horticulture students observed dramatic landscaping in various thematic compositions, such as the Asian woods, a water garden, and the ruin and dry garden.
The final stop was at The Scott Arboretum on the campus of Swarthmore College. The 300-acre site features impressive displays of trees, plants and gardens. Among the arboretum was the Arthur Hoyt Scott outdoor amphitheater, dedicated in 1942, which is the site of Swarthmore College's annual commencement.
Photos by Melissa M. Stocum, coordinator of matriculation and retention for the School of Natural Resources Management
