Arboretum offers nature exploration in Pleasant Hills
For the last week, Carolyn Burtt has ventured to the Pleasant Hills Arboretum each day to walk her dog — leash free — along its hilly, wooded path.
The arboretum, filled with more than 70 species of trees, some of which are more than 200 years old, provides residents in suburban Pleasant Hills the opportunity to explore nature just beyond the borders of their yards.
“It's peaceful here,” said Burtt, 70, a 30-year resident of Pleasant Hills, noting the arboretum is less crowded than borough parks and provides people with the opportunity to see wildlife and an assortment of trees. Her daughter once even watched a deer give birth inside the confines of the arboretum. “It's just nice that it's here.”
During the last year, upgrades have been made to the arboretum after Pleasant Hills resident Deborah Heylman bequeathed funds in her will to the nonprofit organization that oversees operations for the 16 acre site.
A split rail fence, with locust posts and rails made from hemlock, was added along the front side of the arboretum, abutting West Bruceton Road, said board President Greg Smith, who also serves on Pleasant Hills Borough Council. The old chain link fence was kept as a barrier.
Board members said they hope the new fence draws the attention of passersby to the arboretum, which was founded by A.W. Robertson in 1950 and encompasses eight acres of wooded land and eight acres of sprawling fields.
“A lot of people don't even know it was there. A hillside with trees and a fence doesn't tell you anything,” Smith said. “If people look over and they say, ‘Hey, what's this new fence. Maybe they'll start to wonder what else is there.”
The fence's design also “harkens back to an earlier time” and provides a picture frame to what's inside, said board Vice President Paul Beck.
“We have a lot of interesting and unique trees in there. Maybe the fence will awaken people to the importance of trees and the importance of the arboretum,” Beck said.
Also new is a hexagon shaped shelter that is nearly complete, which board members said they hope allows people to stop for lunch, read a book from the arboretum's Little Free Library, take in the view or visit the arboretum even in the rain.
Smith saw a similar structure in Ohio Pyle and brought pictures to architects in Pleasant Hills.
The shelter, which now houses a picnic table donated to the arboretum from the Pleasant Hills Lions Club and two memorial benches, also will serve as a nice place for students from Jefferson Elementary, who visit the site annually, to learn about the trees and nature, Smith said.
In the last several years, and a partnership with TreeVitalize, nearly 40 new trees, including new species have been added to the arboretum, Beck said.
The arboretum provides something special, Beck said.
“It's a great escape from the stresses of the world today. It's a living place,” he said. “Where else can you go see a 200-plus year old tree and all of these species of trees in one place?”
Yet, arboretum leaders also had to worry about invasive species in the area, like Asian Bush Honeysuckle, which have taken over parts of the arboretum, Smith said. They have a group working to cut back the plants, which are in the form of bushes, to allow for other plants and trees to grow.
Deer have also been a problem, Smith said. The arboretum had no regeneration and nearly everything that began to grow was “nibbled away by the deer.”
A deer management program was launched in 2014, with controlled bow hunts, performed by invited hunters, mostly Pleasant Hills public safety personnel, Smith said. The hunts have followed the Pennsylvania Game Commission timeline and took place in the fall for the last three years. About 30 deer have been removed in the three years, Smith said.
“Consequently, we have seen a difference,” he said.
Stephanie Hacke is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.
