Arboretum

Lincoln Woods is a winner ... and has been since it opened. It garnered awards from the Apartment Association of Philadelphia in various categories every year since 1992, and in 1999 the garden apartment complex received awards for Overall Community Excellence, Maintenance, and Curb Appeal. Lincoln Woods also was named Property of the Year for 1999 by its builder/manager, Lincoln Property Co., edging out the company's other 45 or so properties. This does not appear surprising to residents of the complex.

A memorial service will be held April 9 for Gordon A. Brandes, 84, a retired botanist and former manager of the University of Pennsylvania's Morris Arboretum. The service will be held at the arboretum, 100 Northwestern Ave. Mr. Brandes died Jan. 12 at the Springfield Residence retirement community in Wyndmoor. He had pulmonary disease and cancer. He was employed by Rohm & Haas Co. from the mid-1940s until 1972, when he retired as manager of agricultural product development.

Tyler Arboretum and Ridley Creek State Park will be closed to the public on Dec. 8, when more than 200 hunters will attempt to cut their deer population in half. Officials estimate that more than 200 deer roam the park - double its capacity. "Deer produce very well here, and their only predator is the automobile," said Jack Graham, director of the park. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, about 10,000 drivers in Southeastern Pennsylvania will hit deer this year.

Potter Guy Wolff demonstrates his craft during the 20th anniversary of the Scott Arboretum Biennial Plant Sale on the Swarthmore College campus. Wolff, based in Litchfield County, Conn., was on hand Friday and Saturday. The sale featured plants found in popular gardens at the arboretum, as well as other varieties.

Her khaki pants muddied, her dark silver hair mussed, and three small hip packs strapped around her waist, Ann Rhoads is the picture of a suburban Indiana Jones. Tromping through woods and along creeks that meander through the Philadelphia region, Rhoads looks for rare flora and fauna. Last week, that work took her to a small stretch of woods next to the 3M plant in Bristol Township. Rhoads, the director of botany at the Morris Arboretum at the University of Pennsylvania, and two colleagues fanned out across the area.

Township officials have proposed taking over management of the 30-acre Taylor Memorial Arboretum along Ridley Creek, replacing the Natural Lands Trust, which opted out of that role this year. Township Manager Gary J. Cummings said Tuesday that a management proposal drafted by Commissioner Jennifer Cheung has been sent to Mellon Bank, trustee for the Taylor estate. Cummings said the proposal demonstrated that the township had the resources and expertise to manage the site with the understanding that all managerial and administrative costs would be underwritten by Mellon as trustee.

Tyler Arboretum is hosting holiday events for adults and children to allow visitors to spend some quiet time during this hectic season. Children ages 4 to 6 can learn how birds cope with the cold during a Tiny Trackers program from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday. They can also make a holiday gift for the wildlife in their own backyards. Preregistration is required. The fee is $5 for members; $8 for nonmembers. Tyler's grounds staff will host three workshops to show participants how to use cones, berries and seeds to create attractive seasonal arrangements.

Butterflies will find it hard to resist the colorful river of flowers that flows into the newly created meadow maze at Tyler Arboretum. And visitors to Tyler's newest offering will find it difficult to complete the tour without gleaning some insight into native plants and wildlife. The Stopford Family Meadow Maze, which opens tomorrow, features a four-ring labyrinth, the butterfly river, and a series of discovery stations along the maze's perimeter that are designed to educate and entertain visitors.

Let's see. This is July 4th weekend and what's up at Morris Arboretum? A train set? Can there be Christmas carolers and eggnog, too? Not quite. Landscape architect Paul Busse of Applied Imagination has set up a summertime Garden Railway, a setting for large-gauge model trains that wend their way over 550 feet of track, through intricate scale models of historic buildings and landscapes. The display uses mainly natural materials, including living plants and other elements, such as water, bark, leaves, twigs, hollow logs, mosses, acorns, flowers, seeds and stones.

Tyler Arboretum is offering some respite from the hectic mall scene this holiday season with a variety of craft workshops and outdoor activities for children and adults. Holiday Nature Crafts, a program for children ages 4 to 6, will be offered from 1 to 2:30 p.m. tomorrow. The children will use natural materials to make crafts for holiday gifts and decorations. Preregistration is required. The fee is $8 for nonmembers and $5 for members. Local artist Bonnie Lynn Watton will help participants design their own holiday greeting cards from pressed flowers and plants from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday.