Current Projects

OTTO BEHREND LEGACY GARDEN

The Otto Behrend Legacy Garden is a special project currently under development at Asbury Woods. Named in honor of our founder, Dr. Otto Behrend, the Garden will be a new and more formal element at the Woods.

The purpose of the Otto Behrend Legacy Garden is to recognize gifts in celebration, honor or memory of friends and loved ones. Located in a serene forest setting, the Garden will be a quiet place to contemplate, reflect and remember. In addition to private seating areas, a small stone central plaza will be built, where special events such as an intimate wedding can be held. Landscape plans for the Garden are complete, and can be downloaded here.

Thanks to generous start-up donations from caring community members, Phase 1 of Otto Behrend Legacy Garden began in October 2011 with construction of an entrance trellis and central stone plaza siting. Gifts of varying levels will be recognized in the Garden through elements such as engraved metal leaves, ceramic walls tiles, ceramic column tiles, benches and garden “rooms”.

Phase 1 Legacy Garden Gift Opportunites Include:

$250 ————-  Small engraved metal leaf (entry trellis)
$500 ————-  Large engraved metal leaf (entry trellis)
$1,000 ———— 6 inch wall tiles
$2,500 ———— 9 inch column tiles
$5,000 ———— Bench seating area
$5,000 ———— Butterfly Entry Garden
$5,000 ————  Perennial Garden
$5,000 ————   Woodland Garden
$10,000 ———-   Behrend Entry Garden and sign
$25,000 ———-   Plaza 1

Additional giving opportunities are available.

All funds received through the Otto Behrend Legacy Garden will help ensure that Asbury Woods will be here for years to come by providing general operating support and endowment funds.

For more information about this lasting way to remember someone special, honor a friend or loved one, or celebrate a new baby, graduation or other special occasion, please contact Jennifer Burke, Development Director at (814) 440-6895.

Download PDF -
Legacy Garden Trail and Plaza plan.pdf

ASBURY WOODS TEACHING DECK AND BOARDWALK

For over 30 years students, families and adults have enjoyed observing turtles, frogs, salamanders, snakes, ducks, geese and song birds at the swamp located near the Nature Center. However the existing boardwalk and small deck is rotting and sinking into the swamp and the open water habitat is in need of restoration.

A conceptual plan calls for replacing the existing boardwalk and deck with new boardwalk and enlarged teaching deck. This will protect the wetland and provide access for educational purposes. The new teaching deck will feature a lab station with storage for buckets, nets, magnifiers and microscopes. A roof will shelter students from rain and sun for year-round use. During construction, the wetland habitat will be restored with improved plantings and some dredging to provide more open water to provide a more diverse wetland habitat to attract a larger variety of wildlife.

We are currently raising funds to restore this favorite spot at Asbury Woods. You can help by making a donation today or for more information regarding this important project at the Woods, please contact Brian Winslow, Director at (814) 835-5356 or via email at winslow@mtsd.org.

Download PDF -
Site Plan Teaching Deck.pdf

NATURE PLAY AREA FOR CHILDREN

Asbury Woods just completed a new outdoor nature play area called “Little Woods” to encourage more opportunities for creative, unstructured nature play for children. Our hope is that the new area will not only be a destination for nature play, but also serve as a model for families’ backyards, schools, day cares, etc. to consider how they can add areas for nature play at their own sites.

The purpose of “Little Woods” is to encourage children to play outdoors in nature. Research shows that frequent, unstructured play in nature at an early age:

Is one of the best predictors of active adulthoods
Improves concentration, creativity and imagination
Reduces symptoms of attention-deficit disorder in children
Increase early exposure to plants, animals and soil and reduces allergic conditions to these
Has a strong influence on the development of life-long conservation values

Enclosed by a small rustic fence, Little Woods offers young children a safe place to explore intimate paths, water features, and “loose parts” that encourage creative building opportunities.

Special thanks to all of our donors and volunteers who helped initiate Little Woods nature play area, especially; The Erie Community Foundation, Fair View Garden Club, Kohl’s Department Store, Lowe’s, Phil and Sally McAfee, Friends and Family of Sandy Martin, McDowell High School Internship Crew and the Erie Area School to Career Partnership, Pioneer Garden Club, Eagle Scout Rory Taylor and Boy Scout Troop 52 and Asbury Woods Carpentry Crew Volunteers.

PLAN A VISIT