Visiting arboretums in my travels I naturally find myself walking in the woods. I enjoy the shade, the champion trees, meadows and blooming spring ephemorals such as jack in the pulpits, trillions, wood poppies, and may apple. Trees are the stars with their gnarly trunks, amazing branching structures and leafy canopies overhead. In spring the green color of new leaves is bright and clean.
The Tyler Arboretum in Media, PA is 650 acres with lots of remarkable trees, but this arboretum has a feature that thrills children and adults alike. There are 10 tree houses scattered about the main walking paths. Some are up in the air and some on the ground. Each is unique, several are fully accessible. The children are so excited as they start down the trails. Their parents are happy to be there and see their delight. As the kids rush from place to place they discover the magical path with gnomes and toad stools. But the best part are the tree houses. Tree houses, up in the air, with a roof, windows, some with a kitchen. There is excitement everywhere as everyone climbed in, peeked through windows and looked at everything high and low.
The children’s imaginations ran wild. In the round tree house a little girl proclaimed herself “queen of the castle.” One little boy ran down the ramp into the tyler fort squealing “Wow!” Once inside he proclaimed “I’m going to live here forever!”
I was there on a Sunday, the arboretum was busy with families, the children were happy and free to run about. There is picnic space, a meadow maze and a pond to explore. The arboretum is a space for the trees. The children are having a wonderful time and their parents are having a lovely walk in the woods.