" It persuades me to think there must be very great Forests and fertile Country to the Westward, that can maintain & support so many Millions of Pigeons…"

- John Bartram 1737

Executive Director’s Report

It does not seem possible a year has passed since I came to the Garden. It has been a busy year indeed. The staff, board, members and volunteers have worked hard to support me in my first year and I am deeply appreciative of their efforts and patience as I settle in.

The Bartram House and garden haven’t looked so good in decades. The meadow and wetland are maturing into thriving habitats. The new administration building and garden barn are going up and our plans for a public dock are moving forward. We have strengthened relationships with City Council and the Fairmount Park Commission. We are partners with the Schuylkill River Development Council in their Master Plan for the Tidal Schuylkill River.

We extended the existing plan for the John Bartram Association to 2007 and entered a campaign to build endowment. Our new Director of Education and Public Programs, Christy Schneider, arrived in August and is already making her mark. Through the generosity of a good friend of the garden, we hired a part-time security guard, effectively ending vandalism.

I represented the Association at the American Association of Botanic Gardens and Arboreta national conference in Toronto and, accompanied by Head Gardener Jay Danzenbaker and Curator of Historic Collections Joel Fry, represented the Association at the 2002 Historic Plants Symposium at Monticello. With the help of the Department of Environmental Protection and Paul Boni, our environmental attorney, we continue to oppose expansion of Philadelphia Waste Service’s operation on 51st Street.

With generous sponsorship by Sunoco, Inc. and Urban Engineers, Inc. we hosted 40 VIP guests to a garden reception and river cruise to build awareness of our vision for the garden and river.
And, I’m having the time of my life. Thank you all.

New Face in the Garden

A hearty welcome to Christy Schneider, our new Director of Education and Public Programs!
Schneider has the perfect background for the job — a blend of museum education, history and experience working with children, mixed with a healthy dose of energy and enthusiasm.

"We are delighted that Christy has joined the Bartram family," says Bill LeFevre, executive director. "She has smoothly transitioned into the role of Director of Education and has great new ideas for the education department that will benefit all the children who come to Bartram’s Garden to learn about the Bartrams and experience the wonders of nature."
Moving from one "green pasture" to another, Schneider most recently completed an internship through the Samuel S. Fels Fund at Awbury Arboretum in Germantown, where she developed a brochure and map to introduce visitors to Awbury's highlights.
"At Bartram's, I hope to maintain and develop programs that will meet expectations and encourage visitors to enjoy the surprise of learning something unexpected," Schneider says.

Schneider has an M.A. in Museum Education from the University of the Arts and a B.F.A. in Sculpture and Art History from Tyler School of Art/Temple University. She has worked as a stage manager with colonial actors for Historic Philadelphia Inc., an assistant director of the Foundation for Architecture's Tour Program in City Hall, taught art to children in summer programs, and interned with Public Programs at the National Constitution Center and the Community Relations Department of WHYY Inc.
Schneider replaces former Director of Education Debra Olsen, who relocated to Massachusetts. "Debra created Bartram’s highly successful and popular education program," LeFevre says. "Everyone at the John Bartram Association extends its deep appreciation for Debra’s hard work and devotion to the site. We all wish her well in her new life."

Bartram Barn Honored by AIA

The much-lauded Bartram Barn renovation has received yet another accolade, this time from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The AIA bestowed a prestigious Honor Award for Design at its national meeting in May for the 1999 restoration and addition on the 1775 Bartram barn, the oldest stone barn in Philadelphia. Named as reward recipients were Jim Dart, project architect; the John Bartram Association, client; and the Fairmount Park Commission, owner.

Executive Director Bill LeFevre presented the Fairmount Park Commission’s copy of the award at its September meeting where Commission President Robert Nix announced the Commission would hold an upcoming meeting in the restored barn as part of his initiative to get the commissioners out into the Park.

The Great Desert: A Bartram Trail Tour through the New Jersey Pine Barrens

Saturday, October 26
8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Much of the American landscape that John Bartram traveled has changed forever, but a lot of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens remains a natural wilderness, just the way he saw it. Join Joel T. Fry, Curator of Historic Collections, and Dr. William Cahill, author of "William Bartram and the Romance of Learning," as they follow Bartram’s explorations through the Pine Barrens. Bartram’s more distant trips to New York, New England, and the South are celebrated, but his local collecting activities are less well known even though he probably collected in New Jersey almost every year of his adult life.

The group will visit locations with plants Bartram was known to collect such as:

* Whitesbog, where modern blueberry cultivation began. Elizabeth White experimented here in the early 20th century with the cultivation and naturalization of the Franklinia alatamaha.
* Webb’s Mill Bog, with an abundance of pitcher plants, orchids, and other rare Pine Barrens natives.
* The Plains, where Bartram collected his "Dwarf Pine of the Desert." This unique environment features pine and oak trees that stand only shoulder high.
* Batsto, in Wharton Sate Forest, where a wide range of Pine Barrens plants are found including Bartram’s "grassy plant" — the turkey beard or Xerophyllum asphodeloides.

The trip will leave by van from the Garden at 8 a.m. and return by 6 p.m. Bring a lunch; water and beverages will be provided. Be prepared for a day outside with moderate walking. The cost is $35; space is limited. Call the Garden at 215-729-5281 to register.

Evergreen Round-up

Bartram’s Garden’s Annual Holiday Greens Sale is just around the corner and Chair Dottie Caporali is looking for donations of greens. Especially prized are holly, magnolia, boxwood, cedar, variegated evergreens, and winterberry and other winter fruits. Please remember the Garden when pruning and call us at 215-729-5281 if you can help.

Bartram River Cruise Raises Awareness

The splendor of Bartram’s Garden and the majesty of the Schuylkill River starred in a magical late summer twilight gathering of Philadelphia government, business and civic leaders.

The September 12 event raised awareness of the John Bartram Association’s vision for the Garden and its place on the Schuylkill River to an audience having great influence on current initiatives to increase public usage of the Schuylkill River. We thank Sunoco, Inc. and Urban Engineers, Inc., for generously supporting this event.

Guests were treated to an opening reception in the Bartram Barnyard followed by a stroll through the meadow to board the River Loop, a new vessel that accommodates 90 passengers and can clear all the low bridges between the Garden and the Fairmount Waterworks. Ernesta Ballard, a John Bartram Association board member and chair of the Fund for the Waterworks, supplied fascinating commentary. Upon return to Bartram’s, the guests received farewell gifts.

Crusies are open to the public in 2003. We look forward to welcoming you aboard.

Bartram Descendant’s Gather

The Bartram Family returned to the old homestead on September 15 to reminisce about their famous ancestors, tour the Bartram House and garden, and explore the John Bartram’s Association archival collection of "Bartramia."
Board member and Bartram descendant Linda Hawley organized and generously sponsored the reception and tea, which was attended by three-dozen Bartram descendants.

A highlight was the presentation of a commemorative brick honoring Thomas Jefferson by The Sons of the American Revolution. It is nestled in the Barnyard between bricks honoring General George Washington and former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell who each visited the Bartram’s in their day. Jefferson also purchased plants from the Bartram’s for his gardens at Monticello.

International Coastal Cleanup at Bartram’s

The shoreline of the Schuylkill River at Bartram’s Garden is in a more pristine condition today thanks to Ocean Conservancy volunteers participating in the 10th annual International Coastal Cleanup on September 22.
The volunteers removed more than 400 pounds of trash between the boardwalk and the cider press. Since 1993, 4.7 million Ocean Conservancy volunteers have removed 70 million pounds of debris from 114,000 miles of shoreline in 118 countries. For more information on this exciting global venture visit www.oceanconservancy.org.

It’s That Time of Year Again…

Each year the John Bartram Association raises a substantial portion of its operating budget through the Annual Giving campaign. These gifts are in addition to membership support (for which we are also grateful!) and allow us to develop quality public programs, enhance facilities, and maintain outstanding staff to fulfill the Association’s mission.

A Federal grant program that provided $40,000 annually in operating support for the past three years has ended. As we move ahead with new vision and leadership we ask you to help us close this gap and give what you can at this crucial and difficult time.

If you have not received an Annual Giving letter or have questions or comments please contact Executive Director Bill LeFevre at 215-729-5281.

Thank you in advance for your generous support!