Travels With The Post

Althouse Arboretum to Break Ground Sunday on New Project

Arboretum Ready to Break Ground Sunday on New Project

UPPER POTTSGROVE PA – A new building project at Althouse Arboretum, the Upper Pottsgrove Township park operated in partnership with the non-profit GreenAllies organization, will get under way Sunday (June 2, 2024) with a 4 p.m. ground-breaking ceremony at 1794 Gilbertsville Rd.

The project has been in varying stages of planning by the arboretum’s student leadership team during the past two years. It is scheduled to include construction of 1,000-square-foot building to house a community meeting space and learning center. Accompanying the meeting area will be a small student-operated coffee shop, named the “GreenCup Cafe.”

  • GreenCup will be the spot to “stop in for a warm cup of coffee, a water refill, or tasty snack,” according to GreenAllies. It will provide service opportunities for the student contingent, and allow patrons to enjoy the beauty of the arborteum’s natural setting;
  • The learning center expects to provide “cooking classes for adults and kids alike,” and specifically intends “to showcase ingredients sourced from our student-run organic farm;” and
  • The community meeting place will serve as space for “get-togethers and special events.”
  • It also anticipates hosting classes and demonstrations by local artisans and educators.

The ground-breaking event is free to attend and open to the public, and a “community picnic” is scheduled to follow. Representatives of GreenAllies say the building is anticipated to be “the biggest addition to the arboretum since we started in 2015.”

The public’s help is requested

GreenAllies and the arboretum’s student membership hope to raise $25,000 to support the project. They’ve already found a major contributor in The Longacre Company, the Bally PA-based HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and remodeling contractor. It has pledged to match the first $5,000 in contributions, GreenAllies reported.

Of the goal, more than $4,400 had already been donated by more than 30 contributors at mid-May, it added.

Additional fund-raising for the project is already in progress. The arboretum teams hope the public will embrace their cause, and suggest donations can be offered online.

Volunteers are also being sought for expertise and assistance. “Be a part of the process,” GreenAllies publicly asked. “We could use help on various small parts of the project.” Anyone who has “some construction experience,” or knows someone whose expertise might help, are asked to complete an online survey to share their “thoughts on things like design, hours, and offerings.”

GreenAllies is led by its executive director, Ken Hamilton, who also serves as director of Althouse Arboretum; Donna Howard Wethey, GreenAllies’ development coordinator; Nancy Baker, the arboretum’s community coordinator; and Les Murphy, its artistic director.

Photo by Travels With The Post