The sounds of bottles clinking, grills sizzling and tailgaters partying in Parking Lot 80 have been replaced by an unusual quiet at Penn State, as the former tailgating fields north of Park Avenue transform into the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens.
The gardens are part of the first phase of an initiative to redevelop the area into a 377-acre arboretum, extending from Park Avenue to the Mt. Nittany Expressway.
From Overlook Pavilion temporary lights and portable toilets can be seen in the distance, reminders of how far the Arboretum at Penn State still has to go.
"This is one of the most visible, most exciting new initiatives at Penn State," said Kate Reeder, arboretum event and marketing coordinator.
As a part of the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence's Educating for Sustainability Conference, two groups of about ten people toured the Botanic Gardens on Tuesday afternoon.
"People tend to enjoy tours the most and hearing the inside story," Reeder said. She has been working on the arboretum for nine years.
"Our mission in one word is stewardship," she said to a tour group. "We want people to understand and reconnect with nature."
The botanic garden boasts 700 species of plants and 1,700 individual plants. Equipped with Wi-Fi, the gardens feature a fountain that runs from morning to midnight -- as per the wishes of Penn State President Graham Spanier, who lives nearby.
As the arboretum is currently very susceptible to various animals and vandals, a fence surrounding the Botanic Gardens is also planned.
Penn State has talked about building the arboretum since 1902, Kennedy said, and the project's development will progress through many phases. Future improvements include a glass conservatory, children's garden, woodland gardens and an educational center.
For the 2010 class gift, the arboretum submitted a proposal to have a boardwalk built across the switchgrass field between Park Avenue and the fountain. Reeder hopes they will become landmarks for the Penn State community.
"Students may say, 'Meet me at the boardwalk,' or 'Meet me at the fountain,' " Reeder said.
Five colleges have identified interest in incorporating the arboretum with classes: the College of Agricultural Sciences, the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, the College of Engineering, the Eberly College of Science and the School of Information Sciences and Technology.
In the project's honor, Berkey Creamery has implemented a new flavor, Arboretum Breeze, Reeder said.
Private philanthropy and donors fund such projects. The Botanic Gardens was funded by a $10 million donation by Charles "Skip" Smith, in memory of his father who used to walk on the grounds that are now the arboretum, Kennedy said.
Two students sat on a bench near the Lotus Pond on Tuesday afternoon, laughing. It was Matthew Matsko's (senior-supply chain and information systems) first time at the arboretum, even though many of his classes in the Business Building are just a stone's throw away.
"Not many people know about it here," he said.
