The Arboretum at Penn State: Childhood's Gate Children's Garden: detail of the Susquehannock Camp structure ; The Arboretum at Penn State: Childhood's Gate Children's Garden

detail of the Susquehannock Camp structure ; Penn State Leaders proposed the idea of an Arboretum as early as 1907, but the current iteration dates to a master plan developed between 1996 and 1999 by Sasaki Associates. The Arboretum was intended to provide a site for research as well as nature instruction. Penn State secured 370 acres of undeveloped land, which bordered the University Park campus. Between 2000 and 2002, MTR Landscape Architects LLC further developed the plan for the site. The first phase was completed in fall 2009 after a $10 million by Charles H. “Skip” Smith spurred construction. The designed areas have expanded over time and plans for future development continue. At the gate, thick sandstone sheets with rusticated, curving edges represent the transformation from ridge to valley over time. The green and red Transformation Canopy symbolizes the changing colors in the central Pennsylvania landscape. The Rocky Ridges area include sandstone and limestone specimen rocks. In the Central Valley area the willow structures reference crop guarding structures of Eastern Woodland groups. The Aspen Story Circle includes Aspen trees and limestone boulders. The Limestone Cave features a green roof. The rock spiral shows the evolution of plants, animals, and people. The caterpillar is a spicebush swallowtail and the mushrooms are Boletus bicolor. Designed by Emmanuel Didier of Didier Design Studio in association with AECOM. Boulder and planting work by Derek Kalp, landscape architect. (Source: https://arboretum.psu.edu/about/our-story/arboretum-time-line/#custom-collapse-0-10, The Arboretum at Penn State, Docent manual https://arboretum.psu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Docent-Manual-2015.pdf) ; Spring view. View from below the willow structure with the metal frame visible. Willow branches crisscross and circle the frame. The leaves are sparse.