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The Barton Arboretum and Nature Preserve of Medford Leas

Situated on the edge of the Pine Barrens, the Barton Arboretum and Nature Preserve of Medford Leas is a unique blend of accessible public gardens, collections, and preserved natural areas set amidst private residential space. Spanning more than 200 acres with campuses in Medford and Lumberton, NJ, the Arboretum offers visitors a diverse horticultural array of designed gardens, landscaped grounds, meadows, natural woodlands and wetlands, and one of the most extensive plant collections — including natives — in all of southern New Jersey.

The Estaugh, a Quaker-related, not-for-profit corporation, founded Medford Leas in 1971 as a residential and healthcare community which today is home to over 600 residents age 55 and older. As part of its mission, the Estaugh chose to create a community in harmony with nature. In 1981, the Estaugh Board, under the leadership of its president, Lewis W. Barton, along with Lois Forrest, then Executive Director of Medford Leas, and Paul W. Meyer, The F. Otto Haas Director of the Morris Arboretum, designated the entire acreage as an arboretum. The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania continues to provide technical support.

The Arboretum’s mission is to promote the appreciation and knowledge of horticulture and to emphasize the importance of integrating nature into people’s living, working and recreational environments. Further, the Arboretum strives to be a model for good land stewardship by achieving greater ecological responsibility through bio-diverse and sustainable practices.

Highlights of the Arboretum open to the public include: • Nature Center • Formal and informal educational opportunities • Over 1,300 GPS-identified trees representing 200+ species • Extensive trail system • 33 unique Courtyard gardens connected by walkways • Pinetum with exotic and other outstanding conifers • Stimulating and diverse plants with year-round interest with special collections of holly, 		  Viburnum, crabapples, heirloom peonies, and an experimental planting of chestnut trees 		   being grown in cooperation with The American Chestnut Foundation • Nature Preserve featuring rare inner-coastal plain woodlands

The Barton Arboretum and Nature Preserve is dedicated to preserving and enhancing this horticultural treasure through sound land and fiscal stewardship and is funded through the Medford Leas Arboretum Fund.

Individuals and small groups are welcome to visit the Arboretum at no charge. All visitors are asked to sign in with the Receptionist at Medford Leas’ Medford Campus Community Building where maps and pamphlets for self-guided walks are also available. For more information, or to arrange a dedicated tour or program, contact Jane Weston, Director of Community Relations at 609-654-3007 or janeweston@medfordleas.org.

Medford Leas • One Medford Leas Way • Medford, New Jersey 08055 http://medfordleas.org/arboretum.htm