The sun beat onto my back as I crossed Park Avenue and into the Arboretum at Penn State. By the time I reached the wetland bridge, I felt thawed from a long morning spent working in a chilly office. I last shared a visit to the Arboretum with you in February, when the gardens lay dormant. In August the gardens hum with life- plants, animals, and insects.

Several construction workers perched on the wall near the Margery Enes Smith Soaring Waters fountain, sharing their lunches away from their jobsite. I took a seat on the bench and snacked on a granola bar, tucking the trash in my pocket before entering the Oasis Garden.

At this time of year, the Lotus Pool was full of flowers. Several different types of lotuses are planted in the pool, and one looked like the American Lotus. Nelumbo lutea is a member of the water-lily family that grows in still waters and blooms from June through September. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, it is native to the continental United States. Mississippi State University Extension shares that the roots, leaves, and seeds are edible when properly harvested and prepared. As I’m not inclined to forage from public gardens, I continued my walk.

I passed quickly through the Rose and Fragrance Garden and into the Pollinator and Bird Garden. Glorious native plants shone in the sunlight; a variety of goldenrod species and asters fluttered in the light breeze. I walked in circles for a while, waiting for a seat to open in the Birdhouse, but none came available, and instead I went into Childhood’s Gate Children’s Garden.

There were a few families packing up after an event, and I kept my distance and went into the artificial cave. The call of a Barn Swallow echoed in the small, cool space. I found the swallow perched on one of the cave ledges. I thought about Aristotle and this quote from Nichomachean Ethics – “For as one swallow or one day does not make a spring, so one day or a short time does not make a fortunate or happy man.” In this moment, Aristotle was wrong… one swallow makes me a happy woman. I enjoyed the cool cave for a few minutes more and watched the swallow take flight and soar out the entrance.

I stopped to admire the bronze buffalo on my way out of the Children’s Garden. This piece is in honor of the American Buffalo, which once had a range nearly covering the entire continental United States. By the dawn of the 17^th century, Bison bison had been hunted to extinction in Pennsylvania and effectively relegated to the American West. This lone buffalo rests as a testament to its ancient range.

The steps of the Overlook Pavilion were shrouded in vibrant flora. I refilled my water bottle at the water fountain and took a few moments to gaze out over the rolling landscape. According to maps of the Arboretum, this area could eventually be converted into further botanic gardens, but for now is kept as open grasslands and seasonal tailgating.

I followed the path of the Kathryn Bower Smith Strolling Garden, admiring hydrangeas and trying to stay mindful of my time. My lunch break was quickly ending, and I needed to visit one last place in the Arboretum before I returned to my desk.

The Poplar Court, once my favorite spot to read at the Arboretum, felt sad and empty. Recently, arborists needed to cut down the cultivated Black Poplars. The cultivar kept by the Arboretum are like the Lombardy Poplar, which has an elegant shape but potentially short life cycle. The trees needed to be cut down- while they were declining in beauty, they were becoming increasingly a hazard to visitors. In the shrinking court, I rested on the bench and gave quiet thanks to the trees that remained. Their shade and whispering leaves were a comfort to me in troubled times, and I hoped that the Arboretum could do something to re-imagine the area while keeping the same feeling of the towering trees.

After a few moments, I left the Poplar Court and headed back to work. Unlike the hot sun beating on me at the beginning of my visit, a cool breeze floated by. I took this as a sign of the changing seasons and marking the point on which I needed to prepare for incoming freshmen. For the next few months, there will be more visitors to the Arboretum as students study and relax during the school year. I won’t mind- even when the Arboretum is busy, I can find quiet pockets to slow down and notice the nature all around me.