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SummerFest Heads To Tyler Arboretum In Media

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MEDIA, Pa. (CBS) - Connect. Explore. Grow. That is the mantra at Tyler Arboretum in Media, Pennsylvania where there is something for everyone.

"It has such varied habitats, so you can really have a different experience every time you're here," said Amy Mawby, director of public programs at Tyler Arboretum. "You could come down to the pond and hang out and look for frogs and turtles. Or you can go for a hike out in the woods. Or you can go out into our meadow and look at the goats or wildflowers and butterflies you might find out there."

SummerFest Heads To Tyler Arboretum In Media
Credit: CBS3

Tyler Arboretum is 650 acres of beauty and 17 miles of trails dating back to the late 1600s. And part of the charm is their emphasis on education. Now that the school year is ending, one of their most exciting events is about to begin.

"We do summer camp for grades one through 11. We have eight weeks; each week is a different theme…We have an engineering week, an art week, a dig in the soil week. So the kids have a lot of fun, get out into nature, it's all about nature discovery," said Mawby.

The Tyler Arboretum is also home to goats. Director of Horticulture Michael Karkowski says their appetites are important.

"They'll eat the keys off your key ring, they'll eat the weeds, but they do have their favorite plants," said Karkowski. "They love poison ivy, and that's one of the things, ironically as a native plant, our fields are full of them. The birds do a great job of spreading them. So we work pretty hard at controlling and minimizing the spread of poison ivy and these guys do a good job of eating that."

They're also a friendly bunch, eager to see what sort of treats you're packing. And while their not eating, they're helping the environment in their own way.

That's just one of the many reasons Tyler Arboretum is so special.

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