'Hidden Gems' is a new ongoing series highlighting many of the places and experiences available across Penn State to the campus and local communities.

ERIE, Pa. — Many of Penn State's campuses offer dedicated space for gardens. At Penn State Behrend, the entire campus serves as an arboretum, where visitors can take time to enjoy a wide and varied collection of international tree and plant life collected over decades.

Penn State Behrend’s 854-acre campus is home to more than 200 species of trees. Many of those trees — including the Japanese Umbrella Pine near the Glenhill Farmhouse — were acquired by the Behrend family during their extensive travels.

In 2003, as part of the Harborcreek Bicentennial Celebration, the college was granted arboretum status and gained membership in the American Public Gardens Association. An arboretum walking tour was developed, followed by online, interactive web tours of the college’s coniferous and deciduous tree species.

The college’s stewardship of the Behrend family’s property and the extraordinary botanical resources on the Behrend campus has extended to Wintergreen Gorge, a Natural Heritage Area on and adjacent to the campus. The college has invested more than $1.2 million to limit erosion and improve the gorge’s 14-mile trail system.

“Having access to natural spaces affects us in so many ways,” said Sherri “Sam” Mason, director of sustainability at Behrend. “There’s a physical benefit, but there also are mental and emotional components, and those factor in to how we connect with a place. When we feel that connection, we want to protect the place.”