Louise W. Moore County Park in Bethlehem Township has received Level I accreditation from The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum for its professional practices in caring for its more than 100 species of trees and shrubs.
Northampton County officials announced the designation for the arboretum in a Feb. 28 news release, which noted that that arboretum has a history dating back nearly 45 years.
Designed by George E. Patton & Associates, a prolific 20th century landscape architectural firm from Philadelphia, the firm’s revised arboretum plan for Louise Moore Park dates from 1979. The plan included 300 tree species from North America, Asia and Europe, as well as 26 acres of wildflower meadows to be planted at the park, the release noted.
“While as-built arboretum plans are not known to exist, many dozens of exemplary specimens of mature trees and shrubs from these three continents can be found thriving today in our Arboretum for public enjoyment and appreciation of this global diversity of plant life at Louise Moore Park,” it said.
In 2019, a rare seven-acre stand of oak trees determined to be hundreds of years old was located at the far south end of the Arboretum. Known as Matson’s Woods, the grove was inducted into the Old Growth Forest Network and is today considered one of the most significant parts of the Arboretum.
“The establishment of Louise W. Moore County Park as an arboretum solidifies the decades of individuals and groups to establish a unique public park encompassing such a variety of trees,” said Bryan S. Cope, Superintendent of Parks & Recreation. “From the initial development of the park to the preservation of the oak stand and the new repository of the agroforestry areas, this area becomes more than just a park but a place for future preservation, research, and public educational opportunities.”
Established in 1976, Louise Moore Park is home to more than three miles of walking trails, pavilions, playgrounds, tennis courts and other amenities. The 90-acre arboretum portion of the park west of Country Club Road represents approximately 75 percent of the park’s total area.
Northampton County’s Parks, Trails and Open Space system consists of 22 county-owned parks, trails and conservation areas covering 2,364 acres across the county.
This local news story was reported with generative AI assistance.
