Among the historic architecture and red-brick paths, there are 32 tree species planted around Springside Chestnut Hill Academy’s 62-acre campus. From Hinoki Cypress to American chestnut hybrid, it’s a site for the ecologically curious.

The school’s collection has now become an internationally recognized arboretum through ArbNet, a global network dedicated to tree-focused professionals, SCH officials announced in a September release. The grounds were named a Level 1 arboretum, making it the third ArbNet-accredited arboretum in Chestnut Hill, along with Pastorius Park and Morris Arboretum & Gardens.

“It’s an honor to be in the company with those two really phenomenal spaces,” said Julie Knutson, a Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership teacher at SCH and member of the school’s Faculty and Staff Green Task Force — the group behind the arboretum project.

According to ArbNet, an arboretum is “a living museum of trees and woody plants, grown and cared for by an organization committed to their stewardship.” Level 1 arboretums must have a labeled collection of 25 or more types trees and woody plants and at least one annual tree-related event that’s open to the public.

The SCH arboretum’s 1.5-mile walking path starts at the Barbara Crawford Gallery and stems throughout the playing fields and lower and middle school campuses, where visitors and SCH community members can find a variety of maple, oak, beech, cedar and other species.

“I think anybody in the community who’s kind of interested in taking a breath and taking a look around and really being a little bit more conscious of what’s in their environment, visiting an arboretum is a great way to do that,” Knutson said.

Some trees, like the sugar maples along the main drive, were planted in the 1880s by developer Henry Howard Houston. Others were installed with the help of Friends of the Wissahickon and Morris Arboretum over the past three decades. The late Paul Meyer, longtime leader of Morris, brought a “deep appreciation for trees and their place in the life of a school” while serving on SCH’s board, said Jenny McHugh, SCH’s director of major gifts.

Knutson said SCH alumna Sherley Young ’57 encouraged the green task force to seek out Level 1 arboretum status after leading a similar initiative in Virginia. Members of the Faculty Green Task Force toured Germantown Friends School’s arboretum and were reminded of the trees’ vital role at the academy.

“The trees on our campus are a teaching and community resource,” Knutson said. “[They’re] really worth celebrating and using as a way to connect not just with our students but with families and communities beyond to get them onto our campus.”

Environmental consultant Mary Ann Boyer, SCH employee Joe May, former SCH communications director Karen Tracy and a high school intern helped identify and document the tree species, Knutson said. With the certification, SCH is part of a network of more than 800 arboreta. Those connections can assist SCH’s advocacy for tree expansion in Philadelphia, and the annual public event requirement holds the institution accountable for staying involved with the arboretum, Knutson said.

The certification reflects the importance of environmental stewardship at the academy, she said. SCH faculty take advantage of the school’s proximity to Wissahickon Valley Park and engage students of all grade levels with nature.

Upper School environmental science and biology teacher Lisa Queeno conducts tree labs with students around campus and the Wissahickon. Her environmental science students identified and mapped trees, as well as estimated how much carbon they store.

“Our goal is to make permanent ID tags for these trees, and that would be cool because it’s something that they could go back on campus, look at in 20 years and see their metal sign that they made,” Queeno said.

As part of an effort to obtain her Girl Scout Gold Award, SCH senior Quinn Clotman partnered with The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and Cool Down Northwest Philly to expand access to tree plantings in the city and distribute educational materials to residents. She planted five trees along Willow Grove Avenue last year. Clotman said outdoor assignments at SCH have been beneficial and they appeal to her tactile learning style.

“Being outside and doing hands-on work really helped me learn and process,” she said.

In the coming months, SCH students will lead an “Art and Arbor Walk” tour of the arboretum and the school will plan an event for Earth Day.

The school’s fall exhibition at the Barbara Crawford Gallery, “Nature Vivante,” will be on display through Dec. 4. Curated by Heather Gibson Moqtaderi, the multimedia exhibition highlights the resiliency of plant life in human-shaped environments.

The arboretum “has been a fun project, and I think it’ll continue to evolve,” Knutson said. “We’re going to continue to engage students with identifying more species, and that’s the fun part. It’s not going to end here.”

Abby Weiss is an environmental reporter for the Local and a Report for America corps member. She can be reached at abby@chestnuthilllocal.com.