Dawes Arboretum Near Columbus, Ohio is a Must-see for Nature Lovers

Summer, the time for cleaning off the cobwebs and getting out of the house. Maybe it's the dark and drab coldness of winter that makes people so anxious for outdoor activities when the weather is more favorable. If you are looking for a place to commune with nature in central Ohio this summer, you can find it thirty minutes from Columbus, just off of I-70, at Dawes Arboretum.

Seventeen hundred rolling acres of natural forests, preserved gardens, and unusual collections of flowers and plants make up the nature reserve, created in 1929 by Beman and Bertie Dawes. At the visitors' center, you can pick up information regarding the grounds, as well as see exhibits, displays, and artwork dedicated to the history and offerings of the arboretum.

To aid in your exploration of this expansive estate, eight miles of hiking trails lead the way for those who choose to investigate the grounds on foot, while a four-mile auto tour takes those who prefer to drive through the arboretums trees and forests.

However you get around Dawes, you will discover forty-five hundred different plant species, with several indigenous types, and even more non-native varieties, including Bonsai. The Bonsai Collection contains over one hundred different plants, and is located in the courtyard just outside the visitors' center.

Another unique feature of Dawes Arboretum is the Bald-cypress Swamp. This swamp is one of the northernmost of its kind in North America. A boardwalk takes you along it, and during the spring, salamanders call the swamp home.

The Conifer Glen is a well-maintained assortment of conifers, from miniature to full-size, with all of the dwarf, compact and intermediate trees in between. It's like a carnival of Christmas trees all year long, and you can follow the bridges through all fourteen acres of the glen.

Then climb the Outlook Tower to get a view of the arboretum in its entirety. On a clear day, from the top of the tower, the view goes on for miles, and it's the only place, other than maybe a helicopter, where you can distinguish the "Dawes Arboretum" spelled out in the landscaped hedges.

Whatever you do, don't forget to stop at the Japanese Garden. The garden offers a reflecting pool, surrounding plants, stepping stones to carefully make your way across, and a meditation house, where visitors can just sit to experience the calm stillness.

Conservation and education are the goals of the modern-day owners, just as they were the goals of the founders. Research about ways in which nature's resources can be utilized and preserved to get the maximum benefits with the least amount of damage is an ongoing project at the arboretum, and the maintaining of Dawes' incredible number of flora specimens is part of this non-stop objective.

The beauty of Dawes Arboretum is that it is always evolving. Unlike an indoor museum, where the only changes can be made by human hands, the alterations that take place at Dawes are made almost entirely by nature itself. That's why each visit is a one-of-a-kind experience.

If you would like to plan a trip to Dawes Arboretum or see a map of the grounds, find out more on their website at http://www.dawesarb.org/