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Check out this cool project from our friends at LEAF - Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park! Get a FREE tree and learn about the ReLeaf peoject!We have saplings for you to plant at home! Species include: Mountain Ash, Serviceberry, and Chinese Dogwood.
This is a drive-up event. Masks and social distance is required. First come, first serve! 🌱🌱🌱
For more information:
ReLeafErie.org/treegiveaway
Jöe C Grist
We've been working on something special at Goodell Gardens: a memorial for longtime Executive Director Dana Atwood (shown here in a photo of him in his favorite place - the woods he grew up in).
Dana spent many years leading our organization. He oversaw the development of educational and cultural programming, the development of your Gardens, the initial renovation of the buildings at Goodell, and the stewardship of the 80 acres of the Goodell Estate. Dana's leadership was responsible for moving and restoring the Events Barn and starting the massive Bank Barn restoration project. He developed our private rentals program that helps support our mission, and - known as a walking encyclopedia - Dana gave so many talks and tours filled with scientific names of plants and stories of the Goodell Sisters.
He could also frequently be spotted scaling a tree, fixing the tractor, or moving gravel and mulch.
Dana passed away in September 2017, and his family honored us by requesting donations to Goodell Gardens in his memory. His family, friends, and the Goodell community responded.
We're incredibly grateful for the patience of Dana's family and friends and our supporters as we worked to process, grieve, regroup and plan a way to honor his memory. While we recognize that our grief in no way matches that of his family and friends, our Board of Directors and staff worked alongside Dana for many years and it was essential that we take time to catch our breath and thoughtfully put together a memorial tribute.
Last fall our Gardens & Grounds Manager Brooke presented a proposal to Executive Director Amber and Board President Kirk for a post-and-beam pavilion that would be built in connection with a walkway or "reflection path" to serve Dana's memory. When Amber went back to her desk, she found a photo on the computer she now uses (it used to be Dana's) of a pavilion that looked just like the one Brooke had proposed. The realization that Dana had the very same type of structure in mind for future development at Goodell helped us understand why this project felt so right.
This fall we were able to complete the construction of this post-and-beam pavilion at Goodell Gardens in Dana's memory thanks to your memorial donations. The walkway (not pictured here) is nearly finished, and we are making finishing touches. We are tentatively planning a dedication to Dana in the spring if it's safe to do so.
Please take a few minutes today to think about Dana and his many contributions of time and talent to Goodell Gardens & Homestead. Share a photo of Dana or a memory of him in the comments of this post...
... and join us in thanking his family and friends and our supporters for helping us preserve Dana's legacy at Goodell Gardens & Homestead.
Sending lots of love from the EAMF committee - what a beautiful way to honor Dana and his amazing legacy ☮️💟🌿
Such a nice honor. ❤ . We loved his knowledge, especially of trees and fishing. 🌲
Dana looking over my phone. Dana and I where similar in some regards. I had done a huge amount of research on cellphones. I found from my research Motorola made the best phones for signal. They had pioneered the CB radio. So I got a Motorola phone. Dana Atwood and I where way down in the Allegheny national Forest hunting and I get a call. Dana whipped his phone out lol not a Motorola lol. His was a iPhone and He's looking at it. I get off the phone and He says AND How in the Hell can you get a call here and I don't have any bars? Andy: Motorola Dana! Well shut that thing off! Making to much noise! Although deer have been known to investigate. Lol Dana and I also had the same flip phone for awhile and both where Motorola's. Dana loved his Iphones but I have stuck to Motorola's. Also Dana was smart we all know that but he sucked at Jeopardy. I remember watching it with him and I was answering all the questions. Seeing his face look at me and he asked me Did you already watch this one? Nope remember I have been with you all day how would I have watched it already? Well I don't understand how you know the answers? Dana I am just as smart as you. I don't always use it! LoL I miss making him laugh so very much.💜🍀😎👍💔
A beautiful tribute to such a remarkable man. I had the privilege of working with Dana in putting together my daughter’s wedding at Goodell Gardens in 2015. He became our wedding planner. His knowledge and skills were phenomenal and instrumental to create a beautiful wedding & reception. RIP, Dana. Great job, Goodell Gardens!
Amber this was easy for us! 😉 Dana helped make our wedding day the best day of our lives and we will be forever grateful to him, you and Goodell. Looking through photos we believe this one screams Dana’s legacy - it shows his attention to detail- perfect & beautiful. We know he poured his heart into our day 💙 were always wishing Goodell the best! Matt Barr
I have so many stories about Dana Atwood. He was my Best friend, Cousin and my Brother. We used to chat for hours about anything and everything under the sun. My heart will forever hurt from losing him. So about this Picture. Hey AND! Dana liked to call me AND when he was excited. Hey AND! Well this was the first year we went hunting together. Dana shot this deer out pass the blue gate on the top of Cherry Grove. His Dad and I where on the other side of the hill walking together. When we heard a shot. It was Dana. He had shot this Buck in the right front shoulder but the deer kept running. Dana got on the radio and told Us to come up over the hill and meet him in some Red brush and that the Buck was laying down in it and he needed some help. When we got to the top the deer jumped up and both Bruce and I shot at the deer. Bruce shot low and the guts came out. I shot at the head going through the ear and broke the deers jaw. Dana walked up and shot the deer in the neck. We all were excited and Dana asked where I shot. We saw a perfect hole in the deers ear to put the Buck tag through with a twist tie. I miss the fun and the laughs. I miss so much about him. I miss how close we were. I miss my Best friend.💜🍀😎👍💔 Dana would've loved this Pavilion! Thank you Everyone! Thank you Amber W Till for all you and the Staff and Board have done to Honor Dana!
Memories of my lifelong friend. RIP ❤️
I really miss him. He was so great to talk to and he was such an inspiration to me. 💗👍🙏🌎✌️
Here's a fun Dana memory... "Take my picture in this suit. Here, I'll stand on the golf cart, so I look taller..." And then we laughed about how much ridiculous stuff we manage to get ourselves into at work because you can't possibly let a bunch of bridesmaids hold bouquets while standing inches from a hornets' nest. And we laughed because the only bee suit Sandy could find was Kirk's which looked ridiculous on him.
What a wonderful tribute to Dana.
Here are a few more photos to help you see its location. Again - these photos are from before the path was laid. We're still finishing up this project. <3
He was so knowledgeable about many topics. The pavilion will get a lot of use.
Susan-Brindis Morley this was such a nice piece. And a fitting tribute to Dana. If they have the ceremony in the spring or whenever I would love to go too.
How nice! Thank-you! Love n miss you Dana so much.
Thank you for creating such a lovely tribute in Dana's memory! Though we lived oceans apart, Dana was a wonderful big brother and a fabulous uncle. Forever grateful for the memories created when he came to visit. We miss him like crazy!
Grateful for Kindness... Praying for Peace🙏
What a nice way to honor him.
Nice tribute to a great man
A beautiful memorial 🙏💪🏼❤️
Thank you for honoring my old friend. Rest Well, ol’ pal. Save a place at the big table for us, and run a few miles for me.
My daughter had her wedding there shortly before Dana passed away. We were shocked and heart broken because in that short time we had grown to love Dana! We met with him on several occasions and he was one of a kind! He took like what it felt was all the time in the world to execute the most perfect wedding for my daughter! He went out of his way to make it a day we would all never forget! He made sure we knew he was working behind the scenes, and we were not to worry about a thing! 🥰🥰😢😢
❤️ trading fish tales about speeding up 79 in our bmws ❤️
He was a great educator and will be continued to be remembered with your your the memorial pavilion.
This is wonderful 💕
Just wonderful. A fitting tribute!
Your 2020 Autumn Newsletter from Goodell Gardens 🍁 - mailchi.mp/goodellgardens/your-2020-autumn-newsletter-from-goodell-gardens
Here at Goodell Gardens & Homestead, we're so happy to announce that we've received sixteen bare root trees from TreeVitalize Pennsylvania's Bare Root Program!
Yesterday we received three northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa), three common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), two Winter King green hawthorn (Crataegus viridis 'Winter King'), three Kentucky coffee trees (Gymnocladus dioicus), one sweetgum (Liquidambar), two Prairie Fire crabapples (Malus 'Prairie Fire'), and two Snowdrift crabapples (Malus 'Snowdrift).
Many thanks to TreeVitalize for this incredible gift! We also need to thank our Board President Kirk Johnson who volunteered to drive to Titusville to pick up our trees and deliver them to our site yesterday! Thank you so much!
Yesterday's beautiful weather allowed our Gardens & Grounds Staff Brooke, Traci and Ahmaya to plant nine of the 16 trees. The remaining seven will go in today or tomorrow as weather allows.
These new trees will add seven new species or cultivars to our arboriculture collection. And, with the addition of these 16 trees, we've planted more than 30 trees at YOUR Gardens this year!
Goodell Gardens & Homestead exists because of YOU. Thank you so much for your support, and please join us in thanking TreeVitalize and TreePennsylvania for their gift. A special thank you to Penn State Extension Forrester Scott Sjolander for his support of this project as well.
Love these relaxing gardens and the events held there. Looking forward to the next one.
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Wonderful news, and much thanks to all of you
Wow! That's a lot of clean up. 😯
Awesome!!
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