Yvone and Lauraine Kirkpatrick-Howat, Woodlawn’s last private owners, were strong advocates of environmental conservation.

Yvone was a founding member of the Chesapeake Environmental Protection Association and helped establish SERC. One of Yvone’s interests was silviculture—the study and cultivation of trees. He planted trees from around the world on his property, some of which you can see today.

Yvone Kirkpatrick-Howat (1921–2003) (Image courtesy of Betsy Kirkpatrick-Howat)

Lauraine Elizabeth Speich Kirkpatrick-Howat (1922–2009) (Image courtesy of Betsy Kirkpatrick-Howat)

A Living Laboratory
Today, SERC continues the Kirkpatrick-Howats’ legacy. SERC’s 2,650-acre campus is a living laboratory, encompassing forests, wetlands, marshes, and 15 miles of protected shoreline. SERC’s scientists study the effects of climate change on coastal ecosystems and other pressing issues facing the environment.

BELOW: Research technician Andrew Peresta in the marsh

ABOVE: Research technician Kimberly Richie with a cownose ray

ABOVE: Research technician Max Ruehrmund working on stream restoration

Explore the Tree Collection
Yvone Kirkpatrick-Howat planted many flowering, non-native, ornamental trees around Woodlawn House, including species rarely found in this area. SERC has supplemented these with native species.

Can you find a tree that . . . ?

A.    has seed cones the shape of cucumbers

B.    has red flowers that look like firecrackers

C.    poisons other plants around it, giving it a competitive edge

D.    some Native American peoples used to mark the boundaries of their hunting territories

E.    has leaves that are used to wrap food in Japan

F.    has been used to make everything from musical instruments to surfboards

Find the answers below.

A.    Cucumber tree (Magnolia acuminata)

B.    Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia)

C.    Black walnut (Juglans nigra)

D.    Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

E.    Japanese bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia obovata)

F.    Princess tree (Paulownia tomentosa)

Tree Map and Key
[Symbol] Deciduous Trees
[Symbol] Evergreen Trees

Scan the QR codes on the tree labels to access verbal descriptions.

1 Kwanzan cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’)
2 Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
3 Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)
4 Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
5 Littleleaf linden (Tilia cordata)
6 Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)
7 Princess tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
8 Cucumber tree (Magnolia acuminata)
9 Common linden (Tilia × europaea)
10 White fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)
11 Black walnut (Juglans nigra)
12 American yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea)
13 Yulan magnolia (Magnolia denudata)
14 American beech (Fagus grandifolia)
15 Japanese bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia obovata)
16 Wildfire black gum (Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wildfire’)
17 Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum)
18 American holly (Ilex opaca)
19 Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia)
20 Blue China fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata ‘Glauca’)
21 Handkerchief tree (Davidia involucrata)
22 Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica ‘Glauca’)
23 Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida ‘Cloud Nine’)

Handkerchief Tree (Davidia involucrata), Native to China

This rare species gets its name from its flowing white flowers. Its genus, Davidia, is named for French missionary Armand David, who collected many plants and animals in China. (Image courtesy of Myrabella/Wikimedia Commons/Licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0)