NATIVE SEE The magazine of Adkins Arboretum
WINTER 2015
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Adkins Arboretum is operated by the not-for-profit Adkins Arboretum, Ltd. under a 50-year lease from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Adkins Arboretum, a 400-acre native garden and preserve, fosters the adoption of land stewardship practices for a healthier and more beautiful world. Native Seed is published three times a year and is distributed free to members. To become a member, visit adkinsarboretum.org. 12610 Eveland Road, P.O. Box 100 Ridgely, MD 21660 410-634-2847, 410-634-2878 (fax) info@adkinsarboretum.org adkinsarboretum.org HOURS Visitor’s Center: 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday; noon–4 p.m. Sunday Grounds are open daily. ADMISSION $5 for adults $2 for students ages 6–18 free to children 5 and under Admission is free for members. BOARD OF TRUSTEES Officers Will Cook, President Katherine Allen, Vice President Henry Brandt, Treasurer Blair Carmean, Secretary Members Vicki Arion Patricia Bowell Sydney Doehler Michael Jensen Mary Jo Kubeluis Barbara McClinton Julianna Pax Kelly Phipps Mary Revell Alan Visintainer April Walter Greg Williams Trustees Emeriti Kathleen Carmean Peter Stifel STAFF Ellie Altman, Executive Director Robyn Affron, Visitor Services Coordinator Diana Beall, Visitor Services Assistant
CONTENTS 2015—A Preview of Great Things to Come................... 4–6 Eastern Redbud Adkins Arboretum Tree of the Year...................................... 7 From the Bookshelves.................. 8–9 The Gift Shop at Adkins Arboretum............................... 9 What Does it Mean to Restore?.....................................10–13 YOUtopia Climate Change Leadership....................14–15 Art Exhibits....................................16–17 Soup ’n Walks Celebrating 10 Years..................18–20 Native Plant Nursery Opening Weekend.............................21
Joanne Healey, Nursery Manager
Events..............................................22–23
Jenny Houghton, Youth Program Coordinator
Native Plant Lore.........................24–25
Joanne Murphy, Program Assistant Leah Reynolds, Director of Giving Michelle Smith, Bookkeeper Ginna Tiernan, Adult Program Coordinator Allison Yates, Facilities Maintenance Coordinator Jodie Littleton, Newsletter Editor Joanne Shipley, Graphic Designer Photos by Ann Rohlfing and Leah Reynolds Illustrations by Barbara Bryan
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Unity Landscape Design/Build is an Arboretum Corporate Partner. Visit adkinsarboretum.org for information on the Arboretum’s Corporate Partners Program.
Volunteer Opportunities.................26 Volunteer Spotlight...........................27 Membership Form.............................27 2015 Events..........................back cover
DEAR MEMBERS, The Arboretum picks up from accomplishments in the arenas of advocacy and public policy to do its good work of engaging individuals in these issues and granting them the tools they need to be stewards.
Accepting that there are no shortcuts is a bitter pill to take. For Adkins Arboretum, it will continue to take tenacity and fortitude to achieve its mission of conserving and restoring the native landscapes of the Chesapeake region. The Arboretum shares with many of the region’s organizations and individuals a vision of a greener and more vibrant environment where people connect meaningfully with nature and are stewards of our land, water, and air. For its role, the Arboretum has carved out a special and critical niche as a 400-acre preserve to be a model for land management and to engage all ages in the conservation, appreciation, and enjoyment of the Chesapeake region’s native landscapes through education, recreation, the arts, and community events. This work provides no easy or quick solutions to achieving the goal of changing people’s appreciation, commitment, and behavior to ensure the Chesapeake region is a healthy and beautiful place to live.
While you may have witnessed a thousand small cuts causing irreversible damage, at the same time a thousand good decisions have been made because individuals have been given the tools they need to implement positive change. The Arboretum’s tools are its educational programs, native plant nursery, landscape co-design service, demonstrations of habitat enhancement, restoration of natural areas, and nature-inspired art that reminds people that nature is to be respected. These pages contain myriad opportunities for you, family, and friends to immerse yourselves in Adkins Arboretum and to renew your conviction to make a difference here and now. Please visit often and seek out the many Arboretum resources that can support you. Though there will be no shortcuts, the Arboretum promises you the programs, tools, and expert advice you need as you travel the path toward being a steward of the earth.
In this issue of Native Seed, you will discover an array of educational programs for all ages designed to do just this. These programs build upon the admirable accomplishments of new legislative initiatives, the adoption of land preservation easements, the incentives and amenities that draw people to live in towns closer to their work to reduce their impact on the environment, advocacy work in Annapolis and county and town offices to raise awareness and improve the drafting and enforcement of regulations, and new research and its dissemination …the list of constructive and important work toward the common goal of a cleaner environment is impressive and growing.
My best,
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2015
A PREVIEW OF GREAT THINGS TO COME In 1922, on the campus of the nation’s oldest state university, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, thirteen distinguished faculty and civic leaders chartered a publishing house. The University of North Carolina Press was the first university press in the South and one of the first in the nation. With more than 4,000 titles published and almost 1,500 titles still in print, UNC Press takes pride in publishing academic and general interest books that endure.
By Ellie Altman, Executive Director
Adkins Arboretum’s prospects for 2015 are no less than great. Two major accomplishments will be celebrated after almost a decade of planning and fundraising. In March, The University of North Carolina Press will publish, in partnership with the Arboretum, Chesapeake Gardening & Landscaping—The Essential Green Guide. The book’s author is garden writer and Kent County, MD, resident Barbara Ellis.
Chesapeake Gardening & Landscaping will soon be available in the Arboretum Gift Shop, in most regional bookstores, and online. A Chesapeake gardener’s library will not be complete without this important resource for aspiring earth-friendly gardeners. The book achieves its promise as an indispensable resource for all gardeners—whether novice or experienced—who wish to hone their craft and take part in making our world a healthier and more beautiful habitat for all creatures.
What if, one step at a time, we could make our gardens and landscapes more eco-friendly? Barbara W. Ellis’s colorful, comprehensive guide shows homeowners, gardeners, garden designers, and landscapers how to do just that for the large and beautiful Chesapeake Bay watershed region. Here, mid-Atlantic gardeners, from beginners to advanced, will find the essential tools for taking steps to make their gardens part of the solution through long-term planning and planting. This hardcover book is 328 pages with 330 color photographs and illustrations. (From the UNC Press prepublication press release.)
The second much-anticipated accomplishment for 2015 will be the fall groundbreaking to begin construction of the Visitor’s Center renovation and expansion. Fundraising is on schedule to accomplish this decade-long dream. Details about the public groundbreaking celebration will be available this summer. In 2015, the Arboretum celebrates 35 years since its founding. The existing Visitor’s Center was completed in 1984, comprising three offices in addition to a lobby and a classroom that were both used for displaying nature exhibits. During the past 20 years, the space has been reconfigured to accommodate five full-time staff, five part-time staff, and numerous contractual staff—a
Ms. Ellis is the author of numerous gardening books and served as garden book editor for Rodale Press and as publications director for the American Horticultural Society. Her books have been published by Storey Communications, Houghton Mifflin (Taylor’s Guides), Macmillan, and John Wiley & Sons.
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Above: A native landscape can frame a water view. Photo by Barbara Ellis. Left: Green roofs reduce runoff. Photo by Neil Soderstrom.
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squeeze at best. The lobby serves as a reception area, gift shop, coffee service, and bookstore, and includes a nature display wall—a squeeze at best. The remaining space is a large room that is used as a classroom, art gallery, conference room, art studio, performance hall, lunchroom, boardroom, workshop, storage room, lecture hall, and reception room—a squeeze at best. Each use serves an important constituency of the Arboretum, yet each activity compromises another. During Board meetings, the public is denied access to view art on display. The juggle is a daily challenge for staff and is often a disappointment for visitors.
The new space will accommodate program and visitation growth planned for the next decade, and audiences of 200 will be able to attend lectures and performances. Events will no longer be threatened by foul weather when the cover of the Visitor’s Center expansion can provide shelter. The current 4,000 square feet will be expanded to 10,000 square feet. This beautiful new green center will be a proud symbol for the Shore’s commitment to land stewardship. The Arboretum will flourish as a centerpiece for eco-tourism in the region, as well as an education center for residents to find the tools they need and the training that will inspire them to be gardeners and stewards of our native landscapes.
Construction is expected to be completed within 10 months once a shovel goes into the ground this fall. The Arboretum will remain open to the public during construction, and the staff will work from trailers in the main parking lot.
Thirty-five years ago, philanthropist Leon Andrus bequeathed his estate to support the development of Adkins Arboretum. One man’s vision, based on his love of trees, now bestows an appreciation of native plants and wildlife for all to learn. To date, more than 350 individuals have shared in Leon Andrus’s dream and have contributed to the Campaign to Build a Green Legacy to create the new Visitor’s Center. If you are interested in being a part of this exciting momentum—to build the Arboretum’s capacity to achieve its conservation mission—please contact Leah Reynolds, Director of Giving, at 410-634-2847, ext. 33 or lreynolds@adkinsarboretum.org.
By the fall of 2016, the doors of the new W. Flaccus and Ruth B. Stifel Center, named for donor Peter B. Stifel’s parents, will open. The center will house dedicated space for all the activities described above, and no longer will a preschool class romp around the art gallery or a horticulture demonstration be held in a carpeted space that cannot be easily cleaned of plant debris.
Van Dyke Classroom
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EASTERN REDBUD
NAMED ADKINS ARBORETUM’S 2015 NATIVE TREE OF THE YEAR
soil types yet does best in moist, well-drained sites that are not wet. It thrives in the clay soils prevalent on the Eastern Shore and is also deer ‘resistant’ and black walnut tolerant.
By Joanne Healey, Nursery Manager
The redbud (Cercis canadensis) doesn’t reach great heights or girth or have much history in the way of human commerce, but it is one of those special trees that heralds spring in the Mid-Atlantic. It has seamlessly bridged the gap between the woods and the garden, making its way into horticultural rankings thanks to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, both of whom couldn’t plant enough redbuds on their Virginia estates. This popular native tree has been named Adkins Arboretum’s Native Tree of the Year for 2015.
One of the redbud’s most notable features is its heartshaped leaves. This highly glossy foliage emerges after the tree has flowered, maturing to a dull green in summer and then to a yellow fall color. Many cultivated varieties of redbud are commercially available, most notably Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ with its purple foliage. ‘The Rising Sun’ also has exceptional spring foliage ranging from apricot to soft golden yellow. There are weeping varieties, such as ‘Covey’ and ‘Lavender Twist’, and different varieties of colors from white to lavender-red.
The common name “redbud” is a bit of a misnomer. It is in no way red. As Kenneth R. Robertson wrote in 1976 for Arnoldia, the publication of the Arnold Arboretum, “Whoever coined the common name ‘redbud’ must surely have been colorblind, but ‘redbud’ is certainly more euphonious than ‘magentabud.’” In bloom for a two- to three-week show when the woods are still bare, its early, truly lavender flowers provide an important and early nectar source for pollinators. Cercis is part of the pea family (Fabaceae), yet it is an exception to the rule because it is not a nitrogen-fixing plant.
The name Cercis come from the Greek word kerkis, in reference to the seedpod that looks like a weaver’s shuttle. Flower blossoms can be eaten or the buds pickled. Bark of the redbud can be made into an astringent tea for the treatment of different ailments. Birds, squirrels, and deer feed on the seeds. Trees previously named Adkins Arboretum Native Tree of the Year include Liriodendron tulipifera (American tulip tree, 2011), Quercus alba (white oak, 2012), Magnolia virginiana (sweetbay magnolia, 2013), and Fagus americana (American beech, 2014). These noteworthy trees, as well as this year’s esteemed redbud, will be available for sale at the Arboretum’s Native Plant Nursery Spring Opening Weekend, April 24–26.
Typically reaching 20 to 30 feet tall and up to 20 feet wide, redbud is found in woods as an understory small tree or multi-stemmed shrub growing in part sun to full sun. Its native range spans from New Jersey to mid-central Florida and west to Oklahoma. Redbud is tolerant of many
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s s e n d i l a o h H m e h t n i s n o From ithe i t a n h t m e o m n de Bookshelves y had beco e Th . i e d n l i o u g b r i ere e Th . d e r a e p p a s i d d e v f o o m rt d a h s t s i t p a B e i a Th n . i d S . t Go M e Th . s n a i l a p o L c e s i h p t E y l e n O . g n i d l i u b d l o o t s t ’ t n s e ti w y d o b o n t s o m l a d n ,a By Carol Jelich, Arboretum Librarian and Maryland Master Naturalist
The Human Age: The World Shaped by Us, by Diane Ackerman. W.W. Norton & Co., 2014, 344 pages.
“Welcome to the Anthropocene.” So begins a whirlwind tour across the millennia and around the globe, as Diane Ackerman makes the case that we have entered a new era—the human age. She says that today, for the first time in the history of the earth, “instead of adapting to the natural world in which we live, we’ve created a human environment in which we’ve embedded the natural world.”
Humans are the most successful land animal ever. We’ve created cities as big as nature was. We are a geologic agent, laying down our mark in the future fossil record as surely as did the trilobites, the most successful water animals in the history of the world for more than three million years, until a mass extinction.
Climate change is upon us. Adaptation and mitigation are increasing to deal with the change. This book spans the world, from Antarctica to Israel, from the Maldives to Paris, and on to the High Line in New York City, documenting all the wonders of human ingenuity in adapting to changes in global climate. An idea that seemed very hopeful to me is the development of bladeless turbines that generate energy from wind without harm to migrating species.
There are stories about how other species are adapting as well. Study has shown that urban birds have a faster clock. Cliff swallows that use urban areas for nesting are evolving with shorter wings to allow for more agile maneuvering around traffic.
Ackerman speculates that we are in the last era of deadbeat buildings that only use energy, not generate it. She shares stories from places like Zimbabwe, where African architect Mick Pearce designed a building that uses only 10 percent as much energy as nearby buildings, with termite mounds as an inspiration for the installation of fans, ducts, and vents.
The author asks: is nature natural? Yes, but not separate. “At precisely the moment we’re achieving unprecedented feats and ruling the planet on a grand scale, we’re discovering that our future as a species may suffer as a result. Nature isn’t separate from us, and part of our salvation as a species depends on respecting, if not rejoicing in, that simple companionable truth.” In a chapter on developments in nanotechnology, Ackerman wonders about the impact of an antibacterial coating for textiles that has been approved as a pesticide by the FDA. It could be used, for example, to control bacteria on hospital furniture. But! “What if our nanopesticides accidentally kill the nitrogen-fixing bacteria that make our atmosphere breathable?”
Ackerman has an interesting view on fossil fuel: “The Industrial Revolution always was about solar power. Now we’re just skipping the secondhand part and going straight to the wellspring of that fuel. Wood, coal, oil, and gas were only intermediaries after all, and using them was a sign of our immaturity as a species.” AdKINSARBORETUM.ORG
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the gift shop at “Paddling in the Gene Pool” looks at how people are altering species through genetics. Though there is fascinating work underway, Ackerman notes that we are “at a dangerous age in our evolution as a species: clever, headstrong, impulsive, and far better at tampering with nature than understanding it.” A future archeologist studying the pollen samples in our fossil record “will wonder why we wiped out a beneficial smorgasbord of plants in favor of a few genetically modified, fruitless varieties….We’re in the midst of the planet’s sixth great extinction.”
But there are very promising advances that will help us adapt to changing climate. “In the Namibian desert, inspired by watercondensing bumps on the backs of local beetles, a new breed of water bottle harvests water from the air and refills itself. The bottle will hit the market…for use by both marathon runners and people in third-world countries where fresh water may be scarce.”
By Robyn Affron, Visitor Services Coordinator
The Arboretum Gift Shop offers a wonderful variety of unique nature-related gifts, many created by local artists. Paul Aspell, a potter based in Ridgely, MD, creates stoneware in his studio, including mugs created for the Gift Shop coffee bar. Try a cup of organic, locally roasted Rise Up Coffee in one of Paul’s exquisite mugs as you peruse the shop, and take home a pound of coffee and a mug to enjoy at home! Another local potter, Jean Higgins, creates exclusive pottery for the Arboretum featuring wildlife and native plants.
A chapter titled “Nature, Pixelated” looks at how “For the first time in human history, we’re mainly experiencing nature through intermediary technology that, paradoxically, provides more detail while also flattening the sensory experience.” At first glance, “it seems like we may be living in sensory overload….But, at exactly the same time, we’re living in sensory poverty, learning about the world without experiencing it up close, right here, right now, in all its messy, majestic, riotous detail….A big challenge in the Anthropocene will be reclaiming that sense of presence. Not to forgo high-speed digital life, but balance it with slow hours of just being outside, surrounded by nature, and watching what happens next.”
Wildlife cards, puzzles, and stationery featuring designs by artist Charley Harper offer a delightfully playful look at nature, while iPhoneography cards and T-shirts featuring the work of Baltimore artist Karen Klinedinst capture native landscapes with a twist of modern technology. Winding River and Trimdin jackets are proudly made in the USA by family-owned businesses. These quality jackets easily go from business to evening wear, and their reversible styles provide two distinct looks—perfect for travelers. Kimono Rescue, a line of one-of-a-kind women’s accessories from fiber artist Stephanie Corina Goddard of Easton, is crafted from recycled kimono silks.
The final chapters of the book look at promising advances in robotics, 3D printing, and fields of human behavior (did you know that microbes can affect mood, life span, personality, and offspring?). I’ve included a number of quotes in this review to illustrate Ackerman’s wonderful prose. The book is worth reading simply for that. However, whether you acknowledge or remain skeptical about human causation of climate change, I strongly encourage you to read this book. The Human Age offers both fear and hope for the future. We have it in us to destroy the earth’s ability to support humans and other species, but also we have what it takes to preserve our world and adapt to changing conditions. Stay tuned.
Don’t forget books by Rick Darke, Doug Tallamy, Thomas Christopher, Amy Stewart, Christopher Lloyd, Noel Kingsbury, David L. Culp, and more in the Arboretum bookstore. The store stocks many titles from Portland, OR-based Timber Press, a leader in horticulture publications for more than 50 years, in addition to selections chosen by the Arboretum Book Club and a diverse collection of gardening, nature, landscape, and children’s books.
All Gift Shop purchases are 20% off on Soup ’n Walk program days! Check the calendar insert for dates. 9
The wetland in front of the Arboretum Visitor’s Center may look like a natural feature, but it replaced a farm pond.
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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO
RESTORE? because you kept the old windows, you learn to make some adjustments by adding insulation in the walls and making sure the storm windows are tight. In an existing ecosystem, you mitigate impacts from surrounding land uses to keep the water clean and flowing or to remove pollutants and invasive species that might alter the character of the protected ecosystem.
By Sylvan Kaufman
My husband and I recently took on the project of restoring a house in Easton built in 1890. Despite having to repair or replace termite-rotted floor joists and sills, outdated wiring and plumbing, moldy insulation, and cracked plaster, the house will look pretty much the same from the front, and the rooms will retain their current arrangement in the front half of the house. The back half of the house, on the other hand, leans drastically toward the neighbor’s yard, sits on a severely compromised foundation, and will have to be torn down. We’ll replace it with a smaller, more modern addition.
Most of the forests at Adkins Arboretum fall in this historic restoration category. Often the forests just need occasional maintenance rather than full-scale restoration, but some restoration may be required, particularly at the edges where invasive vines thrive and along paths where the soil becomes compacted. Along Eveland Road on the east side of Nancy’s Meadow, the Maryland Department of Transportation started a small forest restoration project, planting a swath of native trees to connect two sections of forest. Aside from some redbuds for extra color, they used species that are currently found in the woods on either side of this corridor. This planting was done to make up for the strips of forest removed while widening Route 404, and maybe in 100 years it will largely resemble those nowpaved-over woods.
There are as many variations for restoring an ecosystem as there are for restoring an old house. In some situations, restoration ecologists strive to maintain as much of the ecosystem’s original character possible. Like repairing the wavy glass windows and taking up wall-to-wall carpets covering hardwood floors in a house, you select species that would have grown on the site before it was altered, and you remove species like Oriental bittersweet and privets that would not have been there a hundred years ago. Even though your heating bills might be higher 11
World War II. The addition gets new energy efficient windows and thick insulation, a solid foundation, easyto-maintain siding, and will, we hope, prove more weatherproof than, and at least as long-lasting as, the original front section of the house.
Just as termites can topple a house, the ash-dominated bottomland hardwood forest may be doomed by an invasive insect. Emerald ash borer, now known to attack not just ash but also fringe tree, is likely to migrate here in the near future. The ash may naturally be replaced by other bottomland tree species such as red maple and swamp white oak, but if the change happens too rapidly, some restoration intervention could be helpful to maintain these forests and the water quality of the wetlands where they grow. Think of it as shoring up the foundation of the house.
The wetland in front of the Arboretum Visitor’s Center may look like a natural feature, but it replaced a farm pond. The pond was created by digging a big hole in the ground and damming Blockston Branch. The berms along Eveland Road were created using the soil dug out to form the pond. Before the farm pond was built, Blockston Branch meandered through what was a farm field or pasture, and before that a forest.
Some ecosystems have been impacted so severely by invasive species, stormwater runoff, construction, or heavy deer browsing (or a combination of all four) that it’s necessary to start over (like the back half of our house). In this situation, do you try and rebuild the historic ecosystem, do you modify it to perform the same functions but not necessarily contain the same species, or do you go with a whole new system that you think might be more suited to modern conditions?
When the Arboretum made the decision to replace the pond with a wetland, it chose to create an ecosystem that differs significantly from ecosystems that had been there before. The current wetland mimics natural wetlands found in the area. The pond was filled with the soil that came out of it, and water channels were sculpted around small islands. The Arboretum’s land manager selected a range of plants that grow locally in wetlands for planting.
The replacement addition on the back of our house will have a modern kitchen on the first floor. There is no sign of the original kitchen, as the house had been divided into two apartments with two small galley kitchens after The meadows must be mown or burned to prevent them from succeeding to forests.
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Some plant species, like the rice cutgrass, black willow, and cattails, volunteered in the new wetland, coming from somewhere upstream or blown in on the wind. And, of course, all the animals arrived on their own.
swamp by now had Arboretum employees not persisted in removing trees every few years. There’s nothing wrong with the marsh becoming a swamp, but it would look very different and harbor a different set of species. The meadows must be mown or burned to prevent them from succeeding to forests. Invasive vines must be removed to maintain the diversity of plant species and the health of trees along the edges of the forest.
The marsh harbors an impressive diversity of species, probably more species than if it had been converted back to a forested stream. You can find plants flowering in the wetland in all seasons, from the alders’ catkins in mid-winter to the asters in fall. Visitors can watch frogs and turtles in the shallow water. Dragonflies dart above the vegetation looking for insects to eat. Herons and flycatchers hunt for food. Every few years, a beaver attempts to plug the overflow by the dam to deepen the waters of the marsh. The wetland serves to slow the flow of water and filter it before it passes back into the creek, just like a natural wetland would. This wetland restoration did not restore to a historic condition, but it did restore the site to closely resemble a naturally occurring local ecosystem.
Some ecologists argue that, particularly in heavily altered urban ecosystems, we should not care so much about whether species are native or non-native as long as they perform the functions we desire from ecosystems, such as erosion control, stormwater management, and air filtration. And maybe that decision is just as complex as the decision whether to preserve historic neighborhoods in urban areas or to raze them to accommodate a more modern urban lifestyle. I tend to lean toward historic preservation when it comes to ecosystems because I think that we don’t give our historic ecosystems enough credit for their staying power if they are given a little help. Especially in our region, we have a high enough diversity of species that live over a range of climates that they deserve a chance to persist and maintain our region’s ecological heritage as well as contribute to its future ecological health.
Just as you have to paint a house and make repairs to keep it in good condition, most ecosystems, whether original or newly created, require help from time to time, particularly if you want to keep them at a certain stage of succession. The wetland might have become a willow and red maple
Native Landscape Design Center at Adkins Arboretum
Photo by Ann Rohlfing
Conserve the native landscape Encourage biodiversity Protect the health of water, soils and air
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Work in conjunction with a landscape designer to create a beautiful, affordable native landscape that benefits wildlife and the environment.
adkinsarboretum.org 410-634-2847 ext. 0 info@adkinsarboretum.org
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YOUTOPIA CLIMATE CHANGE LEADERSHIP
The fall 2014 Study Circle, comprising 22 people representing environmental education organizations from Hawaii and California to Boston and, of course, Ridgely, MD, met in person on three occasions: in September at SeaWorld in San Diego, in October at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod, and in December at the Seattle Aquarium. In addition, the group participated in webinars and submitted homework online to Climate Change Interpreter, a resource learning site.
By Robyn Affron, Visitor Services Coordinator, and Ginna Tiernan, Adult Program Coordinator
Adkins Arboretum is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). When APGA announced the climate change program YOUtopia, with the mission of bringing awareness of climate change to public gardens and teaching staff to engage visitors in climate impacts and sustainable solutions, the Arboretum joined in.
Participants are learning to frame a conversation or interpretive program (e.g., presentation, signage, print material, video) with a tone that informs and evokes curiosity; explanatory chains that provide a clear and concise explanation of the causes of the problem, including mechanisms by which a problem is created, initial and mediating factors, and final consequences; explanatory metaphors that make the information memorable and easy to understand; and solutions that are practical and feasible to make a meaningful difference. These are the best practices for conveying science-based information to all ages.
Public gardens participating in YOUtopia make a commitment to implement public awareness programs and to communicate their results. One of the climate-related changes the Arboretum has made is reducing the use of paper products and, when possible, replacing them with reusable alternatives. Organic, free trade, locally produced Rise Up Coffee is now served in mugs created by local potter Paul Aspell instead of in paper cups. Drinks available for purchase at the Visitor’s Center come in glass or paper containers instead of in plastic.
An example of an explanatory chain and metaphor (heat trapping blanket) relating to climate change is shown below.
The Arboretum teaches the public that rain gardens, rain barrels, and using native plants in the landscape help to conserve water and improve water quality. Composting leaf matter and kitchen scraps repurposes nutrients in gardens and prevents these nutrients from entering municipal waste management systems. The targeted goat grazing program manages invasive and aggressive plant species without the use of harmful herbicides. And the elimination of antibacterial soap in the Visitor’s Center means that fewer chemicals will reach local waterways to harm wildlife and degrade water quality.
Initial Factor: Burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas for energy and transportation emits excessive carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, adding to the heat trapping blanket in our atmosphere that traps the earth’s heat. Mediating Factor: The added heat is warming oceans, causing water to expand and melting glaciers. Together these forces are causing sea level rise, leading to increased flooding in tidal marsh areas. The marshes are home to the Saltmarsh Sparrow—a native Maryland species that helps spread the seeds of salt marsh grasses.
In addition to the Arboretum’s YOUtopia commitment, Visitor Services Coordinator Robyn Affron and Adult Program Coordinator Ginna Tiernan applied to and were accepted to join the fall 2014 National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpreters (NNOCCI) Study Circle.
Consequences: As the marsh dwindles, the Saltmarsh Sparrow population dwindles. Fewer sparrows means that fewer grass seeds are spread, thus creating a downward spiral. The ecosystem is at risk of collapse, and many waterfront homes and businesses will also be affected.
NNOCCI is a collaborative effort led by the New England Aquarium with the Association for Zoos and Aquariums, the FrameWorks Institute, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Monterey Bay Aquarium, the New Knowledge Organization in partnership with Penn State University, and the Ohio Center of Science and Industry.
After the explanatory chain is presented, solutions— such as reducing carbon dioxide emissions—can be offered, along with adaptation opportunities, such as a presentation by David Curson, Audubon’s Director of Bird Conservation in Maryland, at the Arboretum in the summer of 2013.
With support from the National Science Foundation Climate Change Education Partnership program, NNOCCI’s goal is to establish a national network of professionals who are skilled in communicating climate science to the American public. AdKINSARBORETUM.ORG
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Robyn and Ginna have completed the first phase of their training. Upon graduating, they will join a larger network of colleagues to implement public programs. Through continued involvement with the Study Circle, they will learn about the latest findings in climate science and oceanography and how to apply these to interpretive contexts at Adkins Arboretum.
Maryland is home to some of the largest tidal marshes in the northeastern United States and an impressive array of bird species, such as Saltmarsh Sparrow and Black Rail. In addition to discussing the Audubon salt marsh conservation initiative designed to help Maryland’s tidal marshes adapt to sea level rise, Curson spoke about the recently completed two-year salt marsh survey conducted to locate the highest priority conservation sites for salt marsh birds—an important first step in preparing an adaptation plan for this critical habitat.
Saltmarsh Sparrow Photos courtesy of Bill Hubick (billhubick.com)
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ART EXHIBITS The Arboretum sponsors art exhibitions throughout the year, including an annual competition and outdoor environmental art. Please call the Arboretum at 410-634-2847, ext. 0 or e-mail info@adkinsarboretum. org for gallery hours.
Above: Fungi (detail), Lew Fifield, archival digital print on paper, 16” x 16” Right: Bromil Stripe, Christine Neill, archival digital print on paper and plexiglass, 23” x 17”
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The Cave, Erin Murphy, printing ink on paper, 24” x 30”
draws entries in a wide variety of mediums by artists from the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. Juror Christine Neill, whose work is on view through January, came to the Arboretum’s art program through the 2012 Competition, for which she won the Leon Andrus Award. There will be a reception Saturday, February 14 from 3 to 5 p.m.
Baltimore artists Christine Neill and Lew Fifield, a married couple both teaching at Maryland Institute College of Art, join forces to present Natural Pairings, on view through January 30. Neill is well known for her lush mixed-media paintings and prints exploring the intricacies and ephemerality of the natural world, while Fifield uses digital photography and multi-dimensional paper layers to capture the patterns of nature in richly nuanced images evoking memory and faraway landscapes. This show offers a unique opportunity to see how two artists working in close proximity influence one another as they interpret the natural world.
Although abstract, Erin Murphy’s drawings, monoprints, and paintings speak of atmospheric landscapes. On view March 31 through May 29, the works in her show, Quoting Nature, are richly textured and full of subtle, glowing colors that suffuse them with haunting feelings of mystery and light. Currently living in Nashville, TN, Murphy received her BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art and has recently returned from artist’s residencies in Salem, NY, and Cape Town, South Africa. There will be a reception Saturday, April 18 from 3 to 5 p.m.
The Arboretum’s annual juried art show, 2015 Art Competition—Discovering the Native Landscapes of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, will be on view February 3 through March 27. Now in its sixteenth year, this show
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ARBORETUM SOUP ’N WALKS:
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TEN YEARS OF NATURE, NURTURE, AND NUTRITION benefit of spreading the word about the nutritional merits of a balanced, soup-based meal, paired with whole grain bread, vegetable-based salads, and a healthy dessert.
During the chilly month of February 2004, a few hardy souls gathered to walk the Arboretum’s paths and then convene in the Visitor’s Center for a warming bowl of soup. The conversation turned to the virtues of soup and how good it tasted after the vigorous walk.
In 2005, the Adkins Soup ’n Walk series was launched with the slogan “Nature, Nurture, Nutrition!” That year saw four Soup ’n Walk events—in June, July, October, and November. Julianna Pax, who had been regularly hosting nutrition-themed “lunch bunches” at her home in Cambridge for several years, volunteered to coordinate the menus. A retired biology and chemistry teacher with a background in nutritional science, Julianna enjoyed the challenge of tying the nutritional topics relevant to each month’s menu to the seasonal changes that were on such vivid display on the Arboretum paths.
Later on, recent graduates of the first few docent-naturalist training programs were busy at a meeting putting their newly minted skills to the test. Pat Bowell, Margan Glover, Mary Jo Kubeluis, Julianna Pax, Carol Jelich, and Lynn Lang (among others) were challenging themselves to devise scripts and materials to support walks that would embrace various themes. The ‘What’s In Bloom’ sheets that are now available in the Visitor’s Center came out of this discussion as a way to help visitors learn what could be seen each month at the Arboretum.
For each event, docent Mickey Boersma used her outstanding artistic eye to create beautiful large displays using seedpods, wildflowers, grasses, and colorful branches, mostly harvested during her pre-event walks at the Arboretum. Sometimes volunteers would bring plants from their home woods or gardens, and these Mickey would gracefully incorporate. She continued in this role until 2012, when Zaida Wing graciously stepped in to fill her shoes.
As the ‘What’s In Bloom’ sheets were developed, someone further suggested that these could be combined with the walk and soup idea, with the soup expanded into a full and well-designed lunch. The lunch could be themed along the lines of what was happening that month in the meadows and woods. For example, the striking red color change of tupelo and sumac, caused by the red pigment anthocyanin, created an excuse to talk about the nutritional benefits of anthocyanin-rich cherries. The fresh young shoots of spring ephemerals evoked epicurean associations with asparagus. The blueberries blooming in June called for the enjoyment of blueberry cobbler. Even the appearance of skunk cabbage could be considered an occasion to enjoy red cabbage slaw. And there would be the additional
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Pat Bowell, working with Lynn Lang and other collaborators, served as valuable mission control overseeing preparations at the Visitor’s Center: setting up tables, greeting participants, ensuring the soup was served at the right time and temperature, and helping stragglers meet up with the group on the trail. It takes a team of six to eight volunteers to make each event successful, and many a new Arboretum volunteer has found Soup ’n Walks ideal for their first volunteer opportunity.
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April March May February
September
Mary Jo, Margan, and Julianna led the walks, always finding something fresh and interesting. In March and April, the spring ephemerals generate a lot of enthusiasm. In September, the meadow is in full bloom. A February walk sometimes reveals footprints in fresh snow. The Soup ’n Walk program has changed a bit through the years. After the first year, it became more convenient to hire a caterer to prepare the soup and salad from recipes Julianna provided, rather than having volunteers prepare all the food. Following experimentation with several different formats, the walk is now 90 minutes, after which hungry participants enjoy lunch and take home recipes. Soup ’n Walks are now scheduled during seven months of the year, from February to May and September to November. At the suggestion of a loyal Soup ’n Walk attendee, the menus are now published ahead of time in Native Seed and online. Some months fill quickly, so reservations are requested. Proceeds from each Soup ’n Walk support the Arboretum. Privately scheduled Soup ’n Walks are popular with garden clubs and other organizations. Check the Arboretum website to schedule a Soup ’n Walk for your own group.
October November
Soup ’n Walks are a great combination of ingredients. Participants stretch their legs and learn what’s going on “out there” this month. A number of regulars come almost every time, often bringing friends, and the conversations are lively. Asked what she likes about Soup ’n Walk events, Julianna responds, “It draws people to the Arboretum, and after a good experience like this, they come back again and often become members.”
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2015 SOUP ’N WALKS
May 16 TUCKAHOE CREEK AND BEYOND
THEMES AND MENUS
Tuckahoe Creek is a beautiful, tranquil spot that provides views of a wide variety of flowering plants. Look for box turtles in addition to mountain laurel, beech and tulip trees, black cherry tree blossoms, pink lady’s slipper and Solomon’s seal blooms, and mayapple fruit.
February 21 SEEKING SUN AND WINTER WARMTH
MENU Zucchini apple soup Green bean salad with mango dressing Apple date wheat bread with cherry jam Berry cobbler
Seek out green plants that cherish the warm winter sun and trees with distinctive bark. Plants of interest include mosses, cranefly orchid, magnolia and holly leaves, pine and red cedar needles, Christmas fern, and the green stems of strawberry bush and greenbrier. MENU Kale, corn, and black bean soup Eastern Shore cole slaw Ancient grain bread with spinach spread Dried fruit compote
September 19 SUNNY MEADOWS
Catch a glimpse of golden brown grasses, yellow and purple flowers, and bluebirds and dragonflies. Plants of interest include milkweed, black-eyed Susan, goldenrod, Indiangrass, big bluestem, and sumac berries.
March 21 EARLY BLOOMS, SONGBIRDS, AND SPRING FROGS
MENU Vegetable barley soup with oats Cantaloupe, blueberry, and romaine salad Ancient grain bread with strawberry rhubarb jam Pfefferneuse cookies
Early pink, white, and purple blooms are beginning to appear. Look for skunk cabbage, paw paw, spring beauty, and bloodroot while listening for early songbirds and spring frogs. MENU Pasta and garbanzo bean soup Potato salad with red beans and orange carrots Wheat bread with blackberry jam Blueberry peach smoothies
October 17 DAZZLING FALL COLOR
Search for fall colors that dazzle the eyes and stimulate the appetite. Listen for migrating birds and woodpeckers while seeking out red and orange sweet gum leaves, sassafras, tupelo, sumac, dogwood, yellow paw paw, hickory, beech, and tulip tree.
April 18 FLEETING EPHEMERALS
Appearing in early spring, ephemerals flower, fruit, and die back in a short period of time. Join a walk to look for pollinators and to catch glimpses of pink spring beauty, mayapple, and dogwood blossoms, yellow trout lily, golden groundsel, sassafras and spicebush blooms, and white beech tree blossoms.
MENU Red bean, rice, and Andouille sausage soup Quinoa, green bean, and tomato salad Apple date bread with honey and cream cheese Almond biscotti
MENU Carrot and ginger soup Berry almond spinach salad Ancient grain bread with goat cheese and orange marmalade Yellow cake with red and blue berry sauce
November 14 NUTRITIOUS BERRIES, NUTS, AND SEEDS
Join a wildlife hunt and seek out seeds, nuts, and berries that nourish wildlife during winter. Plants of interest include dogwood, hibiscus, partridge berry, oak, loblolly pine, juniper, verbena, ironwood, and strawberry bush. MENU Sweet potato leek soup Waldorf wheat berry salad Wheat bread with almond butter and molasses Rice pudding with pears and apples
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NATIVE PLANT NURSERY
OPENING WEEKEND
MEMBERS-ONLY SALE Friday, April 24, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Think of spring. Think of birds, flowers, and warm sunshine. Think of the Native Plant Nursery Spring Opening Weekend!
Shop the Members-only Sale for the best selection. New members are welcome!
The Arboretum offers the region’s largest selection of ornamental native plants, and this season’s offerings will include a wide selection of perennials, flowering trees and shrubs, grasses, ferns, and vines, just in time for spring planting. Members may place presale orders at adkinsplants.com beginning March 15. Place an order in advance to ensure your plants are waiting when you arrive.
PUBLIC SALE DAYS Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday, April 26, noon–4 p.m.
The Opening Weekend sale will be held in the Visitor’s Center front parking area. Members, including those who join on any sale day, receive a 10% discount on plants, gift shop items, and books. Members who join at the Contributor ($100) level and above receive a 20% discount on plants. Sale days are crowded, so please leave dogs at home. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.
USED BOOK SALE The Arboretum is accepting donations of gently used gardening and nature-themed books and magazines. Donations may be dropped off at the Visitor’s Center Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Shop for books and magazines at great prices on the sale days!
Following the Opening Weekend, the Native Plant Nursery will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, through October. 21
Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Each is unique and demonstrates its own flair and commitment to the use of native plants. “There are a lot of unique gardens to see this year in Talbot,” says Arboretum Nursery Manager and tour co-chair Joanne Healey. “The tour features something for gardeners at every level, with the goal of demonstrating that the use of native plants in any garden plays a major role in our local ecology. These gardens feed wildlife, attract pollinators, provide habitat for animals, and at the same time are an ornamental asset to outdoor living spaces.”
In early May, when the vibrant blue false indigo and fragrant pinxter azaleas are in bloom, Adkins Arboretum will host its third Native Garden Tour featuring gardens of Talbot County. “A Celebration of Natives” not only will highlight the beauty of these gardens but will emphasize their importance in creating a bio-diverse landscape—one that supports all kinds of life, from healthy soil organisms to insects and birds and mammals. Arboretum Trustee Barbara McClinton, a landscape architect and co-chair of the Native Garden Tour committee, comments, “Visitors often ask how to use native plants or create a native garden. This tour is designed to let you see for yourself how some gardeners have ‘gone native.’ The gardens range from newly native to a lifetime commitment to using native plants in the landscape. These sites range from smaller town properties in Easton to multi-acre properties along shorelines from St. Michaels and Bozman to Tilghman.”
The garden tour promotes yet another facet to the Arboretum’s mission: public outreach through such diverse channels as the Native Plant Nursery, offering ornamental native trees, shrubs, and perennials; the Native Landscape Design Center; semiannual landscape design workshops; and numerous education programs offered throughout the year to engage the public in a conversation about the importance of native plants in the landscape. Tickets are $20 per person in advance and $25 on the day of the tour. Advance tickets are available at adkinsgardentour.org. A list of local restaurants will be available for lunch.
This year’s self-guided driving tour features eight gardens.
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EVENTS
ARBOR DAY RUN
SUMMER NATURE CAMPS
Saturday, April 11 Registration begins at 8 a.m.
For the past ten years, Adkins Arboretum’s Summer Nature Camps have given children the opportunity to enjoy their precious summer the old-fashioned way— outdoors! Campers will make new friends and lifelong memories while exploring the Arboretum’s woodland, meadow, stream, and wetland habitats. From grazing on blackberries to splashing in the Blockston Branch, the Arboretum’s Summer Nature Camps provide children with a truly enchanted experience.
5K Ages 16 and up: $20 if registered by March 29, $25 day of the race 5K Ages 15 and under: $10 if registered by March 29, $15 day of the race The Fun Run and Healthy Kids Dash are free. Join fellow runners and nature enthusiasts for the tenth annual Arbor Day Run. Featuring a 5K Run/Walk and a one-mile Family Fun Run/Walk, the event will kick off with a Healthy Kids Dash at 8:50 a.m. Participants will catch glimpses of spring as they traverse the crosscountry course plotted along the Arboretum’s network of scenic forest and meadow paths. Post-race festivities include refreshments, awards, and a native tree raffle. All registered 5K participants will receive an “Arbor Day 5K” T-shirt. Fun Run and Kids Dash participants may purchase T-shirts for $8 each. Register online at arbordayrun.org, or request a registration form at the Arboretum’s front desk.
Camp brochures and registration information will be available online by March 15. Space is limited, and advance registration is required. Sign up your young adventurer to grow with the Arboretum.
Camp Bumblebee (ages 2–3): June 15–19 Camp Pollywog (ages 4–6): June 22–26 Camp Paw Paw (ages 7–9): June 29–July 3 Camp Egret (ages 10–12): July 6–10
“There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.” —ELIZABETH LAWRENCE
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N A T I V E
P L A N T
Members of the laurel family (Lauraceae), both boast a range of uses for tea, flavoring, and medicine. They bloom in early spring with modest lemon yellow flowers. Spicebush bark provided a tea used by Native Americans as a blood purifier and for sweating, colds, rheumatism, and anemia. Settlers treated colds and fevers with a tea made from spicebush twigs, and they liked to use the berries as an allspice substitute. Twigs taste like wintergreen with a touch of camphor. To brew a spicy and satisfying spicebush tea, simmer a combination of leaves, twigs, and bark in water for 15 minutes. Add a bit of honey to taste.
L O R E
A SAMPLING OF HERBAL NATIVE PLANTS By Holly H. Shimizu
Herbal native plants are easy to appreciate for their beauty and environmental benefits, but they also are valuable to humans and animals as sources of food, medicine, fiber, and flavor.
All parts of the sassafras tree are useful, including leaves, roots, and bark. European settlers learned of the many uses of sassafras, considered a cure-all, and shipped great quantities to England and the Continent. The dried root bark was made into a popular tea, called “saloop,” that was served with milk and sugar and sold on street corners
Native Americans shared their knowledge of native plant uses with early colonists, helping them to survive and thrive in a completely new environment. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, a number of these plants and their uses as potent medicines are being rediscovered and re-evaluated. Thus, an even greater awareness has evolved regarding the need to conserve wild populations and develop cultivation practices. In addition, the concept of forest gardening is growing in popularity because forest gardens are ideal places to cultivate a range of useful, healthful, and valuable native plants. Creating an edible forest garden involves mimicking the forest ecosystem structure while incorporating plants that provide food, flavor, and medicines. Plants are chemical factories. They contain powerful compounds that continue developing as the plants evolve, adapt, and survive in a competitive world. As a result, many of these native plants are significant throughout U.S. history and continue to demonstrate relevance in the modern world. Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum), a common woodland plant, was used by the Penobscot Indians to treat cancer. It is still used in the treatment of certain cancers and continues to undergo further research. Like many potent medicines, it is poisonous, so its effectiveness depends on the amount and methods of application.
in England. The market became flooded with too much sassafras, and its use declined. More recently, sassafras oil and safrole have been banned as flavorings and food additives by the FDA because of the possibility of being carcinogenic. Nonetheless, in many parts of America, the tradition of making a delicious sassafras root bark tea continues. Moreover, in Louisiana the French settlers learned from the Choctaw Indians to add the powdered leaves of sassafras to thicken and flavor gumbo soup. Now known as gumbo filé, it is a staple in Creole cooking.
Adulteration is one reason that plant medicines fell out of favor in the early twentieth century—when supplies became limited, suppliers would substitute more easily available plants that were not effective. A prime example is the Indian pink (Spigelia marilandica), which was once abundant throughout the southern U.S. but was close to extinction in the early 1800s from over-harvesting. Native Americans had been using the root as an effective treatment to expel intestinal worms, especially roundworms, and the demand for the root grew so much that its trade became an important source of income. Once the wild populations were scarce, the medicines were adulterated and no longer proved effective. Indian pink has rebounded significantly due to its value as a stunning garden plant that attracts hummingbirds.
Sweet birch (Betula lenta) is another tree with a pleasing taste. The bark, leaves, and twigs yield a volatile oil that is sold as oil of wintergreen, which is extremely powerful and can be toxic. In early spring, the bark and sap of the sweet birch can be boiled and sweetened to make a delicious drink or the twigs steeped to make a refreshing tea. The most appealing goldenrod for herbal use is sweet goldenrod (Solidago odora). Hold the leaves up to sunlight and you can see the oil glands dotted on the leaves. These glands hold the essential oil that provides a flavor and a fragrance similar to anise. A rich history of herbal use can be traced to the Cherokee and other Native Americans, as well as to sweet goldenrod being considered a fine tea by the settlers. In the early nineteenth century, the flowering tops of sweet goldenrod were exported as tea.
Two of the most aromatic woodland plants are spicebush (Lindera benzoin) and sassafras (Sassafras albidum). AdKINSARBORETUM.ORG
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NATIVE FOODS
can be used to make sorbet, a delightful pudding, vinegar, and beer. Improved varieties have been selected and are available from nurseries, but since the plants are dioecious, be sure to plant both a male and a female so you produce a full crop. The wonderful paw paw fruit tastes like mangobanana-melon and is beginning to be grown commercially. Paw paw can be found occasionally in farmer’s markets during the short production period in autumn. In addition to its food value, paw paw is showing promise as a pesticide and as an anticancer plant.
Associated with spring festivals, ramps (Allium tricoccum) can be found in rich, moist deciduous forests in the East. Often eaten as the first spring greens, ramps provided an important tonic rich with vitamins and minerals much needed after a long winter. The taste is like sweet spring onions with a strong aroma of garlic. Try cultivating ramps for production since wild collection diminishes the native populations. The fronds of the elegant ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) are also an important spring tonic food. Fiddleheads, considered an early spring delicacy, should always be well cooked and can then be pickled or frozen.
Our understanding and appreciation for native plants expands greatly when we delve into their rich histories of use and recognize their added value in our own gardens. If you are cultivating natives or hiking through natural areas, learning about their herbal significance can be enlightening. You might also try selectively and carefully adding some to your cooking, as there is much to be explored.
The forest provides some wonderful and useful fruits. Two examples are the native persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) and the paw paw (Asimina triloba). Native persimmons A nationally recognized horticulturist with a rich background in plants and gardens, Holly H. Shimizu served as director of the United States Botanic Garden for fourteen years. She has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Thomas Roland Medal for outstanding contributions to horticulture education from the Massachusetts Horticulture Society. Learn more about herbal native plants and their uses when Holly presents Native Plant Uses on Thursday, May 7 from 2 to 3 p.m. This program is presented at the Oxford Community Center in Oxford, MD, in partnership with the Oxford Garden Club and Oxford Community Center. It is free and open to the public.
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
The Arboretum’s volunteers are a committed, energetic, and talented group involved in all aspects of the Arboretum—from maintenance to program development, from propagation to fundraising. They generously donate their skills, knowledge, and experience and are essential to the Arboretum’s smooth operation. As a young not-for-profit organization with a small staff, the Arboretum could not offer its current programs, events, and activities without volunteers. Their contributions make an important and significant difference. For more information about volunteer opportunities, contact Ginna Tiernan, Adult Program Coordinator, at 410-634-2847, ext. 27 or gtiernan@adkinsarboretum.org.
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS! Are you interested in sharing your love of nature with visitors? The Arboretum is seeking volunteers to help with the Visitor’s Center front desk. Introduce visitors to all the Arboretum has to offer! Contact Robyn Affron, Visitor Services Coordinator, at raffron@adkinsarboretum.org.
MARYLAND MASTER NATURALIST PROGRAM OFFERED THIS FALL In fall 2015, the Arboretum will offer the Maryland Master Naturalist Program for the Coastal Plain. This program for the Eastern Shore engages citizens as stewards of Maryland’s natural resources and ecosystems through science-based education and volunteer service in their communities. First offered in 2011, Maryland Master Naturalist training also serves as the Arboretum docent training program. The program meets monthly from October to July. Participants will learn about Maryland’s natural history, flora and fauna, principles of ecology, human interaction with the landscape, the science of science, and teaching and interpretation. Following completion of the program, trainees must complete 40 hours of volunteer work for the host. For more information about this unique opportunity, contact Ginna Tiernan, Adult Program Coordinator, at 410-634-2847, ext. 27 or gtiernan@adkinsarboretum.org. To submit an application for the Maryland Master Naturalist program, visit http://extension.umd.edu/ masternaturalist.
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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT—MARSHALL BAILEY Coordinator Allison Yates needed extra hands to care for the Arboretum’s goat herd on weekends, Marshall stepped in. Following extensive training by Allison, he is now a trusted goat tender.
By Ginna Tiernan, Adult Program Coordinator
Growing up in nearby Denton, Marshall Bailey visited Tuckahoe State Park often as a child. He discovered the Arboretum several years ago when signs in the park and along local roads piqued his curiosity.
“I couldn’t ask for kinder people to work with than Allison and the rest of the Adkins staff,” says Marshall. “Allison has made a great effort to make me feel at home. The goats are really funny animals, and I am enjoying discovering their unique personalities. I’m thrilled to know that both Allison and the goats appreciate my help.”
“It was beautiful!” he recalls of his first Arboretum visit. “I spent a long time just looking down at the stream under the bridge before I even went into the Visitor’s Center. A few years later, when it was time to start looking for an environmental organization to work with, the Arboretum was the first place I went.”
Marshall plans to transfer to University of Maryland to study ecology, evolution, and zoology. He recently completed Maryland DNR Scales & Tales training and assisted with the organization’s display at Martinak State Park’s Fall Fest. Marshall is also an actor and co-hosts a weekly podcast.
Now studying environmental science at Chesapeake College, Marshall finds the Arboretum a natural fit for volunteering, and the staff is delighted by his willingness to help where he is needed. When Maintenance
B Individual $50 B Household $75 By becoming a member of the Arboretum, B Grandparent $75 you are making a significant contribution to B Contributor $100 the conservation of the natural heritage of the Chesapeake Bay. For your convenience, you B Supporter $250 may join online at adkinsarboretum.org. B Sustainer $500 B Leon Andrus Society $1000+ B Garden Club or Nonprofit Organization $100 B Business Ms. Jennifer Vaccaro$500 MEMBERSHIP FORM
NAME SPOUSE NAME
Ms. Debbie Veystrk and Mr. Chuck $ Membership dues Engstrom Ms. Beverly Whitbeck Additional contribution $ Mr. Harold B. White TotalWilczenski enclosed $ Ms. Cheryl
ADDRESS CITY
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Make checks payable to Adkins Arboretum and mail to: Advancement Department, P.O. Box 100, Ridgely, MD 21660 Adkins Arboretum is a nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
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12610 Eveland Road PO Box 100 Ridgely, MD 21660
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Soup ’n Walk: February 21, March 21, April 18, May 16, September 19, October 17, November 14 Arbor Day Run
April 11
Native Plant Nursery Spring Open House
April 24–26
National Public Gardens Day (free)
May 8
Native Garden Tour
May 9
Native Plant Nursery Fall Open House
September 11–13
Living in the Trees, Speaking to the Times A celebration of art and music
September 12
Museum Day (free)
September 26
Magic in the Meadow
September 26
Tent Symposium
September 27
Holiday Wreath Sale
December 5
Candlelight Caroling
December 12