Volunteer and Docent Newsletter

Transcription

1 UPCOMING MEETINGS Monthly All-Volunteer Meetings Second Thursday of Each Month, 10AM-Noon HAPPY VALENTINE S DAY! February 14, 10AM-Noon Butterfly Sex Speaker: Butterfly Magic Curator, Elizabeth Willott March 14, 10AM-Noon Chasing the Monarch Migration through Arizona Speaker: Monarch Watch Conservation Specialist, Gail Morris (see page 2 for more information about both sessions) DOCENT MEETINGS Fourth Thursday of Each Month, 10-11:30AM February 28, 10-11:30AM Tour of Herb Garden with Zee Rossi YOUTH EDUCATION VOLUNTEER MEETINGS Third Tuesday of each month, 10AM-Noon February 19, 10AM-Noon Desert Plants, Desert People Workshop Speaker: Ethnobotanist Dave Morris March 19, 10AM-Noon Place-Based Education at the Tucson Botanical Gardens Speakers: Experiential Educators Suzanne and Eric Dhruv April 16, 10AM-Noon Child-Nature Relationship Speakers: Experiential Educators Suzanne and Eric Dhruv *SEE PAGE 2 FOR DETAILS Volunteer and Docent Newsletter MONTHLY VOLUNTEER MEETING ATTENDANCE February 2013 Attendance has been low at the last several monthly volunteer meetings (held the second Thursday of each month at 10AM) and we need your feedback. Whether you re a faithful monthly attendee or haven t been to a meeting since you filled out your volunteer application, please tell us why. What prevents or discourages you from attending meetings? What could we do to make the meetings better? Which topics would you like to see covered at future meetings? Please share your thoughts with volunteer coordinator Christine Hoekenga by at education1@tucsonbotanical.org, phone (ext.39), or at our next meeting. We have been working hard to plan interesting, useful meetings that include updates on Gardens happenings and upcoming volunteer opportunities as well as speakers on a range of topics. But with so few volunteers attending, we may need to cut back. We have two great speakers lined up for our next two meetings (see page 2) please join us and help us spread the word to other volunteers. And remember: meeting attendance counts as volunteer service hours. Please record your time! Some Monarch butterflies pass through Tucson during their epic migration. Learn more at the Monthly Volunteer Meeting on March North Alvernon Way, Tucson, Arizona

2 CHANGES IN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT We are very sad to be saying farewell to Abby Moore next week. Abby is returning to her home state of Minnesota but will be working with us part time until February 15. As you all know, Abby has done a phenomenal job in her time at the Gardens managing the pilot program of the Urban Forestry Certificate, strengthening our Youth Education Volunteer Corps, creating a new parent-child preschool program that will launch this spring and countless other accomplishments. We will miss her leadership, kindness and sense of humor. I will now be attempting to fill Abby s enormous shoes as Director of Education and Volunteer Coordinator. If we have not met in person yet, please feel free to stop by my office, call me (ext. 39) or education1@tucsonbotanical.org. Since I started at the Gardens in September, I have been incredibly impressed by you our dedicated volunteers and I look forward to working with all of you. We are also pleased to announce that we will have a new team member joining us: Alyson Greene will be starting this week as our new education specialist focused on youth programming. Alyson has a master s degree in environmental education and nonprofit leadership from Western Washington University and the North Cascades Institute and a wonderful background that includes classroom teaching, creating and leading nature hikes and trips, working as a park ranger naturalist, and much more. Alison has also been volunteering with the Gardens youth education program, and we are thrilled to have her on the team. Please join me in welcoming her to the Gardens. Christine Hoekenga ITEMS WE NEED Small to Medium Sized Boxes for the Mineral Sale The Horticulture staff is collecting small and medium cardboard boxes (shoeboxes, etc.) to use for the upcoming Harrison Yocum Mineral Sale at the Gardens (Feb. 15 and 16). Please leave boxes with Christine in the Education building. Spare Coffee Mugs for Horticultural Therapy So many of you have in past years kindly donated the mugs we use for our spring flower arrangements with the nursing home residents! The seniors love to have such a variety of choices a rare occasion in group living settings. We re once again asking for any donations for our March program. You can leave them with Juliet or in the box outside her office. Aluminum and Tin Cans for Education We are collecting both aluminum soda cans and tin food cans for a recycled metal flower class this spring. Please bring clean cans of any size with the labels removed to Christine. THANK YOU! All Volunteer Meeting Speakers (see page 1, right column, bottom) Tuesday, February 14 Butterfly Sex, Elizabeth Willott In honor of Valentine s Day, our own Elizabeth Willott, curator of Butterfly Magic, will regale us with an entertaining and informative presentation about butterfly trysts. You may be familiar with the life cycle of a butterfly, but how much do you know about the behaviors that kick-start that process? We ll explore the fascinating mating habits of butterflies. Tuesday, March 14 Chasing the Monarch Migration through Arizona, Gail Morris The monarch is often considered the jewel of the butterfly world, but little is known about its migration in the western United States. It was once believed that Arizona was too hot and dry for monarchs. But instead, could Arizona be the western migration gateway? Join Gail Morris, the Coordinator of the Southwest Monarch Study and a Monarch Watch Conservation Specialist, to learn what we ve untangled about the migration and breeding behavior of the monarch population in Arizona. 2

3 BUTTERFLY MAGIC UPDATE Elizabeth Willott, Butterfly Curator The season flies by so quickly. We are already past the half-way mark. Our African butterflies are still going strong; over 400 Asian chrysalises arrived Fri., Jan. 25. Our emphasis for February is Southeast Asia, although we ll definitely also have some Blue Morphos and some other Central American species. And, given the number of African chrysalises in the chrysalis exhibit, we expect to continue to have African butterflies emerging for quite some time. Check out the Asian chrysalises: All the Paper kite chrysalises look great like golden jewelry and take a peek at the intricacies of the Rose swallowtail chrysalises. This is the start of our busiest time, with more school groups coming in the mornings. Spring is about to arrive, not only here but elsewhere in the country and, sadly, some of our seasonal volunteers leave us. So, as per usual, if you know of anyone who might be interested in learning more about and sharing our imported butterflies, please s u g g e s t t h e y c o n t a c t u s a t butterflyexhibit@tucsonbotanical.org. We d love to meet them and get them involved. Butterfly-Plant ID Guide for the Greenhouse These are on sale for $10 at the gift shop or grove shop. If you haven t looked at one in the last year, please do I hope you will be pleasantly surprised. We ve kept the price the same and added plenty more information and pictures. Butterfly Kits We have Painted lady kits available. These are a great buy since they come with many extras not found in the commercial kits. You get four to six caterpillars, food, container, a 21-page guidebook with activities and information, a dried butterfly, laminated wings, wing fragments and much more. Available at either the gift shop or the grove shop. Upcoming SEABA (Southeast Arizona Butterfly Association) Meeting Feb. 19, 7-9 p.m., Gardens Education Classroom, open to anyone. Free. Refreshments provided. Topic is Butterflies of the American West: a potpourri of images from California, Utah, Wyoming, and Arizona. Presenter: Ken Kertell. A selection of photos focusing on the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, the Teton and Wind River Ranges and Beartooth Mountains of Wyoming, and the mountains of good old southeastern Arizona. Trial Goodwill Study-to-Work Program For the past 10 weeks or so we have had two students working with the butterflies on Saturday and Sunday. These two have completed that initial program which was a pilot for us here at the Gardens. As far as we are concerned it was a very successful pilot experience and we have agreed to host two more students for the coming approximately 10 weeks. High School Volunteer and Internship Program This is the first year we have established a program designed to recruit and educate high school students on butterflies and our exhibit. We have had seven students involved so far. If you know of a mature high school student who would benefit, please feel free to refer them to us. Many schools require or strongly recommend volunteer experience for their senior students this is one place where they can enjoyably volunteer and learn. Notes on the Greenhouse You may have noticed that over the last month, Emily and I pruned a few of the trees and vines in the greenhouse. They grow rapidly under the greenhouse conditions and pruning is needed to let enough light down to the understory flowers and to help control insect pests that build up over the winter. When we trim during Butterfly Magic season, we have to double-bag all the plant material we remove, freeze it for a minimum of three days (72 hours) at minus 30 degrees, and then we are free to compost it or otherwise dispose of it. These rules apply because the plant material could have butterfly eggs or caterpillars growing on it or we may even have trapped a live butterfly within the plant matter. Emily carefully plans what we re going to do, and it has been a very enjoyable experience for me to help Emily on this. In addition to it being fun, I am also getting the chance to learn more about plants. Rest assured that the plants will definitely grow back quickly the key ones we have trimmed this last month were trimmed in May (during quarantine after we closed Butterfly Magic) and in Sept. (before we opened Butterfly Magic), so this is just a regular four to five month trim. The orchids are outdoing themselves. Make sure you visit soon. 3

4 YOUTH EDUCATION WORKSHOPS With generous support from the Stonewall Foundation, we are excited to present a series of workshops this spring focused on working with youth in the gardens. The workshops are open to all volunteers and docents who are currently working with or are interested in learning more about volunteering with our educational programs. RSVP is required for these workshops and space is limited, so please register soon by contacting Alison Greene, education specialist, at education2@tucsonbotanical.org or , ext. 31. Please see workshop descriptions below: Desert Plants, Desert People Tuesday, February 19 at 10:00 a.m. Dave Morris, an ethnobotanist from the Pueblo Grande Museum in Tempe, will join us as we go through our Desert Plants, Desert People ethnobotany program, which we will be offering to school groups again beginning this spring. Dave will provide background information and resources to help us deepen our knowledge of some of the traditional uses of plants in the Sonoran Desert. (continued) The March and April workshops will be led by Suzanne and Eric Dhruv, experiential educators and founding directors of Ironwood Tree Experience who have worked with youth for more than 25 years. Specializing in placed-based educational methods, interpretive techniques, and ecology, Suzanne and Eric will facilitate two training workshops for TBG volunteers. The workshops are designed to expand the educational sphere of adults and foster connection to youth. Two of our high school interns, Cassandra and Kyle, who are volunteering their time in Butterfly Magic and learning while they re at it. Place-Based Education (PBE) at Tucson Botanical Gardens Tuesday, March 19 at 10:00 a.m. PBE develops a sense of place to connect people with plants, animals, and other unique community assets. Workshop participants, through individual and group activities, will share a knowledge and understanding of place, and interesting facts and anecdotes about plants and animals. Participants will gain tools and techniques to connect with a youth audience through a shared sense of place. Volunteers Alison Greene and Steve Cowden staffing our Desert Plants, Desert People table at the UA Presents Children s Festival. Child-Nature Relationship Tuesday, April 16 at 10:00 a.m. Active and creative experiences in nature develops healthy, happy, and smart children. In this workshop, techniques for nature interpretation and teaching will be introduced and practiced. Participants will share their childhood experiences in nature and create meaningful ways to engage youth in natural history and environmental studies. (continued, next column) 4

5 NUESTRO JARDÍN ACTIVITY TABLE & FOUND OBJECTS If you haven t already, discover the new activity table in Nuestro Jardín where hands-on activities teach people of all ages about Tucson s Mexican-American traditions. The activities are being developed by local seniors with the help of high school students. Here, Gil Franco and students from Sahuaro High School show off our next activity, a hanging decoration made from found and recycled objects, beginning at the table on February 8. Before recycling was the trend it is today, local barrio gardeners were using an assortment of retired household items to create unique and whimsical hanging decorations for their gardens. Come and get creative you ll find materials to work with on the red table in Nuestro Jardín. And feel free to bring in some of your own odd items like old keys, used hardware, and assorted found objects to leave for others to work with. One person s cast-off is another one s treasure! Contact Juliet at ext. 26 with questions or you can leave any donated items with her. -Juliet Niehaus Gil Franco and students from Sahuaro High show their decorations made from found objects. Make yours at the activity table in Nuestro Jardin, or bring in some found objects to share. Growdown! The Great Tucson Garden Design Challenge March 21 to 24 You may have noticed (or helped clear!) the open 15 x20 dirt plots to the east of the staff parking lot. From Thursday, March 21 to Saturday, March 23, that bare landscape will be transformed as four local landscape designers go trowel to trowel in a three-day competition to create the best Tucson pocket garden. The theme is Small Gardens, Big Ideas, and the emphasis will be on creating a small, inviting usable garden that would thrive under local desert conditions at a home with limited yard space. The designers selected to participate are: Christine Jeffrey, LJ Design & Consulting Scott Calhoun, Zona Gardens, LLC Ezra Roati, REALM, an Urban Organics Company Janis and Phil Van Wyck, Van Wyck Projects Judging, a ticketed awards luncheon with guest speaker Mary Irish, and the Growdown! Garden Fair will take place on Sunday, March 24. The designers gardens will remain on display through April or May 2013 (tentative, depending on the weather and upcoming construction projects). For more information, visit: 5

6 NEW SPRING EVENTS & HAPPENINGS In addition to our regular seasonal programming and annual events, we have some exciting new programming this spring. You may hear questions about these programs from visitors, and we also hope you will join us for any that interest you and help spread the word among your friends, family and colleagues. If you need more information about any of these programs, please contact Christine or ext. 39). Urban Forestry Certificate Program Feb. 26 to April 23 In partnership with the Garden District Neighborhood Association, the City of Tucson and Trees for Tucson, Tucson Botanical Gardens is offering a 9-week program to engage and educate our community about the development and maintenance of Tucson s urban forest. Class sessions will cover urban forestry basics, tree biology, tree care, pruning, tree inventories, and community engagement. Hands-on sessions will allow participants to literally get their hands dirty by working in our community to plant, maintain, and inventory trees. Upon completion of the program, participants will be prepared to join an active volunteer corps working to make Tucson s neighborhoods greener and healthier. Classes meet Tuesday evenings from 5:30-8:30 p.m. and some Saturdays. Program Fee: $220, $195 members To register, please call Lynne at ext. 18. Poetry in the Gardens First Saturday of the Each Month this Spring 10-11:30AM Art and literature have always reflected the natural world. In this new monthly series, hosted by the Tucson Botanical Gardens and the University of Arizona Poetry Center, lovers of nature and poetry are invited to visit a different garden space each month and explore those connections. Poetry Center docents will provide participants with a packet of poems focusing on the natural world and invite all to join a light and informal conversation of how literature and nature work together. No prior knowledge of poetry is needed, but a pen and notebook are recommended. Free with Gardens admission. Sat., Mar. 2: Butterfly Garden Sat., Apr. 6: Iris Garden Sat., May 4: Cactus and Succulent Garden 6

7 UPCOMING CLASS SCHEDULE Full Class offerings for March, April and May are also on our website. For complete spring schedule, please visit: Register online or by calling , ext. 19. RAPTORS PART 3: FALCONS AND VULTURES Tuesday, February 12, 6-8PM Falcons are the jet fighters of the bird world. Caracaras are relatives of falcons that are similar in some ways to vultures. Why are falcons and caracaras placed in the same family? How fast can falcons fly? How come vultures don t get sick when they eat dead things? Join Jeff Babson of Sky Island Tours as we answer these questions and learn about the classification, identification, and conservation of these fascinating birds. $17, $12 members BUTTERFLY SEX (Under 18 only admitted with parent permission) Thursday, February 14, 6-7:15PM Take your sweetheart on an unforgettable Valentine s date with this entertaining presentation about butterfly trysts, followed by a romantic stroll through our Butterfly Magic living exhibit. We ll explore the mating habits of butterflies and how all that good stuff works. Feel free to contact us beforehand if you have photos or videos you wish to share. Price includes light refreshments and entrance to Butterfly Magic after hours. $22, $18 members; call to receive special pricing for two: $40, $32 members D E S I G N I N G A S U C C U L E N T TABLETOP GARDEN FOR YOUR PATIO Saturday, February 23, 1-3PM Growing succulent plants in a container garden is easy and immensely satisfying. In this second installment of the Getting Potted Series, Marylee Pangman, Tucson s Potted Garden Expert, will show you how to combine the amazing array of colors and leaf textures into a beautiful arrangement. You ll explore succulents that work well in our shaded desert climate and create your own dish garden to take home and enjoy. $60, $50 members (price includes materials) YOGA IN THE GARDENS Thursday, March 7, 14,21,28, 8-9AM Start 2013 off on the right foot with weekly sessions of invigorating and centering yoga practice in our beautiful garden setting. Taught by Laura Greenlaw, a certified yoga instructor with nine years of teaching experience, each one-hour class will include centering hatha yoga poses taught using good alignment and breath work. Students will learn to create both flexibility and strength in their bodies. One month (4 Class Sessions): $40, $30 members BUTTERFLY BASICS Thursday, February 19, 4:30-6PM Join Elizabeth Willott, curator of Butterfly Magic, for this basic introduction to butterfly biology. Along with showing some great shots of butterflies from the Gardens and Butterfly Magic, we ll introduce you to butterfly biology and the inner workings of the tropical butterfly exhibit. Includes entrance to Butterfly Magic after hours. $12, 17 members 5