Volunteer and Docent Newsletter

Transcription

1 February 2012 Volunteer and Docent Newsletter ALL-VOLUNTEER MEETING Thursday, February 9 Porter Hall, 9:30AM Cynthia Reiners, Speaker Cynthia is a docent at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. She earned a B.S. in Botany from Metro State College in Denver. Here is a short summary of her talk: Native Plants for Pollinators and Other Wildlife: Stories from a Tucson Backyard Six years ago Cynthia Reiners arrived in Tucson from Denver, Colorado, and began a gardening journey familiar to many new residents of the Old Pueblo. Her backyard, surrounded by 5- and 6-foot high cinder block walls, consisted exclusively of fill dirt from an unknown location and 3,000 square feet of crushed rock mulch. After much research, including classes at the Botanical Gardens, her initial design and a drip irrigation system were installed in February The subsequent revisions, successes and failures, discoveries and pleasures proved so interesting that Cynthia developed a series of lectures for the Arizona Native Plant Society based on her experiences and photographs. In spring 2011, this garden received the Xeriscape Garden Contest First Place Award in the Homeowners category. The lecture for the February Volunteers meeting will focus on native plants without spines, thorns or other pokey parts that are useful for attracting pollinators and other wildlife. Design ideas, interesting plant combinations and some tips on gardening with native plants, will also be discussed. Horticultural Therapy Outreach Docent Meeting Wednesday, February 1 Education Classroom, 10AM CALL FOR CUPS for Hort Therapy program! Last year many of you kindly donated your extra mugs and cups for our spring flower arranging program in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The seniors loved choosing from such a variety of designs so much. We re once again going to do this program in March. If you have any extra mugs you d like to donate, we d very much appreciate them! You can bring them to my office in the Education Building. Thanks so much! Juliet, ext 26. Tour Guides/Signature Classes/Proctors Meeting Thursday, February 9 Education Classroom, Noon-1PM The Signature Class Committee is continuing to revise and update these presentations and is looking for photographs from member gardens that we could use in our PowerPoint presentations for Gardening for Newcomers, Xeriscape is not Zeroscape, Successful Plants for Tucson, and Water Harvesting. We are looking for home garden photographs that would be illustrative of the subject matters covered in these classes such as hydrozones, microclimates, pollinator gardens, times and types of use and alike. Send contributions to Ron Bridgemon at education1@tucsonbotanical.org. with the subject line "Signature Class Photographs." Please be sure to include your name and and/or telephone contact information. Thank you DOCENT TRAINING February 15-April 11 (9-week course) Wednesdays, 9AM-Noon There is a small fee to cover the cost of materials and membership. To reserve space, please contact (520) , x39, to reserve space What does a docent do? Participate in specialized training sessions Lead garden tours Present educational outreach programs for adults and children Staff educational carts Implement horticultural therapy programs Teach Gardens' Signature classes Staff volunteer booths at community events Information center to plan and provide Gardens information to visitors as a Gardens' Interpreter What do docents learn? History of Tucson Botanical Gardens Botany for Gardeners Wildflowers Gardening for Birds and Butterflies Water Resources and Conservation Principles of Xeriscaping Desert Ecology Herb Gardening Ethnobotany Tour guide and presentation skills 2150 North Alvernon Way, Tucson, Arizona

2 HARRISON YOCUM GEM, MINERAL & BOOK SALE Tucson Botanical Gardens, Porter Hall Feb. 6, 9AM-8PM & Feb. 7, 9AM-4PM Come to the Gardens on February 6 & 7 and come away with a memento from one of the Gardens notable founders, Harrison Yokum. Mr. Yokum passed away in 2010 and bequeathed the Gardens his home and many of his possessions. An avid plant and mineral collector, Harrison also collected books from around the world. At this sale you will find exotic and delicate gems and minerals from his personal indoor collection and possibly some specimens from his outdoor collection as well. Additionally, a wide variety of large folio books on subjects such as castles, palaces, European countries, map-making, minerals and classical composers will be available. ( SALE, continued) Thanks to those who have already committed to helping us with the sale! We still have a few volunteer opportunities to help out with the sale. They are: Prep Day Saturday, Feb 4 th After 1PM Monday, Feb 6 th Noon-3PM (1 spot), 3-6PM (3 spots), 6-8PM (2 spots) Tuesday, Feb 7 th 9AM-12:30PM (1 spot), 12:30-4PM (2 spots) The Close Up: Tuesday, Feb 7 th 4PM Proceeds from this sale support the exhibits and programs at the Gardens. Harrison himself has provided the Gardens with hundreds of rare plant specimens that the horticultural staff continues to integrate into its existing gardens, enhancing and expanding the botanical collection. Preparing for Harrison Yocum s Mineral and Book sale has taken a considerable amount of time and effort, and we would like to say thank you to all our marvelous volunteers who have assisted us. Countless hours have been spent transporting loads of rocks and books to the Gardens, and countless more in sorting, packaging, and organizing them for the sale. A feat of this magnitude would not have been possible without your assistance. But we re not done yet! There is a special opportunity to volunteer during the sale, which will be held at Tucson Botanical Gardens on February 5-7. Sunday, February 5 th (10AM-4PM) is an invitation-only day, while February 6 th (9AM-8PM) and 7 th (9AM-4PM) will be open to the public. We will need help all three days, as well as set-up of the sale on Saturday, February 4 th and closing of the sale on Tuesday. If you can lend a hand, please sign-up in the Volunteer Lounge, or contact Marianne Rothenberg ( , ext 24). Only with your help can we make the sale a success for TBG! Thank you! (continued, next column) 2 BRIDAL FAIR Friday, February 17 5PM-8PM If you love all the pageantry of Weddings, you will love this Volunteer Opportunity!! Five volunteers are needed to help with check-in, gathering information, and passing out information. If you are interested, please c o n t a c t C a s s a n d r a Zurawski directly at , ext 29, or at rentals@tucsonbotanical.org.

3 BUTTERFLY MAGIC Elizabeth Willott, Butterfly Curator January s African butterflies have included Emperors, African Citrus (formerly called Christmas) Swallowtails, Blue-banded Swallowtails, Charaxes and more. Many still remain in the exhibit and in the chrysalis form. That s one big advantage of the African shipment. Because of the variability in the climate conditions, the butterflies often hedge their bets and a particular batch of chrysalises will have some emerge at one time, others considerably later. That means we have chrysalises on the boards for much longer and the range for the times of emergence can be over months rather than over a few days as it is typically for the species from Costa Rica. And that means you have the opportunity to see a wider variety of chrysalises and butterflies following receipt of our African shipment. (We requested a few from Africa earlier in the year, just to spice things up a little.) As I write this, we still have at least three Priamus Birdwings (the largest butterflies that we receive) though whether they will persist for much longer I do not know. By the time you read this they will be considerably over at least a month old. Our first shipment direct from the Tropical Entomological House in Malaysia arrived on January 25. As these emerge probably by the time you are reading this they will change the feel of the exhibit. The extra Paper Kites, Eggflies, and Lacewings really do alter the feel in the exhibit. Make sure you come and enjoy. I am enthralled by the exquisite patterning on the lacewings and pansies. Eye Candy Attached is a picture of what I think is a set of Lemon Pansy eggs. (If I m wrong, I ll post a correction next month!) I just wanted to show you that the eggs can also be fascinating! Volunteer Opportunities As always at the end of the month, some of our volunteers leave and others join us. A big Thank You to all of you who have helped and are now going elsewhere or are continuing to help. Welcome to all of you new to the exhibit. There will be more openings coming available. Please recommend this to friends and acquaintances your recommendation holds great weight. We provide initial training, weekly continuing education s, classes, other volunteers who know a great deal (about butterflies and about volunteering in the exhibit) and we will do our best to provide you as much one-on-one as wish. Internship News This month gave us our first i n t e r n s h i p f o c u s i n g exclusively on the butterfly exhibit. Kristin came from Oberlin College to do a project this January between her first and second semesters in college. We will be sad to see her go. She has been a great asset and very enjoyable to have around. She s learned about caterpillars and pupae firsthand; assisted in processing the shipments and transferring butterflies from chrysalis exhibit to greenhouse (and the documentation that goes with that). We sincerely hope that this is just the start of a vibrant internship program here. If you know of someone interested in a (non-paid) internship for a month or even longer, please contact us or encourage that person to contact us. Given my (Elizabeth s) background as a college educator, I think we could meet the most stringent academic requirements as well as provide a fun, learning experience. We are currently working on a more formalized curriculum that we can use to promote such internships in the future and to improve our continuing education for volunteers. Of course, the internships can be flexible. The time doesn t need to be one month solid. Alternatives might be one or two days a week or mornings or afternoons. Given that the exhibit runs every day (weekends included), we have great flexibility. We would consider a motivated high school intern. ************************************************************* February Butterfly Exhibit Volunteer Opportunities: weekly Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday afternoon; Thursday morning; plus, occasional other days. Feel free to contact me (ext. 38) if you want to be on a Call on Short Notice list for openings within the following week. 3 Kristin Pearthree

4 Remembering the Great Freeze of 2011 Michael Chamberland Director of Horticulture High winds and temperatures in the mid-teens arrived on February 3 and 4 last year. Those days will be remembered in Tucson for many years as the Great Freeze of A year after the Great Freeze, many changes are evident at the Gardens. Thanks to generous donations, the Gardens received funds to replace and replant specimens lost to the cold. It s unfortunate when a plant is lost. However, it presents an opportunity to replant with something new. It may even be time to redesign an area for a whole new look. In some cases we have replaced plants with the same species in exactly the same spot. Plants such as the Ponytail palm in Children s Garden always seemed ideal for the garden s design. The Ponytail palm has been replanted with a new specimen, as similar to the original as we could find. For other plants we have acquired a replacement but we are keeping it in a pot which can be moved to our cold frame in winter. Or we are giving the plant a spot with more shelter than its previous site offered. The Great Freeze thinned out some plants which were weak or unsuited for their locations. In these cases we have replanted with new species sometimes species which are new to the Gardens to keep up the interest and diversity of our displays. Last winter underscored the advantage of landscaping with truly hardy plants, such as those from the Chihuahuan Desert. But we also recognize the freeze was an extreme event not seen in Tucson for thirty years, which may not come again any sooner. We will not give up on wonderful species which froze at extreme low temperatures, but otherwise do well here with moderate protection. We are reminded of the advantage of planting cold-sensitive plants in groups such as the aloes in Aloe Alley. Groups of plants can be covered and protected together. The donations we received have allowed us to purchase two rolls of heavy weave frost cloth. This has been cut into large sheets bigger than any we had last year. We can now cover large plants and cover whole beds with a single sheet a real time saver. The Horticulture department extends a big Thank You to the Wallace Research Foundation and all who contributed to the Spring Annual Fund Appeal! 4

5 FEBRUARY CLASSES Pre-registration required. Register online at or by phone at 520/ , ext. 19 BUTTERFLY PHYLOGENY Saturday, February 4, 2:30-4PM Butterflies have a really rich natural history; their classification also has a rich human history. Yes, we ll cover some basics. We ll also cover some more interesting aspects of all this splitting and lumping and categorizing and whatnot. Joinn Elizabeth Willott, curator of Butterfly Magic, for this interesting look at butterflies. Includes entrance to Butterfly Magic afterhours. THE CONTAINED GARDENER Saturday, February 11, 9:30AM-2PM (with a 1-hour lunch break) When planting in containers, there is a definite method for there is a definite method for plant survival, particularly in Tucson s challenging climate. Learn The Contained Gardener s tried and true techniques to planting successful potted gardens. In this class you will learn how to plant in pots and how to take care of your potted gardens. After lunch, you will create a potted floral garden to take home and enjoy on your shaded patio table. This class is perfect for someone new to Tucson or new to potted gardens in the desert! Presented by Marylee Pangman, Master Gardener and Owner of The Contained Gardener. You may brown bag a lunch to enjoy in the gardens or eat at the Gardens Café. 75, $65 members YOUR GARDEN AS AN URBAN SANCTUARY Saturday, February 18, 11AM-1PM What is a sanctuary? It is a safe place to relax and rejuvenate. Imagine coming home to a place that refreshes your mind and spirit. Join Professional Landsc ape Designer Amy Maddock of The Garden Studio to discover how your garden can become a sanctuary, and what garden elements contribute to a feeling of sanctuary within the city. $25, $20 members BUTTERFLY SEX (under 18 only admitted with guardian permission) Sunday, February 19, 2:30-4PM We ll explore the mating habits of butterflies and how all that good stuff works. Feel free to contact us beforehand if you have any photos or videos you wish to share. Includes entrance to Butterfly Magic afterhours. WILDFLOWERS Thursday, February 23, 10AM-Noon What makes a stunning Arizona wildflower season? What wildflower species are common throughout Southern Arizona and where can you see them in their natural glory? What do you need to do to create a wildflower garden in your own yard? Discover the answers to these questions and many more. Join Tucson Botanical Gardens gardener, Connie Howard, for this fascinating class on one of Arizona s most spectacular seasonal events of natural history. JUST HAVING FUN WITH BUTTERFLIES Saturday, February 25, 2:30-4PM This class is going to address interesting and intriguing questions, along with some answers, connected with butterflies, their habitat, and anything else butterfly related that seems to catch out fancy! Includes entrance to Butterfly Magic after-hours. Family Friendly! To register for classes by phone with a credit card, or for more information, call , ext

6 2150 North Alvernon Way Tucson, Arizona 85712