September - Desert Botanical Garden

GATHERINGS
VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2014
Volunteers In The Garden
PRESIDENT’S MUSINGS
Ask the Man Who
Owns One
The Packard slogan suggests asking
questions of people who are active in
the Garden, close to the action, who may
have ideas that could improve the guest
experience. One of the groups that’s close
to guests and the Garden is our volunteers.
ITEM 1:
The Garden’s Board of Trustees has
established a Guest Experience
Committee. The goals include “to
define, advance and ensure a consistent,
high quality guest experience….” The
committee wants input from as many
sources as possible.
Volunteers are involved in every area of
Garden operations. Some have been
around for many years, while others have
been here for only a few months. Many
of us, regardless of our areas of interest or
length of service, have opinions and ideas
about what the guest experience is like and how it
might be improved.
To help the Guest Experience Committee accomplish
its goals, over the next six weeks Kathie McAlpine,
Director of Visitor Services, will be arranging focus
groups among staff and volunteers.
We’re some of the people at the Garden who “own
a Packard,” people with a close-up view of what we
might do to improve, to help the Garden “create
a lasting positive emotional connection” with our
visitors. The Garden needs us to share our ideas.
ITEM 2:
Back in about 1901, when the Packard Motor Car
Company was just getting started, a prospective buyer
asked one of the company principals about what it was
like to own a Packard. Since the company hadn’t made
up any promotional materials, the representative said
“Just ask the man who owns one.” The idea was, if you
want to know about something, ask the person who’s
closest to what you want to find out about.
You may be invited to be a focus group member.
Participation is entirely voluntary.
This is an important effort, with potentially major
impacts on the Garden’s success. If you’re invited, I
urge you to participate.
ARCHER SHELTON
VIG PRESIDENT
Now, these two items have come together.
CIGT Training Course Includes
Garden Volunteers
VOLUNTEERS IN THE GARDEN
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The National Association for Interpretation held a
Certified Interpretive Guide Trainer (CIGT) workshop in
Phoenix in June.
PRESIDENT
ARCHER SHELTON
VICE PRESIDENT
MARILYN WOLFE
Garden volunteers attending the CIGT program were
Nancy White, Kate Pond (nee Navaro), and Nicki Julien.
SECRETARY
LEE ATONNA
TREASURER
JIM JOLING
A monthly newsletter for and by the
Volunteers of the Desert Botanical Garden
Upon successful completion of additional work, Nancy,
Kate and Nicki will become Certified Interpretive Guide
Trainers, joining current CIG trainers Anna Coor and
Archer Shelton.
Renee Tucker also earned the Certified Interpretive
Guide credential after attending the course.
2
EDITOR/LAYOUT
KATHY WEBER
PROOFING EDITOR
ELAINE GRUBER
STAFF LIAISON
TINA WILSON
WITH THEIR SLEEVES ROLLED UP...
H
i, some of you may know me from my work in the
Butterfly Pavilion. I am both a Docent and an Envoy
and enjoy meeting and explaining our wonderful desert
to our visitors. Currently I am devoting some of my time
to the VIG organization and beginning to plan a 2015 VIG
trip. This will be my first trip, planning or attending, so I’m
really looking forward to it. In fact I am looking for a small
number of volunteers to help with the planning. I believe
that folks who are detail oriented would be best suited to
this planning, sooo… if you are interested please send a
note to Pam Levin ([email protected].) Pam will help me fill
my volunteer roster.
Our VIG program consists of
over 800 volunteers. To
ensure that everyone’s
voices are heard, there
is a VIG Board, with
Chairs representing
many volunteer groups.
Chairs serve for one
year, with a second year
reappointment provided for
in the Bylaws. Terms are alternated so that every
year sees some new and some returning Chairs.
SUE LANKER
TRIP CHAIR
ppp
H
ello everyone. I am Chair of the Special Events
volunteers at the DBG. I have been volunteering
here since Febraury, 2011, and have just over 1100 hours
logged in. That should tell you quite a bit about how I feel
about the Garden; I love it. I volunteer in several areas as
many of us do, Butterflies, Guest Guides, Flashlight Tours,
and Special Events. Last year I was asked to be the Chair
of Special Events, and I leapt at the opportunity. For me,
this is when the Garden puts on its dress clothes and best
manners welcomes the public to come to a variety of
parties, from elegant to kids parties.
G
reetings to the Garden Volunteers. I am a Wednesday
Docent and one of the two Docent Co-Chairs this
year. I have been volunteering at the Garden since 2009.
When I checked into volunteering, I knew I wanted to be a
docent. I am a retired teacher and one of my greatest joys
is to see the way people’s faces (adults and children) light
up when they learn something new and exciting. I can’t
think of a better place to share interesting and valuable
environmental information to help build an appreciation of
the unique ecology of this desert. My first year as co-chair
was a learning experience for a relatively new docent. This
year I look forward to getting to know all the Docent Day
Teams better and continue work on strengthening new
docent training classes and the January Docent Refresher.
Coming out of a somewhat challenging year docenting
during the glass exhibit, I want to help us all have a year
full of rewarding interactions with our guests and continue
to have fun with our wonderful Garden friends.
Last year, everything centered around our dazzling Chihuly
Exhibition. I am really looking forward to this year when
the beauty of the Garden itself will be the main attraction.
Some of the Special Events we host are:
Pumpkin Fest, Corks and Cactus, Luminaria (very special,
but handled by staff), Dogs’ Day in the Garden, Romance
in the Garden, Agave on the Rocks. and Dinner on the
Desert.
LINDA HUBBARD
DOCENT CO-CHAIR
I do hope you will volunteer to help our guests “party on”
this year. We have a lot of fun. I look forward to meeting
you at our kick-off celebration.
ppp
O
n my first visit to the Garden, a week after moving to
Arizona, I found myself in a place where I didn’t know
the names of any of the plants I was seeing a very strange
phenomena for one who had spent a substantial amount
of time being in and learning about the outdoors. I
decided to fix that by taking classes at the Garden and
the classes ended with my becoming a docent. In the
coming year I want to use my time as a docent sharing this
fantastic place with our guests so no one leaves ignorant
of the wonders of desert plants. As docent co-chair with
Linda, I want to ensure that we create an environment
where all docents experience the joy of sharing the
Garden with our guests.
CAROLYN LAZAR
SPECIAL EVENTS
ppp
W
ho says volunteering isn’t full of opportunities? Of
course, here at the Garden we realize that we aren’t
“just” volunteers. I am an Envoy and am pleased to be
the VIG Board representative for the Envoys this coming
year. What is SO special for me this summer is that I was
asked to be a representative of the DBG at the annual
APGA Conference in Denver, CO! Actually I am one of
two volunteers along with some staff members to go,
conference expenses paid by the Garden. Who says we
aren’t special?
MICHAEL JONES
DOCENT CO-CHAIR
3
ANNIE PECK
ENVOY CHAIR
VIG UPDATE
WITH THEIR SLEEVES ROLLED UP... (CONTINUED)
G
I
am pleased to be the Children’s Education chair. I
have lived in Arizona for 46 years and taught in the
Tempe Elementary School district for 21 years. Upon
retirement I began to volunteer at the Garden, and
have been a Seedlings Volunteer and Thursday Hort.
aide for 8 years. I have also been an aide at Summer
Camp and several family classes. For me, introducing
the children to Nature and instilling in them the
sense of love and awe of the desert is one of the
most important things we can do as Volunteers in the
Garden. I look forward to representing the Children’s
Education volunteers to the staff, headed by Nina Avila,
and the VIG board.
reetings to all Garden Docents! Can you believe
it is September already? At least the heat of
July and August will be behind us by the time
you read this. Hopefully, like me, you are getting
excited and anxious to be back working your day in the
Garden. As usual we will be starting off with a couple
of meetings. The Day Captains’ Meeting will be held
September 16 at 9:00 AM. We will be covering four
basic topics: communication among docents, day
captains, co-chairs and Garden staff; expectations
of docents for this year; a preview of what will be
discussed at the Kick-Off meetings (a quick look, not
all the details); and a chance for Day Captains to ask
questions.
WENDY ROSE
CHILDREN’S EDUCATION CHAIR
Kick-Off meetings will be held Tuesday, September 23,
through Monday, September 29 in Interpreter HQ. The
three main sections of the meeting will be: updates of
general Garden information from the staff, interpretive
information specific to docents and their work, and time
for answering questions. Kate Pond, Michael Jones
and I are in agreement about focusing on positive
communication processes this year.
ppp
I
have been a VIG for about 18 years and have worked
in several areas and many special events. I started in
the cactus voucher program (part of the Herbarium). I
was a Wednesday Hort Aide, a Sage (Student Guide),
and an Instructor Aide. I also work with the staff in
Living Collections and Mapping. The Special Events
I have enjoyed are: The Chihuly Glass Exhibit (not
the recent one but the one 4 years ago), Luminaria (I
was the Cookies and Cider Chairperson many years
ago), and last but not least the Plant Sale (one of my
favorites).
Finally, the New Docent Training classes will be held
on Thursdays this fall. The training will begin October
2nd with an orientation class, followed by the four
science classes (meeting Tuesday & Thursday for two
weeks). The remainder of the training will focus on
interpretation: five weeks of developing a thematic tour,
two weeks on giving interpretive talks, two weeks on
Discovery Stations and a week to assess tours and talks.
There will be a break the week of Thanksgiving and
three weeks off during winter holidays. The training will
finish at the end of January. For new docents who did
the Discovery Station training last spring, you will need
the classes on thematic tours and interpretive talks, if
you are interested in doing public tours.
SHARON G RYAN
RESEARCH, HERBARIUM, LIBRARY AND LIVING COLLECTIONS CHAIR
ppp
M
y first visit to the Garden occurred soon after
moving to Phoenix in 1996. But it was 9 years later
(January, 2005) before I returned and realized what a
treasure this Garden is. I was hooked, immediately
becoming a member and a volunteer. While I was
working full time, my volunteer opportunities were
somewhat limited. In February, 2013 I retired, which is
the best thing I ever did. After a career which included
37 years in Information Technology and 8 years in
Financial Services, I now have the freedom to both
enjoy the Garden and to share my passion with others.
I can’t remember when I became an Instructor Aide,
but I do know that it is one of the most enjoyable roles
I perform. I am honored to be the IA chair, serving as
a liaison between the IA’s and the Adult Education staff
and VIG Board. My goal is to listen to the IA’s and to
work with the staff to ensure that the IA experience is
an exciting and challenging one.
While the dates are firm, not all details of the training
classes are completely finalized, so look for more
information by email from our staff liaison, Kate and the
training team.
Looking forward to seeing you again soon.
LINDA HUBBARD
DOCENT CO-CHAIR
JANET WEIDER
INSTRUCTOR AIDE CHAIR
4
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
VOLUNTEER KICK-OFF
AUGUST 2014
Instructor Aid Kick-off
Saturday, August 30th from 10:00am – 12:00pm – Volunteer HQ
SEPTEMBER 2014
Butterfly Pavilion Kick-off
Wednesday, September 24th from 9:00am to 11:00am Webster Auditorium
Docent Kick-off
September 23rd through September 29th- Interpreter’s HQ
Special Event Kick-off
Tuesday, September 23th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm – Volunteer HQ
Ask a Gardener Kick-off
Saturday, September 27th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm – Volunteer HQ
Garden Educator Kick-off
Tuesday, September 30th from 9:00am to 2:00pm – Volunteer HQ
Hort Aide Kick-off
September 30th through October 4th from 9:00am to 11:00pm –
Webster Auditorium for September 30th and Volunteer HQ for the remainder
OCTOBER 2014
Research Kick-off
Wednesday, October 1st from 12:00pm to 2:00pm – Volunteer HQ
Guest Guide Kick-off
Thursday, October 2nd from 1:00pm to 3:00pm – Webster Auditorium
Envoy Kick-off
Tuesday, October 7th from 12:30pm to 3:30pm – Webster Auditorium
NOVEMBER 2014
Ambassador Tour Kick-off
Thursday, November 6th from 10:00am to 12:00pm – Volunteer HQ
5
OUR SPECIAL VOLUNTEERS REPRESENT THE DBG
The American Public
Garden Association (APGA)
holds its annual conference
at the Garden of one of
its members. As you’ll
remember, our Garden
hosted this prestigious
event in 2013. This year
the Denver Botanical
Garden was host. The VIG Board selects two
attendees to represent the Garden; this is
in addition to staff attendees. This practice
is unique, perhaps no other garden sends
volunteers. In 2014 our VIG was represented
by Yvonne Sappenfield and Mariana Peck.
Following are comments from one of this year’s
attendees.
Yvonne Sappenfield working with Seedlings in the DBG Children’s Program.
opportunity to serve as an intern at Longwood
Gardens this past year. She has also visited several
other gardens and was able to attend the APGA
conference. Her excitement was contagious.
I also discovered that “Fairies” are alive and active
in many gardens these days. An example of this
was shared by staff members from The Royal
Botanical Gardens. Using staff and volunteers
dressed in their finest wings and tights, they have
put on a 3 day “Fairy Time” week-end event for
the past 3 years. With the aide of a little magic
the fairies helped with interpretation of the plants
in their garden.. This event has grown from a few
hundred visitors to 5,000 plus. They have easily
achieved their goal of bringing back the children.
Wow! Get your wings and tights ready.
T
his summer I had the opportunity to attend
the 2014 APGA conference in Denver, CO.
The conference theme was “Everyday Magic,
the Transformative Nature of Public Gardens.”
As we well know at the Desert Botanical Garden,
things are always changing and often these
changes bring new magical things to our garden.
I would like to share a few standout observations
and discoveries that I made while attending this
conference.
Yes, Chihuly does live on in other gardens. It was
special to see Chihuly in another garden setting.
Along with a few pieces that were at our garden,
many new pieces were on display at The Denver
Botanical Garden. Among my favorites were the
pieces that were featured in their many water areas.
It is a beautiful display.
Be very proud of our garden and volunteers.
People are “still” talking about the magical evening
they experienced at the 2013 conference while
visiting our garden for dinner. Our volunteers were
mentioned repeatedly as being so very friendly and
helpful. Way to go volunteers!
Sending volunteers to an APGA conference is “not”
the norm. I think Mariana Peck and I may have
been the only volunteers other than those from the
Denver area. Another perk for being a volunteer at
the DBG!
Some of the other topics that caught my attention
include sustainability, water usage, citizen science,
nature play and what works and does not work
with children’s gardens. I will enjoy sharing my
discoveries with the staff and volunteers that I will
work with in the upcoming year.
I met so many bright, friendly and enthusiastic
people at this conference. One very impressive
young lady that stands out in my mind is Kasia
Gordal. Kasia is from Europe and has had the
YVONNE SAPPENFIELD
DOCENT, SEEDLING AND CAMP VOLUNTEER, CURRENT MEMBER
OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY GARDEN PROJECT PANEL
6
SIDEWALK SUPERINTENDENT - GARDEN STYLE
T
rue to Elaine McGinn’s promise,
work began on the Desert Terrace
Garden and the Lewis Desert Portal
on the heels of the Chihuly de-installation.
Many of you may remember participating
in or hearing about the groups of volunteers and staff who looked at possible
ways in which to bring guests into the Garden without using the Core Trail off Ottosen Entry Garden. The new temporary
entry which leads visitors behind the amphitheater, past the entertaining ground
squirrel commune, through the bean pods
and into Stardust Plaza has proven to work
well and, to my knowledge, not a single
guest has been permanently lost. The excellent signage
might be the reason for that success rate.
there even on 110+ degree days to assure
that the plants were given the royal DBG
treatment. She noted that some plants are
so happy with their temporary home that
they have begun putting out new growth. A
number of the historical plants which were
located in the construction area will become a part of the future Heritage Garden.
If you are a person who likes being a sidewalk superintendent (and just who doesn’t?)
the Garden has created a few lookout
points along the construction fencing
(unless you have the same issue as Marilyn
Wolfe, participant in the following short
story: A tall man at a recent gathering answered a question about the construction status, saying that it looked
good. Marilyn inquired how he knew that since there are
cloth barriers along the fencing. “I looked over it” he said.
“Oh!” replied short Marilyn.
The preliminary work required a veritable horticultural army
digging, repotting and moving plants from the construction zone. According to Kristen Kindl, Plant Registrar, it
took 16 staff members, 68 volunteers and 3 interns twelve
work days to
complete the plant
salvage operation.
If you, too, have vertical challenges or are not in town, you
can keep up with the changes by following DBG’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/dbgphx. The July
21 Facebook entry has pictures of the construction and
more will be posted. Look for the link on the Garden’s
website. The Core Trail from Ottosen Entry Gallery past
the bridge near the Center for Desert Living Trail is closed
but each end of the trail offers the curious an opportunity
to see what’s going on. There is also a good vantage
point at the new “What is a Desert” pullout opposite the
Cactus Gallery.
Here are the numbers: 340 plants
were removed
from the ground.
79 were immediately transplanted
and 151 were
transplanted in the
weeks following.
There are still 110
plants which will be
planted in the fall. 130 plants had an average of 9 cuttings
taken to retain accession data. These 1178 cuttings are
now in the propagation area along with some of the 123
agave pups which were removed from 21 parent plants in
order to retain accession data.
Never before has it been so easy to hone your sidewalk
According to Lauren Svorinic, Exhibit Development Manager, the Garden also worked with Native Resources, a local
company specializing in plant relocation, to box and move
20 large specimens. One of these specimens was a massive
senita estimated to be the largest in the Garden, which required an 84” box and significant scaffolding to protect and
move it. The 20 larger specimens remain on the construction site and are checked daily by horticulture staff.
View from Ottosen Entry Garden into construction area.
superintendent skills. So chose your opportunity and keep
updated about the ongoing changes as the Garden grows
and adapts like the desert plants exhibited.
Rosa Crespo guided me through the propagation and
greenhouse area showing the new shade structures staff
and volunteers have constructed in order to house the
influx of the yet-to-be planted salvage plants. In her
absence, the propagation/horticulture volunteers were
LEE ANTONNA
VIG SECRETARY
7
5
CHILDREN’S EDUCATION CLASS - BABY BOOJUMS
H
fun way to learn about sound,
nature and music !
ow do you introduce an
under 3 year old child to
Nature and specifically the
desert? “Very carefully” most
of us would say or maybe not
at all. “They’re too young, they
won’t be interested, they might
fall, they might get hurt!” But
Emily Morris, Informal Science
Coordinator of Children’s
Education, has a better idea—
Baby Boojums.
Emily plans to organize the
next session of Baby Boojums
a little differently. There will
be two classes back to back,
the one from 9:30 to 10:15am
will be for the 0-18 month old
child. For the 18 month to 3
year old the session will go
from 10:45 to 11:45am. This
will allow the activities to be
more focused on the specific
ages. The theme will be “plant
parts” so each individual
session will concentrate on a
separate part; roots, leaves,
flowers, fruit. For members the
price is only $40 for the whole
four week session! This is a
wonderful way to get your children and grandchildren
involved in the Garden and in nature.
Baby Boojums is the newest
program of the Children and
Family Education Classes. It is
for children ages zero to three
years old accompanied by a
caregiver. The program was
piloted in May of 2014 and
was so successful that it will be
continued in September 2014 and again in May 2015.
This spring there were 14 children, each accompanied
by a parent or grandparent. The classes met for 35
minutes once a week for four weeks and were taught
by Emily who was aided by two volunteers. The
theme was the four senses
and each week the children
did activities, sang songs,
went on mini-walks, etc.
that emphasized one of
the senses. The sense of
taste was not included - not
formally anyway!
By adding Baby Boojums to the Informal Education
classes, Emily’s goal to provide environmental
education for every age from baby to teenager is
realized. She wants to “teach parents
that they can’t start too early to connect
their child with nature”. By attending
this class, adults are given ideas and
opportunities to get their kids outside and
touching nature. Through Baby Boojums,
Seedlings, and Family Classes Emily wants
people to realize that the Garden is a
place for families to come explore and
learn about nature together. As Becka
Berry, a Baby Boojum volunteer said,” It
was a joyful experience to see the parents
and grandparents interacting with their
children as they experienced nature!” Baby Boojums
is a wonderful way to begin children on the path to
experiencing the wonders of nature and the desert.
The objective of the classes
was not only to connect
the children to nature but
also to teach the caregiver
techniques to use to
introduce the child to nature through their senses.
Jennifer Williams and her husband brought their
6 month old daughter, Zhenna to the class. They
were impressed with the curriculum and the way the
activities were age appropriate and especially how
“nature was made touchable”.
The session in which hearing was the emphasis was
taught by Cynthia Elek, a performance artist and
music educator. She taught the parents that rhythm is
the first thing children grasp about music so she gave
each child a gourd shaker to explore and then the
children made their own shakers. They picked seeds
to put in a cup, then put a top on the cup and used it
as a shaker to follow the rhythm of the songs. What a
WENDY ROSE
CHILDREN’S
EDUCATION
VOLUNTEER
8
HORT AIDES MAKE GARDEN SHINE!
THE GARDEN CORNER
RETHINKING WHAT WE FEED
OUR DESERT TORTOISES
M
any of us keep desert tortoises in our backyards
or know someone who does, and some of us help
care for the Garden’s captive tortoises. What to
feed (or not to feed) them is a frequent topic of discussion
and debate.
I recently watched an enlightening lecture on YouTube
by Dr. Jennifer Parsons, an animal nutritionist at the
San Diego Zoo Global https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=R9ECpqgszUY&feature=youtube
(her talk starts at about minute 37 on the video). Her
presentation concerned the appropriate diet for captive
tortoises that live in dry, scrub environments like ours.
What she recommends for the captive desert tortoises here
at the Garden as well as in our backyards may be different
than what many of us have been feeding our tortoises, but
it is based on what they would naturally consume in the
wild.
While our tortoises appreciate prickly pear fruit as an occasional treat, they contain
too much sugar to be a regular part of their diet. Photo by Gene Almendinger
She was adamant about avoiding the feeding of ANY
commercial fruits (too much sugar that can cause bloat
and colic) and suggested that starchy vegetables such as
jicama and carrots (uncooked) should only be used as rare
treats and in very small amounts. Non-toxic native grasses
and forbs (such as desert globe-mallow) were highly
recommended. More healthy choices are posted by the
Arizona Game and Fish Department at http://www.azgfd.
gov/w_c/tortoise/diet.shtml.
Desert tortoises need a high fiber, low protein, low fat,
low sugar diet with a small but crucial balance of calcium
and phosphorus. Dr. Parson cautioned that feeding
captive tortoises only what they like, rather than what
they need, may lead to serious nutritional deficiencies
resulting in bladder stones and physical deformities such as
‘pyramiding’ shells.
Dr. Parsons pointed out that our tortoises are ‘hindgut
fermenters’ that depend on a healthy balance of beneficial
microbes (bacteria, protozoa, fungi and yeast) in their
digestive tract to breakdown the fiber that is otherwise
indigestible to all vertebrate animals. To ‘inoculate’ their
gut with these important ‘gut fauna’, they sometimes
consume the feces of other tortoises. She said the key to
keeping these microbes happy is a consistent diet; any
changes should be done gradually over several weeks to
allow their ‘microbial forest’ to acclimate.
In a nutshell, Dr. Parsons says that it is essential that the
bulk of a captive desert tortoise’s diet should be grasses
or a nutritionally similar substitute such as a suitably
formulated commercial tortoise pellet. Supplemental grass
can be provided in the form of native grasses, a Bermuda
grass lawn, or as dried grass hay (such as Timothy,
Bermuda, Sudan or Orchard grass hay, but not alfalfa hay
which has way too much protein resulting in uric acid that
can cause bladder stones and gout). She cautioned that
not all ‘tortoise pellets’ are the right formula for desert
tortoises. While the San Diego Zoo Global cannot endorse
any specific brand of tortoise pellet, she presented data
for what should be in an ideal pellet to best match their
natural diet. A pellet called ‘MegaDiet RF’ sold online by
the conservation-oriented Tortoise Group in Las Vegas
has a dietary formulation for desert tortoises very close to
what she recommended http://www.tortoisegroup.org/
megadiet.php (also appropriate for Sulcata, leopard and
other non-tropical tortoise species).
To mimic what happens in nature, as fall progresses, she
recommends that we shift to a leaner, drier diet before the
tortoises enter hibernation (technically called ‘brumation’ in
tortoises). She also advised not to keep hatchling tortoises
awake and growing during the winter, but to let them
brumate naturally to avoid growth spurts that might result
in shell deformities. Lack of calcium and access to sunlight
resulting in a vitamin D deficiency can also result in shell
deformities. She added that most captive tortoises are
over-fed; in 6 years, captive tortoises reach a size that may
require 20 years to reach in the wild. Provide supplemental
food about three times a week to adults and more often for
little ones.
A high fiber, low fat, low sugar diet? Sounds like good
advice for us too.
She cautioned us to avoid leafy vegetables high in oxalates
such as cabbages and spinach. High levels of oxalates
bind up calcium that is needed for growth and can cause
bladder stones that may require surgery. Young, spineless,
opuntia pads are lower in oxalates than are the mature
pads so are okay but should still be offered only sparingly.
Thanks to Kathy Uitger and Cristina A. Jones for reviewing
earlier drafts of this article.
9
TOM GATZ
THE GARDEN CORNER
VISITING BOTANIC GARDENS
B
bees. The edible fruit is fed to
otanic gardens are a great
livestock such as pigs and poultry,
way to meet the local plants
but not to humans due to an
and learn a little about them.
unpleasant smell. In India the tree is
I traveled to an island in Malaysia
sacred to Hindus, who believe the
in March and enjoyed time at the
hooded flower looks like the naga
Penang Botanic Garden. It is located
(a group of serpent deities in Hindu
in an old granite quarry surrounded
and Buddhist mythology), and is
by hills of native tropical trees
grown at Shiva temples. on a 29 hectare site. Established
by the British in 1884 close to an
The plant has been used for
important source of fresh water, it is
many medicinal uses by Native
also known as the Waterfall Garden.
Amazonian people. Laboratory tests
The first curator was Charles Curtis,
show the extracts from the plant
an English Botanist, who received
have some antimicrobial activity. much commendation for his design
The fruit pulp is rubbed on sick
and had several plants named after
dogs to cure them of mange. him. I am not familiar with any of the
Sometimes you are struck by the
named plants. Such is the problem of The monkeys - It makes the rabbit problem at the
DBG seem less significant. unusual
and other times the familiar.
learning about plants as it makes you
On this occasion there were several
more aware of what you don’t know.
beautiful
specimens
of Calliandra which resembled our
The garden was responsible for providing sapling trees
fairy dusters but were larger and more lush as with all
for government projects around the island, and that
things tropical. continues to this day. The other surprising find at the garden
was a large group of long tailed macaque
monkeys which were being fed by locals
outside the garden with food scraps when
I arrived. They acted as if they owned the
place and moved with ease and grace on
power lines and trees. Bins had special
closures to prevent their contents being
raided. Many of the plant collections were
housed in large cages to protect them from
the monkeys. It makes the rabbit problem
at the DBG seem less significant.
The garden is free to the
public and is much used
by locals to exercise in the
lush surroundings. I spent
several hours reading in
a shade structure, and
chatting with the locals
as they performed their
stretches. The entrance is
an avenue of Cannonball
trees Couroupits
guianensis which are most
unusual. They are a deciduous tree from the family
Lecylhidaceae which also contains the Brazil nut. It
is native to the rain forests in South America but are
widely grown for ornamental use. The tree produces
unruly branches down to the ground which are covered
with showy red flowers and the round woody fruit
which give the tree its name. Finally there were
several fliers posted
for volunteers
to sign up for
upcoming training.
I was tempted. JOAN MCDONNELL
HORTICULTURE AID
CHAIR
One tree can bear 1000 flowers per day, which are
strongly scented, especially at night. Flowers are large
and hooded, up to 2 inches wide. The woody fruit are
up to 10 inches wide and takes up to a year to mature.
The flowers lack nectar but are pollinated by carpenter
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Volunteer DATELINE
SEPTEMBER
Wednesday, October 22
Pumpkin Festival, Special Needs Day
8:30 am-12:00 pm
Monday, September 8
Dorrance: VIG Meeting
10:00 am
Speaker: SRP on its canals: management and history
Thursday-Friday, October 23-24
Pumpkin Festival
8:30 am-12 pm
Tuesday, September 9
Garden Free Day
8 am-8 pm
Friday, October 24
Ullman Terrace
Music in the Garden 7-9 pm
The Sugar Thieves
Friday, September 26 - Monday, January 5
Ottosen Gallery
“Fish out of Water” Exhibit
October 25-26
Saturday-Sunday: Pumpkin Festival
8:30 am-3:00 pm
Saturday, September 27
Mariposa Monarca butterfly pavilion opens
OCTOBER
Friday-Sunday, October 24 - Nov. 2
Webster
Ofrenda Exhibition
8 am-8 pm
Wednesday, October 1
Gatherings deadline for November issue
Thursday, October 30
Cuisine and Culture of Dia de los Muertos
Friday, October 3
Ullman Terrace
Music In The Garden 7-9 pm
Flamenco Por La Vida
Friday, October 31
Ullman Terrace
Music in the Garden 7-9 pm
Tro De Mambo
Friday-Sunday, October 10-12
DBG Plant Sale
Friday, October 31
Ofrenda Artist Reception 6-9 pm
Friday, October 10
Ullman Terrace
Music In The Garden 7-9 pm
Bad Cactus Brass Band
NOVEMBER
Saturday-Sunday, November 1-2
Dia de los Muertos celebration
10 am-5 pm
Monday, October 13
Dorrance: VIG Season Kickoff.
10:00 am.
Speaker: Ken Schutz.
Lunch provided by the garden to follow
Friday, November 7
Ullman Terrace
Music in the Garden 7-9 pm
Mike Eldred Trio
Tuesday, October 14
Garden Free Day
8 am-8 pm
Monday, November 10
Dorrance Hall
Volunteers in the Garden Meeting 10 am
Speaker: Liberty Wildlife
Friday, October 17
Ullman Terrace
Music in the Garden 7-9 pm
Turning Point
Saturday, October 18
Autumn Bounty dinner
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