Volunteer - Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Voluntee® ±ews
COA S TAL M AI N E BOTAN I C AL GAR D E NS
2009
E
Dear Gardens Volunteers,
ach year when I sit down to write the Volunteer
Newsletter, I begin by looking back at the year
without my lists and papers and files. I don’t
think about the 91 new volunteers in 2009, who
travel from Maine towns as far away as Greenville
(Thank you, Elaine Bartley!) and Poland Spring
(Thank you, Jim Fawcett!). I don’t think about
the 7,000-plus hours of time that volunteers have
given to the Gardens or the small-but-oh-so-valuable presents volunteers have bought for us, gifts like Philippa Morton’s step stools
in the Gift Shop and Charlie Birlem’s office supplies and Glenna
Clark’s spreading knives for artist receptions or Bob Boyd’s plant
arrangements for the 2009 Symposium raffle. I don’t think about
the battery-charger covers Dick Chase made for each of the electric
carts—out of recycled wood and ordinary dishpan tubs—and how
they have been a lifesaver in the season’s rains. There are Larry and
Barbara Townley selling raffle tickets every Wednesday and Carole
LaFountaine driving Downeast to pick up Lunaform urns. All of
those types of thoughts are for later.
When I do go to my lists and files, I think about the above examples of Gardens volunteering, and I am also reminded of Jean Hamilton’s little antique sled that is just right for a holiday decoration and
Claire Hunt’s unbelievable needlework Christmas tree skirt—both
volunteers donated these lovely items to the Gardens. I think about
Dianne Ward and Maggie Newton baking and frosting 400 cupcakes for the grand opening of the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses
(Think of it, 400!). I think of the Boothbay area schools arriving on
April 8 and May 6 to help with “spring cleaning” on the grounds
(Thank you to all those students!) and Pat Jeremiah, Bonnie Ginger,
and Anne Krebsbach helping all day at the 2009 Symposium. There
are so many, many instances of volunteering throughout the year
that I soon go to my lists and my files to remember every last detail.
And now I begin my writing assignment. It is my humble
attempt to thank the nearly 600 volunteers at the Gardens by trying
to describe their volunteer achievements this year. I hardly think I
am up to it, but I forge on, hoping I don’t miss anyone (and if I do,
accept my apology!) and hoping every volunteer feels valued AND
valuable, because you are both.
Thank you Gardens Volunteers!
Your Volunteer Coordinator
Volunteer
Appreciation Event
I
am going to skip ahead to a special afternoon on August 20: Volunteer Appreciation, when Gardens staff members thank
volunteers. We treat them to a wine-andcheese feast, catered by TREATS in Wiscasset,
and then we attempt to somehow thank the volunteers for all they have done for the Gardens in
the past season.
Some volunteers received a special recognition gift—free lunch at our wonderful café—for
their enormous contribution of time to the Gardens. You will see their names MANY TIMES
throughout this newsletter. Those acknowledged
were Nick Caristo, Philippa Morton, Dick and
Mary Chase, BJ Dobson, Carole McCarthy,
Betsy Johnson, Tom Hilton, Larry Wilson,
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 •
Volunteer
Appreciation Event
• CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Todd Poole, Pat Jeremiah, Maggie
Newton, Dr. Joanne Sharpe, Bill
Cooney, Marty Landorf, Bill Prince,
Roxanne Smith, Bonnie Ginger, Eldie
Johnston, Carole LaFountaine, Barbara
Leonard, Mollie Moore, Kathy Dunton,
Pam Riml, Harold Van Siclen, and Doug
Zyskowski. That afternoon, I left off Pam
Rawden’s name, but she has forgiven me.
You know I depend on you, Pam!
We thanked those who have chaired
an event or overseen a volunteer program.
This is a vital aspect to volunteering at the
Gardens, one that will continue to be a
focus for me, as I seek out those who have
leadership abilities and love to make lists.
I am very sensitive to the gift of time that
volunteers give, and I am totally committed to creating “job descriptions” that are
doable and reachable and finite, which
I think is critical when the Gardens is
asking a volunteer to help execute an
event or a program. The following people
did just that and we thank them again:
ü Sarah Strouss: Chair of the Antiques
Preview Party
ü BJ Dobson: Chair of the Native Plant
Sale
ü Pat Jeremiah: Chair of the TableTidiers for the Great Summer Lawn
Party
ü Mollie Moore: Chair of the Desserts
for the Great Summer Lawn Party
AND Overseer of the Mailing Volunteers AND the Cream Tea events
ü Pam Rawden: Overseer of the
Grounds Work Volunteer Program
ü Jean Hamilton: Overseer of the
Flower Arranging Volunteers AND
a Co-Chair of Decorations for Great
Summer Lawn Party
ü Claire Hunt: Co-Chair of the Great
Summer Lawn Party
ü Maggie Newton: Co-Chair of the
Great Summer Lawn Party
ü Lee LaPointe: Co-Chair of the Silent
Auction
ü Gayle Farris: Co-Chair of the Silent
Auction
ü Thad Hutcheson: Chair of the PleinAir Painting Day
ü Ginger Carr: Co-Chair of Decorations for Great Summer Lawn Party
ü Pat Schubert: Co-Chair of Decorations for Great Summer Lawn Party
The Gardens also thanked the following six volunteers by crowning them
with the very deserved “Volunteer of the
Year” title.
Philippa Morton, who volunteers
two full days each week in the gift shop,
cooks lemon squares for any event for
which I ask her to do so, helps with volunteer catering, helps with this and helps
with that. She does it all!
Pat Jeremiah, who has volunteered
at every Kitchen Garden Dinner thus far,
chaired the Table-Tidiers for the Great
Summer Lawn Party, read for Storytime
FALL 2008 SPECIAL EVENTS
A
s always, I start the 2009 Volunteer Newsletter
off with the volunteering that took place in late
2008, because I write each newsletter in September, which means October through December’s
volunteering happenings do not get covered, and lots of volunteering still goes on as each year wanes and edges toward
that year’s close.
The Frozen Turkey Hunt on November 22 was (and is!)
certainly one fun event. Each child participating goes home
with something to add to the Thanksgiving table, whether
it’s one of the many coveted frozen turkeys or a package of
pie crust to help make dessert. The apples the children collect can be made into an apple pie, too! This year there were
games, free donuts and cider, and a cookie-decorating table
to add to the festivities. Carole McCarthy, Pam Rawden,
and Ned Freeman hid the coded apples. Ginger Carr and
Todd Poole tended the cider and donut table. Marissa Carmolli, Anne Butler, and Jeannie Allen handed out prizes.
Jane Lunt helped Carole, who had switched volunteering
jobs to help with the cookie decorating, and Maggie Newton
manned the Gift Shop all the while. Thanks to all!
On December 6, Mollie Moore and Dianne Ward produced the lovely Holiday Tea. Mollie is rather famous by now,
as everyone knows how she spends the morning of the Holiday Tea baking fresh scones, mixing up the herbed cheese,
and packing the sweets she made the day before. Then she
delivers them all to the volunteers who make the sandwiches
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Voluntee® ±ews 2009
and prepare the plates,
tasks performed by Ellen
Coyne, Jane Lunt, and
Dianne Ward. The volunteer Tea Servers come in
next: Pat Jeremiah, Carole
McCarthy, and Carole
LaFountaine, while BJ
Dobson and Cathy Miller
fill the pre-heated pots of
tea with the best black tea
in the world and boiling
water. It’s two hours of fun!
Mollie Moore making scones
A hearty thanks to these
volunteers.
Finally, on December 19 the Solstice Celebration heralded in the winter with Donald Duncan’s bagpipes blaring
and the bonfires burning, tended by volunteers Hardy Banfield and Bill Cooney. Docents Charlotte Evanofski and
her mom, Mary, traveled from New Hampshire in a snowstorm (Now, that’s commitment!) to give nighttime docent
walks around the main campus. They also took charge of
the s-mores and hot chocolate table. BJ Dobson and Carole
McCarthy tended the gift shop for last-minute shoppers, of
which there were quite a few! Thanks goes to all these volunteers who help out when the summer excitement dies down
but when the goings-on at the Gardens keep on going. ❧
in the Forest, served as librarian (which,
this year, meant nearly 100 hours of
packing and moving books and boxes),
is a Volunteer Caterer, and volunteers at
many special events.
BJ Dobson can be seen in the Gift
Shop every week, chairing the Native
Plant Sale, giving docent tours, and volunteering at many, many special events. I
know I am forgetting something, because
I see BJ here a lot!
Mollie Moore chaired the Desserts
Committee (Actually, I think she was
the committee!) for the Great Summer
Lawn Party AND served as Overseer of
both the Mailing Volunteers that meet
monthly and sometimes twice a month
AND all the baking needs of the tea—in
other words, she bakes the scones and the
sweets, mixes the herbed-cheese spread,
picks up the smoked salmon, and then reteaches my volunteers how to make the
special sandwiches.
You’re going to read the next name a
lot in this newsletter: Carole McCarthy
is in the Gift Shop every week. She sold
raffle tickets, decorated cookies, cooked
for the Volunteer Caterers, volunteered at
the Fairy House Festival and many other
special events. In fact, Carole doesn’t
mind doing anything. If she’s free, she
helps me out, and that is the finest thing
in the world, when you’re a Volunteer
Coordinator.
Betsy Johnson was a gift to the pilot
Youth Gardening Program this year.
Every Wednesday, she drove from Portland to lead activities and work with the
children and other volunteers. I think she
drove the bus, too! She knows how to take
the ball and run with it, as they say. We
hope you return, Betsy!
And finally, three volunteers were celebrated as “New Volunteers of the Year:”
Dick Chase went through three days
of docent training to specialize in driving
for the Accessible Cart Tours. I soon realized that Dick “specializes” in just about
everything: He is the pink lady-slipper
data person who works with the horticulture staff on this important research
project that spans the past decade. He
leads special projects regarding visitor
needs out in the Gardens with Maeve
O’Connell, drives the shuttle at special
events, and designed and built the battery-charger protectors for the shuttles.
And one time when he came to enjoy a
program, I actually had the nerve to ask
him to volunteer to drive people down
to the Giles Rhododendron & Perennial
Garden! And he did so gladly!
Dick’s wife, Mary Chase, was also a
“New Volunteer of the Year:” Mary volunteers at the Membership Table every
Thursday. She volunteered her musical
talents, playing the piano at the Antiques
Preview Party. She’s on the Volunteer
Flower Arranging Team and worked at
the Fairy House Festival. She sold raffle
tickets, too! One weekend when she and
Dick brought their grandchildren to the
Gardens, she saw a need at the Membership Table. I heard her say, “Dick, take
the children. I’ll just sell a few memberships here and will join you in a minute.”
“A minute” turned out to be a half hour
and five memberships later!
Doug Zyskowski was a huge, huge
help in executing the massively popular
ACT Tours, as well as being a docent and
a fill-in for the regular Shuttle Program.
“Good deal,” Doug always says after I
book him, but it is a great “good deal” for
the Gardens to have Doug on board.
Finally—and I add this a bit sheepishly, because I do not ask volunteers to
volunteer at their own party—one of
our wonderful volunteers who could not
attend the appreciation event actually
volunteered to pick up the catered foods
all the way in Wiscasset that afternoon! I
took her up on it, needless to say…Thank
you Laura Ronan. ❧
CO A S TA L M A I N E B OTA N I C A L G A R D E N S www.MaineGardens.org
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Accessible Cart Tours
H
Regular Shuttle
Program
The Courtesy Shuttle Service that the
Gardens offers its visitors will have logged
more than 700 hours from May 1 to October 15. For this invaluable service, trained
volunteers drive the shuttle continuously
in a loop from the parking lots to the Visitor Center to the Giles Rhododendron &
Perennial Garden.
I must thank all the drivers for their
patience as we learned all about the new
electric carts, their battery chargers, and
the capabilities of both. Plus, it was a bit
confusing when the cart port was moved
from here to there and finally to its current location beside the pump house;
but when we all got settled in, the drivers became those independent volunteers
that make a volunteer coordinator’s life
a joy. Dick Chase created masterfully
efficient battery charger covers out of
recycled wood and dishpan buckets from
Reny’s department stores!
The drivers have all passed on invaluable observations and advice, troubleshooting ideas and visitor comments that
continue to improve this program, run
entirely by volunteers. Think of it!
A heartfelt thanks to drivers Joan
Daniels, Tom Hilton. Otto Purinton,
John Lunt, Harold Van Siclen, Bob
Cressey, Dan Strawser, Peter Daniels, Dick Vogels, Sue Sefcik, Bobbie
Medal, Richard Annino, Eldie Johnston, Jim Saunders, Jib and Joy Fowles,
Mike Moss, Joanne O’Connor, and
Jim Fawcett, as well as substitutes John
Meisten, Steve Jenks, Doug Zyskowski,
Carole LaFountaine, York Fischer, and
Dick Chase. ❧
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Voluntee® ±ews 2009
alf shuttle driving and half docent touring, the Accessible Cart Tour
Program was brand new in 2009 and, as everyone knows, was such a
huge hit that it is almost guaranteed that it will be expanded from its
current three days each week in 2009 to seven days every week next
year. Up to five riders can take the tour with a trained ACT Volunteer, who has both
taken the full docent training and been trained in driving the electric shuttle carts. It
is a great opportunity for those visitors who may not otherwise be able to experience
the full extent of our Gardens’ trails, and the ACT Volunteers love it.
The ACTs are by pre-registration only (unless Dick Chase or I just can’t say “no”
to a walk-in inquirer!). The route includes the Main Campus, driving and “docenting” past the Kitchen Garden Café, past the Rose Arbor, over the stone bridge by
the Slater Forest Pond, up to the Cleaver Event Lawn & Garden, and through the
Woodland Garden. The tour exits via the small gates outside the main entrance
and proceeds down the Entrance Walk and out to the Birch Allée and the Giles
Rhododendron & Perennial Garden, and also traverses parts of the Shoreland Trail,
including the Vayo Meditation Garden. It is a lovely drive.
Thanks go to this year’s drivers: Tom Hilton, Judy Linker, Lynne Nordhoff,
Mary Neal, Eldie Johnston, Dick Chase, Nancy Whitehouse, Thad and Rebecca
Hutcheson, Doug Zyskowski, Ellin Sheehy, Carole LaFountaine, Larry Wilson,
Cathy Messmer, and Laura Ronan. They all did double duty trying to keep up with
the popularity of the ACT Program. Next year, I will certainly need all those above
and lots of new ACT driver/docents! ❧
Grounds Work Volunteer Program
T
his year continued the
finessing of the Grounds
Work Volunteer Program to include lots
more than weeding and picking up
sticks. For the second year, volunteers worked closely throughout
the Gardens with the horticulture
and grounds staff, training and
working side-by-side with them
and fellow volunteers in this maintenance and growing program.
Volunteers who demonstrated
commitment by logging weekly
hours learned new skills and gardening secrets that they took
home with them to try on their
own grounds and gardens. New
in 2009, we offered a mini docentlike course/orientation that familiarized volunteers with all aspects of the Gardens. Grounds Work Volunteers are
often approached by visitors as they volunteer outdoors. Visitors expect them to
know all, and this year they came close to it!
Pam Rawden continued as Overseer for the program, so special thanks goes
to Pam, as well as to Amy Campbell, Bill Cooney, Bill Prince, Lois-Jean Berry,
Marty Landorf, Ginger Deucher, Joanne Carlisle, Carolyn Jenks, Bonnie Ginger,
Shirley Chase, Muffie Fernald, Kerry Lewis, Sally Nealand, Joanne Sharpe, Maureen Stalle, Pat Jeremiah and Roxanne Smith. ❧
Gift Shop
Volunteers
Volunteer Docent Program
T
his year saw a significant jump
in all types of docent tours,
whether it was the nearly 100
Accessible Cart Tours, the
expanded Free Guided Walks Program
that numbered more than 150 tours,
the 100 or so Group Tours, or the many
Youth Group Tours. The more than 750
volunteer hours logged in for the Docent
Program include all the tours given; but
these also include approximately 100
hours of training undertaken by 17 new
docents, 100 hours of training logged by
veteran docents, and 168 hours logged
for those docents specializing in the new
Lerner Garden of the Five Senses.
Veteran Docents include Cathy
Miller, BJ Dobson, Tom Hilton, Wells
Moore, Anne Marie Kurzius, Nancy
Whitehouse, Catherine Corson. Lynne
Nordhoff, Mary Neal, Jackie Pellerin,
Lois-Jean Berry, Cathy Messmer, Diantha Robinson, Kathy Decker, Marty
Landorf, Rebecca Hutcheson, Pat Neely,
Eldie Johnson, Marianne Reynolds,
Sarah Giles, Stephanie Bacon, Janice
Pisano, Larry Wilson, Carole LaFountaine, Sonja Johansen, Jib and Joy
Fowles, Ginger Carr, Ned Freeman, and
Charlotte and Mary Evanofski
New Docents include Doug Zyskowski, Laura Ronan, Barbara Babb,
Penny Abbott, Ellin Sheehy, Maggie
Newton, Todd Poole, Hoyt Walbridge,
Otto Purinton, Sarah Strouss, Donna
Strawser, Thad Hutcheson, Pam Rawden,
Lee LaPointe, Susan Whitehouse, Grace
Morgan, and Dick Chase.
Lerner Garden Specialist Docents
include Cathy Miller, BJ Dobson, Tom
Hilton, Wells Moore, Anne Marie Kurzius,
Nancy Whitehouse, Catherine Corson,
Lynne Nordhoff, Mary Neal, Jackie Pellerin, Lois-Jean Berry, Barbara Babb,
Penny Abbott, Eldie Johnston, Ellin
Sheehy, Marianne Reynolds, Rebecca
and Thad Hutcheson, and Dick Chase.
Thanks to you all!
CO A S TA L M A I N E B OTA N I C A L G A R D E N S As of September, when I write this
newsletter story on the fantastic work
of all the wonderful volunteers who
worked in the Gift Shop in 2009, those
volunteers have logged 1,280 hours.
The Gift Shop was entirely tended during the day, every day, week in and
week out, by volunteers! It is quite an
accomplishment.
When I wrote the job description for the Gift Shop Volunteers last
January, I wondered what the response
would be to what I thought was the
dreaded requirement that volunteers
become proficient on the computer in
order to “process all purchases through
the POS system”; but they responded to
the challenge valiantly, and boy, were
they great!
I also must say that the April and
May volunteers deserve much credit
because, while the Gardens is mighty
slow during those months, the volunteers weren’t idle for a moment.
They stocked inventory, made Fairy
Wands, collated and stapled literature, and pitched in with every possible task needed during the spring to
ready the Gardens for the big season.
Kathy Dunton, Barbara Leonard,
Philippa Morton, Marissa Carmolli,
Carole McCarthy, BJ Dobson, Ellen
Coyne, Pam Riml, Ellen Knox, and
Maggie Newton deserve recognition
for making the slow times into productive times during April and May.
The summer volunteers were
those in April and May, plus Anne
Butler, Jean Hamilton, Jackie Elderkin, Becky Walsh, Joy Collins,
Janet Woessner, Jane Norton, Mary
Thomas, Jo Haney, Penny Pollard,
twin sisters Janet Goff and Patricia
Neill, Polly Gibson, Joy Collins, and
Barbara Bush.
In addition to pushing the computer
buttons, Mary Thomas faithfully volunteered as a Gift Shop Caretaker. Mary
arranged and dusted items and strolled
the shop floor every Friday, helping
potential buyers decide upon the perfect
purchase and trouble-shooting items
that needed bar-codes or price tags.
Thanks to all! ❧
www.MaineGardens.org
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Gardens Mailing Program
M
ollie Moore once again outdid herself overseeing the 2009 Gardens Mailing Program. This
program saves the Gardens money by depending on volunteers to execute the smaller mailings that a large printing/mailing house would charge enormous fees to complete. Each month, Mollie calls volunteers for
the Gardens Volunteer Mailing Program to schedule one or
two days at the Gardens to fold, stuff, address, and stamp mailings needed for various departments.
The group was extremely efficient this year and had a
marvelous time visiting while working. It’s lots of fun; ask my
mom, who not only volunteers for the mailing program, but
has also recruited neighbors in Round Pond, where she lives.
Volunteering is, after all, a wonderful way to find time to visit
those we don’t get to see as often as we like; and when there
are many hands to complete a task, there’s more time to visit!
Thanks for the 100-plus hours put in by Mollie, Ginny
Burke, Sue Bogart, Arlene Smith, BJ Dobson, Jane Lunt,
Polly Gibson, Barbara Leonard, Carolyn Dolbear, Anita
Howe, Doris Russell, Stan Sawyer, and Dottie Brewer. ❧
As Merritt and Helen said to me, if
you can’t get out and weed, this is a
great way to help the Gardens.
Literature and Poster
Distribution Program
O
nce again, Todd Poole came through for the
Gardens in this critical volunteer program that
we’ve had a difficult time getting off the ground.
But 2010 is looking up, as new volunteer Merritt
Webster and his wife, Helen, want to help in distributing the
many pieces of literature that need placement in businesses
and chambers in the spring.
This year, Todd placed 6,600 Gardens informational rack
cards, 1,100 Garden Fair brochures, 500 Antiques in the Gardens cards, and 50 posters on our various special events all
over the Boothbay peninsula and throughout selected places
in the midcoast. If it weren’t for Todd (and next year the Websters!), precious financial resources from the Gardens budget
would be used to pay staff to perform this vital task. As Merritt
and Helen said to me, if you can’t get out and weed, this is a
great way to help the Gardens. It is!
Todd, we all appreciate your 2009 efforts in this program, as well as your being a Docent and a great volunteer.
Thank you! ❧
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Voluntee® ±ews 2009
Volunteer Gardens
Caterers Program
T
his year found the Volunteer Caterers busy, busy,
busy. The first art reception the volunteers catered
was in April for The Inspired Garden exhibit. Pat Jeremiah, Anne Butler, Carole McCarthy, Jane Lunt,
Donna Strawser, Jan Brennan, and Nancy Tindal dropped off
their yummies, while Cathy and Steve Berger and Bob Jeremiah tended bar.
In June, the Windsor Chair exhibit drew a huge crowd of
lovers of Windsors and fine art and were treated to a feast by
those mentioned above, plus Glenna Clark, Martha Heald,
Bobbie Medal, Anne Marie Kurzius, Philippa Morton, and
Carole LaFountaine. Penny Pollard had not arrived for the
season but wanted to contribute, so she sent a bit of money,
which purchased some missing treats. (Thanks, Penny; and for
other volunteers in the same boat, this is a great way to contribute to one of our art receptions!) Bobbie stayed to help bartend
and tend the tables with Anne Springhorn and Pat Jeremiah.
Pat Kiley baked 200 of her famous cookies for the PleinAir Painting event, and Diann Ring oversaw all the volunteers
and their contributions for the Connie Hayes art reception.
Diann organized the food brought in by Glenna Clark, Pat
Jeremiah, Penny Pollard, Bobbie Medal, Carole McCarthy,
Jane Lunt, Donna Strawser, Anne Marie Kurzius, and from
her own kitchen and then stayed for the event with Pat Jeremiah to tidy the tables and keep the food appearing. Claudia
Durell helped bartend with Bobbie and Bob Jeremiah.
Then in August, Mollie Moore, chairing the Desserts
Tables for the Great Summer Lawn Party, enlisted the Volunteer Caterers to make delicious desserts (more on that special
event later on in this newsletter!).
Once again, Diann’s and Mollie’s overseeing of a volunteer catering event was a life-saver. As long as I do a good job
finding volunteers, an overseer can have fun overseeing and
organizing. It’s a perfect match!
I am still recruiting caterers for the new Home for the
Holidays Brunch in December. Please call me if you want to be
a Volunteer Caterer for this one last event in 2009. ❧
Volunteer Flower Arrangers
V
olunteer Flower Arrangers bedeck the Visitor
Center with their own hand-picked creations
from their personal gardens and woodlands,
along country roadsides, and occasionally from the Central Gardens of Coastal Maine
Botanical Gardens.
Volunteers sign up for one or more weeks
during the summer season, during which they
create a set of arrangements for the entire Visitor Center, from the admissions desk to the restrooms to Kerr Hall to the Kitchen Garden Café.
We have very talented arrangers, and what is more
fun than having a great reason to pick and arrange flowers, the “food for our souls”?
This year, Vanda Yonge, Karen Munson, Claire Hunt,
Mary Gevaundan, Mary Chase, Peggy Pennaberre, Jane
Nies, Jean Hamilton, and Pam Ozyck were volunteers in this
most appreciated value-added feature that visitors always notice.
Joan Riddle starts it all off by donating armfuls of her lovely lilacs.
Jean Hamilton oversaw the scheduling and reminders to all the
volunteers, and many thanks go to Jean.
“Overseeing” a volunteer program is a critically important way to volunteer at the Gardens. Every program requires
scheduling (which I help with) and then, more importantly,
calling or e-mailing volunteers to remind them that the
time to complete their volunteer task is approaching.
In the case of regularly scheduled volunteer programs, I recruit and do much of the scheduling, and
the Overseer takes it from there. All it takes is a bit
of time set aside each week to contact the volunteers
to make sure that the programming occurs smoothly.
Jean has gotten the hang of it in the Volunteer Flower
Arranging Program, as have Pam Rawden in the Volunteer
Grounds Work Program and Mollie Moore in the Volunteer Mailing Program. I am hoping to find Volunteer Overseers for the Storytime in the Forest program, Volunteer Gardens Caterers Program and selected special events for the 2010
season. Please consider this aspect of volunteering! ❧
Pink Lady-Slipper Survey
T
he 12th annual survey of our pink lady-slippers took
place over a two-week period in early June in a study
area of about one acre near the north end of the Gardens’ property. This research project began in 1998,
back before there were any gardens, when there were 239 pink
lady-slippers flowering in a small patch of woods. The unusually high density of these lovely flowers in a natural population
provided visitors with a taste of the horticultural shows planned
for the future.
This was a year of change for both the research protocol
and the management of the project. For the first 11 years, from
1998 to 2008, volunteers saw the number of tagged plants in the
Gardens’ population increase dramatically, from 708 to 1,872. It
became clear from patterns in the data volunteers had collected
over the years that measuring growth and herbivory on a subset
of the population would continue to provide adequate information on population trends. This is an important indicator of
progress in maintaining a “show” for visitors.
This year the management of the survey changed a bit. A
long-term study such as this one becomes increasingly valuable
each year that more data is collected. Prior to the 2009 survey, all
the work had been done by volunteers. However, it is important
to ensure that the continuity of the Pink Lady-Slipper Survey not
be dependent on specific individuals. Therefore we transitioned
the management of the survey to the Coastal Maine Botanical
Gardens’ Horticulture Department. Sharmon Provan managed
the survey, and Bruce McElroy coordinated the volunteers. Dr.
Joanne Sharpe, who had led all aspects of the survey in the past,
continued as a volunteer advisor to the project: monitoring a
small section of the population, analyzing the data and writing
the final report.
Thanks to the outstanding effort by the staff and volunteers
who donated 78 hours to the 2009 survey, the transition has
been an outstanding success. Many thanks to all volunteers past
and present who have contributed to this progress. This year’s
volunteers include Elaine Bartley, Krista Clark, Ginger Deucher, Mary Gevaudan, Lauren James, Jane McKinney Kaler,
Roxanne Smith, Marty Landorf, Jane Lunt, Sue McNulty, Pam
Rawden, Elisabeth Roos, and Ethan Roos.
We hope that this ongoing project will continue to demonstrate the commitment of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens to
plant research for years to come. ❧
storytime in the forest volunteer readers
Children (and adults!) love Tuesdays, when they arrive in
droves to listen to our talented volunteers tell and read stories. Whether it was in front of the Saxon Fireplace because
of the rain outside or nestled under the cool evergreens of the
Woodland Garden, our volunteers entertained the children
while doing something they loved—isn’t that the essence of
volunteering? Carole Cochran’s spontaneous yoga-inspired
body movements that found children being a part of her stories while they listened was just precious. Let’s remember
that for 2010, Carole!
Thanks go to Carole, Joan Spurgat,
Gaye Wagner, Pat Jeremiah, and Joy Collins for
their caring in this sweet volunteer program. ❧
CO A S TA L M A I N E B OTA N I C A L G A R D E N S www.MaineGardens.org
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Native
Plant Sale
Gardens Youth Education Programs
Growing Greens Youth
Gardening Program
Summer Adventure Camps
By all accounts, the new Growing Greens
Youth Gardening Program was a huge
success for the Gardens, for the participating children from the Boothbay area,
and for the Gardens staff who had so
much fun implementing the program.
And it comes as no surprise that our volunteers in the program were a major part
of making it all happen.
Betsy Johnson, Volunteer Intern in
the program, was dedicated, committed,
and talented as she helped teach the gardening and business skills to what may
be our future farmers in the program.
Driving from Portland every Wednesday
was the dedicated part; helping to design,
plant, maintain and harvest the children’s vegetable and cutting garden was
the committed part; and the amazing
results of the program—everything
from propagating the blueberry
plants to mixing the spice seasoning—was the talented
part. Thanks, Betsy! ❧
Volunteers at the Children’s Adventure
Camps were spectacular this year as they
helped teach topics on nature and guided
children through the many games, crafts
and activities during each five-day camp,
morning and afternoon, TWICE during
the summer. Their flexibility and maturity
(Katie Ribble is 16 years old, and Lindsay
Buckingham is 12 years old!) went a long
way towards making both sessions in both
camps exciting learning experiences for
the children. Thank you to the following
patient and enthusiastic volunteers: Cathy
Hodgdon, Katie Ribble, Lindsay Buckingham, Eliza Jovie, Paige Peckham,
Amelia Evanofski, Janet Thomson Goff,
and Betsy Johnson. ❧
The last weekend in May found volunteers out in force for the Native Plant
Sale, our first big event of the year for
both the Gardens and our volunteers.
Once again, BJ Dobson chaired the sale
part of the event, working with Gardens
Plant and Garden Curator Bill Cullina
in choosing, labeling, and organizing
this signature event. The actual sale
was held in one of the parking “pods”
this year, and in the rainy days that began at the end of May (and lasted and
lasted and lasted…remember?), the
plants thrived in their wait for the big
weekend. To her relief, BJ didn’t have to
lug barrels of water and spend hours in
upkeep—“all” she had to do was concentrate on the two-day sale.
Her crew of volunteers manning
the check-out tables was awesome: Jane
Lunt, Sarah Strouss, Maren Fischer,
Donna Strawser, Ginger Carr, Susi
Hamblin, Pam Rawden, and Barbara
Bush. Thank you! Also, tending the
pick-up area were Carole McCarthy,
Enid Farmer, and Sharon Ring, and
thanks go to all of you, too.
Shuttle drivers Carole LaFountaine, Jim Saunders, and Dick Chase
drove people and plants around for the
duration; and Pat Jeremiah helped Bill
Cullina prepare the room for his talk.
At the end, BJ shook her head,
exclaiming, “Next year, we’ll be
bigger still!” because the plants sold
out once again, guaranteeing another
big event in 2010. ❧
Spring Tea
The first event of the spring was in
April when the Tea Team revved up
their energies once again to execute
our first attempt at a spring tea. Mollie Moore and Dianne Ward: ditto!
This time Judy McAllister helped BJ
Dobson prepare the teapots, and once
again Carole McCarthy faithfully
served the plates that Dianne and Ellen Coyne created. ❧
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Voluntee® ±ews 2009
Maine Fairy House Festival
D
awn Swinton showed up the week before the Maine
Fairy House Festival in August and spent the day
creating the many, many directional signs needed
to herd the thousands of children to the different
venues of the festival. Peggy Pennabere was a gift from “volunteer heaven.” She not only created the very fairy-ish decorations
inside the Visitor Center, but she also exercised her organizational teaching talents when she tended the Fairy Arts & Crafts
station with the other organized volunteers, Maya Sandalow,
Pat Jeremiah, and Bonnie Ginger.
The Fairy Tea Tenders were Carole McCarthy, Jane Lunt,
BJ Dobson, Anne Butler and Heather Heyes. Fairy Wings
and Sandy-Candy Sellers were BJ, Kristin Brett and her daughter, Alix; Lee
LaPointe and Cathy Miller; and Thad
and Rebecca Hutcheson.
Fairy Games were administrated by
Cilla Alden, Marcia Annenberg, Sebastian LaPointe and Louise McIlhenny;
and Barby Johnson saved the day on
Sunday by graciously taking over that
station. The many workshops for children needed volunteer assistants: Mary
Chase, Suzie Scher, Mary Gevaundan
and BJ Dobson. And those shuttle drivers were back at it: Dick Chase, Joanne
O’Connor, and Lee Gevaundan.
In total, 400 hours of volunteer work!
Thank you to all! ❧
Garden Fair
J
une’s Garden Fair came right on the heels of the Native
Plant Sale. The Fair is a multi-faceted event inspired by the
world’s best and most famous flower shows and garden fairs,
while remaining true to our Maine heritage. In its second
year and with promise to be even more successful than the
inaugural event the year before, Garden Fair offered exciting
speakers, a ton of nifty workshops, container-garden displays, a
professionally judged flower show and specialty vendors.
If you don’t remember the rains in May, you probably
remember the downpours during June’s Garden Fair! The downpours didn’t faze our volunteers at all! Jane Lunt, Martha Heald,
Pam Rawden Glenna Clark, Anne Butler, Diann Ring, Dick
Chase, Mary Anne Blycher, Sharon Ring, Pat Jeremiah, and
Judy McAllister trudged through the rain for three days, doing
everything from tending to the vendors to delivering lunches.
Their feet got wet, but their spirits did not!
The docents, too, cheerfully gave their tours to fairgoers.
Thanks go to Stephanie Bacon, Janice Pisano, BJ Dobson, Nick
Caristo, Judy Linker, Hoyt Walbridge, Mary Evanofski, and
Nancy Whitehouse.
At night BJ and Stephanie returned to the Visitor Center
to help set up and aid the fabulous speakers. The Gardens was
also very fortunate to have some very talented “volunteer” presenters during the day: Steve Salorio talked about his passion
for bonsai; Betsy-Ann Golan talked about Shaker gardens; and
representatives of Morning Dew Farm, a local, certified organic
farm in Newcastle, spread the word on community-supported
agriculture.
Shuttle drivers were, once again, in full force. Lee Gevaudan, John Lunt, Don Rose, Harold Van Siclen, and Doug Zyskowski took shifts and double-shifts to carry visitors from here
to there.
Carole McCarthy, Mary Chase and BJ Dobson supported
the Gift Shop and membership tables. Thank you so!
Some new heroes on the scene were volunteers who drove
the big shuttle bus. Not only did they endure a Maine State background check and training to drive the bus, but they also drove
for substantial amounts of time throughout Garden Fair when
our parking lots filled. Many thanks go to Carole LaFountaine,
Bob Morse, Jim Saunders, and Dave Sherman! ❧
CO A S TA L M A I N E B OTA N I C A L G A R D E N S www.MaineGardens.org
9
Antiques in the Gardens
O
ur Antiques in the Gardens
antiques show and preview
party in the first week of July
were massive and wonderful.
Volunteer Sarah Strouss worked many
hours planning the elegant Preview Party
on the Thursday evening before the twoday antiques show. Then she worked hours
on the night of the party. Then she continued volunteering her docent skills for the
rest of the season at the Gardens, not to
mention volunteering in other capacities.
Sarah is a tour de force, for sure!
She had many good co-volunteers
during the Preview Party. Sarah, herself, recruited husband Allan, friends
Becky Welsh and Darla Parker, as well
as the husband-and-wife teams of Eric
and Sandi Hakansan and Geri and
Jim Botti. Then I helped her out a little
bit and recruited John Brennan, Andy
Abello, Glenna Clark, Barbie Eldred,
Lee Gevaundan, Bobbie Medal, Shelly
Hanson, and Wanda Hendrickson to
10
Voluntee® ±ews
tend bar; and to those volunteer bartenders who graciously accepted alternate
tasks the night of the event, thank you!
Jan Brennan, Janet Woessner, Marianne Reynolds, Barby Johnson, Anne
Marie Kurzius, and Joy and Jib Fowles
handled the reception tables, so that was a
huge job that deserves many thanks from
all of us.
Shuttle drivers drove (That’s what
shuttle drivers do!): Dick Chase, Jim
Saunders, Bob Cressey, Doug Zyskowski, all doing a fantastic job.
BJ Dobson helped “walk” the party,
tidying as she went along, and Mary
Chase—yes, the same Mary Chase of
membership table fame—played the
piano all night long.
For the next two days, the antiques
show went
on amidst
s u p e r b
weather. The
remote
café
was tended to by Shelly Hanson, Wanda
Hendrickson, Jane Lunt, June Warner,
Barby Johnson, and Victoria Babcock.
Dick Snyder helped out with parking,
while Doug Zyskowski, Harold Van Siclen, Jim Saunders, and Peter Daniels
shuttled people and their purchases to
and from their vehicles.
The Gift Shop needed extra volunteers and was skillfully tended to by
Philippa Morton (Yes, that Philippa!),
BJ Dobson (Yes, that BJ!), and Carole
McCarthy (Yes, that Carole!). More than
225 volunteers hours
went into the
Antiques in the
Gardens Preview
Party and two-day
show. Think
of it! ❧
Great Summer Lawn Party and Silent Auction
O
n August 23 this summer, a
wonderful evening was had
by all at a party thrown by
some really energetic volunteers. The Great Summer Lawn Party
was co-chaired by the dynamic duo of
Claire Hunt and Maggie Newton. They
went to work finding other power-house
volunteers: Pat Jeremiah to oversee the
Table-Tidiers of the picnic; Mollie Moore
to oversee the Desserts; Pat Schubert,
Jean Hamilton, and Ginger Carr to take
care of set-up for decorations and flowers. First, Claire’s and Maggie’s abilities
to look at details made for a successful
fundraising event and one that created a
blueprint for a signature event for a future
summer fundraiser at the Gardens.
Then Pat Jeremiah went into action,
recruiting Donna and Dan Strawser,
Maren Fischer, BJ Dobson, and Vanda
Yonge to tidy the tables and keep the
tented picnic area looking neat and
clean. This was not romantic volunteering work, but without it, the event would
have failed, plain and simple. The TableTidiers worked tirelessly to upkeep a tent
full of nearly 200 people who were having
a wonderful night at the Gardens. I am
totally grateful for this crew of hard working volunteers. The Gardens thanks them
over and over!
Mollie recruited a batch of Volunteer
Caterers (She even got me to bake desserts—one can’t say “no” to Mollie!) to
bake a lovely assortment of homemade
goodies. Thanks go to the great team of
Gardens Volunteer Caterers baking their
best sweets for all the guests.
Andy Abello and Martha Heald
worked the cash registers at the bars,
while Bob Jeremiah and Glenna Clark
served drinks.
Then Pat Schubert, Ginger, and Jean
went to work re-creating the tent, transforming it into a picture of party-readiness. Their coordination is like clockwork and is legendary at the Gardens.
The same night, the Silent Auction
was held. The auction was co-chaired
by Gayle Farris and Lee LaPointe, and
months before, they went to work finding
alluring items donated to this side of the
fundraiser, and boy, did they do a swell
Plein-Air Painting Day
On July 5, artists arrived in droves for Plein-Air Painting Day.
It was a wonderful event, thanks to all the legwork by Thad
Hutcheson. His work exemplifies how the effort of one volunteer can turn a cute little event, such as this day when we
provide free admission to painters and offer an opportunity
to show and sell their work, into a hugely successful event.
More artists came. More artwork sold. More visitors enjoyed
this value-added aspect to their day at the Gardens.
What more can one ask? I tell you what more: How
about the now-famous homemade cookies (200 of
them!) baked by volunteer Pat Kiley piled
upon elegant platters for all to enjoy! I can’t
forget Pat’s husband, Bob, either, who delivers
the cookies to the Gardens’ steps after each of
Pat’s baking extravaganzas, which she so generously
undertakes for the Gardens.
Husband-and-wife team Glenna and Bob
Clark helped out, too. Bob drove artists to their
painting sites (and discovered parts of the Gardens he’d never seen!), and Glenna set up the
refreshments table. Thanks, Glenna and Bob! (Bob,
wouldn’t you like to become a shuttle driver next year?) ❧
job! All night long, Lawn Party goers traveled from the beautiful tent to the Visitor
Center (sometimes in the rain!) checking
their bids on the items they wanted. I saw
volunteers Pat Jeremiah, Andy Abello,
and Martha Heald leave with loaded
arms, as did many of the 200 or so attendees of this very fun event.
I hope next year more volunteers
consider volunteering at this event, both
to help out and to spend money! ❧
Volunteers at the
Membership Table
This year, the Gardens began a new program that placed volunteers at the membership table in the entryway (outdoors in the
shade on nice days). Ginger Carr and Mary
Chase helped staff members Dorothy Ferrell and Jen McKane sign up new members
and renew memberships for those whose
were soon due.
The station also serves as a speedy way for
members to enter, register, and “get stickered”
on those heavy visitorship days. The first time
I met Mary, I knew she’d be perfect for this
important post; and, of course, Ginger’s welcoming smile is always hard not to respond to!
The Gardens hopes to expand this program next year with volunteers who have
those outgoing personalities that visitors
instantly respond to when considering
membership in the Gardens. Great work,
Mary and Ginger! ❧
CO A S TA L M A I N E B OTA N I C A L G A R D E N S www.MaineGardens.org
11
P.O. Box 234
Boothbay, ME 04537
207-633-4333
I want to thank all
of you volunteers
for the 7,000-plus
hours you gave to the
Gardens in 2009…
the Gardens would
not be where we are
today without you.
Other Gardens Volunteering in 2009
L
icensed State of Maine Forester
Morten Moesswilde volunteered
to take a group of students from
Southport School on a Gardens
hike to identify native trees important
to Maine’s ecology. He also trained (as a
volunteer!) Gardens Docents on the same
topic. Thanks, Morten!
Jan Brennan volunteered at the registration table at our Art in the Gardens Lecture Series this summer. It was very helpful to the Gardens, and Jan got to attend
some great lectures for free! Thanks, Jan!
Pat Jeremiah has never missed volunteering at a Kitchen Gardens Dinner—
that’s two years’ worth of programming!
Thanks, Pat!
This year’s Portland Flower Show ran
from March 12–15. Each day, teams of
volunteers tended the Gardens’ informational table, talking to hundreds of interested prospective visitors, some of whom
had already visited and many who had
never been to the Gardens before. Carole
McCarthy, Margery Gruber, Ellen Knox,
and Kathy Dunton handled Thursday;
Jane Lunt, Philippa Morton, Leigh and
Kit Sherrill and Todd Poole did Friday;
Donna Strawser, Steve and Cathy Berger
worked with Philippa again on Saturday;
and Carole McCarthy, Anne Krebsbach,
and Nancy and Tom Atwell covered
Sunday. Thanks to all those volunteers
who volunteered nearly 70 hours of their
talented marketing and ambassadorship
skills for the good of the Gardens!
The Gardens would also like to
acknowledge the volunteer boards of
directors and overseers, as well as all who
serve on the many committees at the Gardens. These people give their time and
talents and enthusiasm throughout the
year; 2009 was no exception. Thank you!
Finally, a number of fall events are
on the schedule but have not yet happened. In advance, thank you to all those
volunteers who have signed up! I am
still recruiting for the Winter Wonderlands Tea on December 5, the Christmas
Market on December 12, the S’Mores &
More Holiday Bonfire on December 18,
and the Home for the Holidays Brunch
on December 20. I hope to hear from you.
In closing, I want to thank all of
you volunteers for the 7,000-plus hours
you gave to the Gardens in 2009. Any
way you do the math, any way you contemplate the hours, any way you think
of volunteering, you can easily see how
important you are. It bears repeating that
the Gardens would not be where we are
today without you. Thank you. ❧
Amanda (Russell)
Your Volunteer Coordinator
at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
www.MaineGardens.org
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