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UW Botanic Gardens Newsletter, Vol 12 Issue 5, May 2016

May E-Flora: Students, Science and Sustainability

Upcoming Events

5/6	BioBlitz for Families
5/7	2016 BioBlitz
5/7	May Wildflowers Story Program
5/8	Free Weekend Walks
5/9	Plant Pressing Workshop
5/11-14	Family Nature Class - Flowers and Pollinators
5/13	Student Poster Exhibit Reception
5/14	Park in the Dark
5/15	Free Weekend Walks
5/17	2016 Urban Forest Symposium
5/18-21	Family Nature Class -What Makes a Bird a Bird?
5/22	Free Weekend Walks
5/25-28	Family Nature Class - Owls
5/26	ProHort: Foliar Pests and Diseases
5/29	Free Weekend Walks
6/1-4	Family Nature Class - Birds On The Water
6/1	iPhone and iPad Botanical Photography
6/2	First Thursday Tram Tour
6/5	Free Weekend Walks
6/8-11	Family Nature Class - Wetlands
See all events »

Free Weekend Walks

May Weekend Walks: This month's tours highlight abundant spring blossoms and include discussion of flower morphology and pollinators.

Flowers

Join us every Sunday at 1pm at the Graham Visitors Center.

First Thursday Tram Tours

Register for a free tram tour through the Washington Park Arboretum on the first Thursday of each month at 11am. Or, schedule a private tour for your group.

On Exhibit in the Miller Library

Student_posters

Student reserach posters on display starting May 13. Join us for an opening reception to meet the students and learn more about their work!

New Books in the Miller Library

Wild_Bookcover

What do Students Study at UW Botanic Gardens?
Attend "Work in Progress: A Student Poster Exhibit" to Find Out

Student_posters_main

From rain gardens and urban restoration to rare plant conservation, pollinator health and invasive plant studies, an abundance of exciting research is being carried out by our students, faculty and staff. Join us in the Elisabeth C. Miller Library during the month of May to learn about the interesting student research currently underway.

May 17 - Urban Forest Symposium: Sustaining the Urban Forest During Densification

worldarchitecture.org

Explosive population growth is underway in the Puget Sound Region. On Tuesday, May 17, the Urban Forest Symposium will explore approaches to sustaining the urban forest in the face of this rapid densification. Speakers will introduce the tenets of Smart Growth initiatives which have been widely adopted by policy makers, influencing land use decisions and the urban forest in Seattle and around the world. Case studies of successful approaches from Seattle and other cities will offer insights into ways to creatively address our local challenges. Read more and register.

Image credit: worldarchitecture.org

Learn to be a Scientist at BioBlitz This Weekend

Bioblitz_Liam_Jenny

A BioBlitz is an intense period of biological surveying in an attempt to record all the living species within a designated area. Groups of scientists, naturalists and community volunteers conduct an intensive field study over a continuous time period. Join us on May 6-7 as we look for bats, birds, insects, lichens, weeds, and mussels at the Washington Park Arboretum. Friday's activities are designed for families with young children, and everyone is welcome on Saturday. Learn more and register.

And the Award Goes To...

SER-UW_Hoophouse

Multiple UW Botanic Gardens students and staff were nominated for Husky Green Awards this year, presented by the UW Sustainability Office on Earth Day. Winners included the Society for Ecological Restoration, UW Chapter's native plant nursery, and the UW Grounds Management salvage wood program. Also nominated was Sarah Geurkink, manager of the UW Farm. We are proud of all of this exciting work happening within our organization!

May Plant Profile: Kalmia latifolia

Kalmia_latifolia_JoySpurr

Kalmia latifolia is native to eastern North America, and is one of our most spectacular broadleaf evergreen shrubs. Its attractive qualities no doubt led both Connecticut and Pennsylvania to choose Kalmia latifolia as their state flower. Growing up to 30’ in the wild, in cultivation Kalmia slowly reaches heights of 8 to 10 feet, with a similar spread. Kalmia generally bloom later that most Rhododendron and are a good way to extend the blooming season. Learn more

Glimpse into the Past - Trees Need Tractors

John_Deere_tractor

Managing a large garden requires large equipment. Often tractors and trucks can be kept in great working order for many years, but eventually they too will need to be replaced. The funding need for equipment, both large and small, is never ending. Excellent working equipment lessens the work load for staff, and leads to more efficient maintenance. It too is part of the cost of Arboretum maintenance. Read about past and present equipment used to help maintain the Arboretum collections.

Twigs

Join UW BotanicGardens Director Sarah Reichard on the trip of a lifetime: South Africa Wildflowers and National Botanical Gardens Tour. Enrollment closes soon - don't miss out!

Support Heronswood Garden and get your tickets now to “Saving Plants, Saving Ourselves,” a lecture by Dr. Peter Raven on Sunday, May 15 in Kingston, WA.

Ready for a family night hike? Park in the Dark family programs offer special nighttime access to the Arboretum. Check online for all the upcoming dates throughout the season.

Check out the latest personal profiles on our blog, and get to know our students, staff and volunteers! Recent profiles include a volunteer in the Hyde Herbarium, a staff member in Education, and a student in the ESRM program.

The stories of people and plants are intricately intertwined. The plants in our collections have many stories to tell, and our horticulture staff have chosen a few stories to wet your whistle.

The Arboretum Loop Trail project will create an accessible path to parts of the Arboretum that are currently hard to get to, while replacing nonnative plants and trees with rich native species. Learn more about the project and sign up for email updates.

Work will soon be underway on the Union Bay Natural Area Mitigation Project, a partnership between the UW and the Washington State Department of Transportation to create and enhance existing wetlands and replace invasive and non-native plants with native wetland plants. Learn more at the project website.

The programs of UW Botanic Gardens are supported in large part by private donations. Please consider supporting our work with a gift.

E-Flora is a regular online newsletter of the University of Washington Botanic Gardens
206.543.8616 | uwbg@u.washington.edu | www.uwbotanicgardens.org

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