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UW Botanic Gardens Newsletter, Vol 13 Issue 5, May 2017
May E-Flora: Urban Forest Symposium and other Spring Happenings
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Upcoming Events
Free Public Tours at the Washington Park Arboretum
Our Free Public Tours include First Thursday Tram Tours and Free Weekend Walks. Weekend walks offer programming for families with children on Saturdays and adult audiences on Sundays.
On Exhibit in the Miller Library
The Pacific Northwest Botanical Artists Exhibit is ongoing through May 6, followed by the May 12 opening of a Student Poster Exhibit, which will highlight research and projects in Restoration Ecology and Environmental Horticulture. We invite you to join us at an opening reception on May 12, 5-7pm.
New Books in the Miller Library
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Urban Forest Symposium May 23: Equity & the Urban Forest
The 9th annual Urban Forest Symposium will explore the intersection of social justice and urban forestry. Come to hear from arborists and environmental stewardship organizations working to engage and serve diverse audiences. Speakers will discuss strategies to increase opportunities for communities of color and low-income communities to receive the benefits of urban forestry. Learn about tools you can use to apply an equity lens to your hiring, training, communications and engagement. Come to ask questions, to hear your colleagues’ stories of how their equity work looks and feels, and to develop a more informed perspective on the importance of equity within the field of urban forestry. Learn more
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Celebrating Endangered Species Day on May 19
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Hackelia venusta (showy stickseed) - Endangered. Photo by Ellen Kuhlmann.
Endangered Species Day recognizes the importance of protecting endangered species and gives us an opportunity to highlight the conservation value of our collections. Visit the Elisabeth C. Miller Library and discover a special exhibit of books relating to endangered species. Rare Care program manger Wendy Gibble will give a lecture on Washington's Endangered Native Plants and Curator of Living Collections Ray Larson will lead a tour on The Arboretum's Conservation Collection: Endangered Plants from Around the World. All events are free and open to the public.
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Applying Ecological Concepts to Project Design
Photo of Union Bay Natural Area by Larry Howard
On May 10, our Ecological Restoration Symposium focuses on Applying Ecological Concepts to Project Design. This symposium kicks off a new series of professional education for those working in the restoration field. Additional courses will be offered starting in the fall.
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2017 Husky Green Award Winners Announced
Sarah Geurkink, past UW Farm Manager and 2017 Husky Green Award receipient
The Husky Green Awards are given annually to UW students, faculty and staff who show environmental leadership and dedication. At this year's Earth Day awards ceremony, past UW Farm Manager Sarah Geurkink was awarded in recognition of her work to expand programming, partnerships, and production at the UW Farm. Carrie Cone, UW Botanic Gardens Administrative Services Manager, also was honored with a nomination.
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| May 2017 Plant Profile: Taxodium distichum var. imbricatum |
Commonly known as pond cypress, this plant is just coming “back to life” at this time of year. It is one of the few deciduous conifers, and here in May it is starting to leaf out. The needle-like foliage is a feathery bright green during spring and summer. In the autumn, the foliage turns orange-brown before it drops. This leads some people to believe the tree is dying. The bark varies from gray-brown to red-brown and the cones are green, round and crinkly looking, a little like a brain. Learn more about this month's featured plant.
Family: Cupressaceae
Genus: Taxodium
Species: distichum var. imbricatum
Native to: Southeast United States
Zones: 5-9
Height: 30’- 70’
Spread: 15’-20’
Sun: Full sun
Water: medium to wet soil
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| Glimpse into the past - What a difference a day makes! |
Aerial view of University of Washington Campus, 1940
Director Emeritus John Wott recalls a song he used to sing all the time, “What a Difference a Day Makes”! Every day, the news is filled with stories about new plans to increase density and building heights in the city of Seattle, and especially in the University District. Read this month's history post, which includes a discussion of master plans for both the University of Washington and the Washington Park Arboretum and historical photos of the UW.
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Help Seattle Parks set priorities for their specialty parks. Participate in a focus group this month!
Now hiring: We're looking for summer camp staff and academic credit-based (unpaid) horticulture interns. Apply today!
Find everything you need to brighten up your garden this weekend at the Center for Urban Horticulture, with the Master Gardener Plant Sale and Garden Market on May 5-6 and the UW Society for Ecological Resotoration's Native Plant Sale on May 7.
Read Manager of Horticulture David Zuckerman's report from Earth Day 2017 - the largest ever!
Things are starting to brighten up in the gardens. Hear about what's blooming now in our horticulture staff blog post: "Spring - Better Late Than Never!"
Save the Date for ArbFest 2017: A Midsummer Night’s Dream…in the Park. Thursday, July 20, 2017, 6 to 10 p.m.
The programs of UW Botanic Gardens are supported in large part by private donations. Please consider supporting our work with a gift.
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