by Chris Earley

Are you a green machine? With all the green bursting out everywhere (remember how a month ago we had forgotten that the colour green existed?) I thought a green quiz was appropriate. Can you figure out all of these Arboretum inhabitants that have the word "green" in their names? The answers are at the bottom of the newsletter. A printable version of the quiz is available at: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/May%202017/printable_quiz_green_May_2017.pdf

The Arboretum is an especially busy place in the Spring with all the amazing changes that occur.

Each Spring our staff number increases almost two fold with the addition of our summer grounds staff. We would like to welcome each and every one of them. You will see their friendly faces around on the grounds throughout the spring and summer. Tess Sprawson has also started as our Horticultural Intern. Rachel Irwin will begin has our Summer Interpretive Naturalist later this week. Alexandra Kocher, Naturalist Intern completed her contract at the end of April. We would like to thank her for all her wonderful contributions to The Arboretum over the last couple years and wish her well as she moves forward!

back row: Kayla, Bennett, Baylea, Riley, front row: Tessa, Emma (Conservation Horticulture Assistant), Tess (Horticultural Intern)

Our staff and summer crew have been busy in our gardens, ponds and plant collections as The Arboretum bursts into spring. They have been working on a major renovation of the Anacardiaceae (Sumac) family collection with new accessions being added. Some rare conifers have been recently added to the World of Trees Collection and Spring planting has begun along several corridors of our Wall-Custance Memorial Forest. The Master Gardeners have also been graciously volunteering their time in our our Jane Goodall Roots & Shoots Garden and have donated and planted masses of Bloodroot, Red Trillium and Virginia Bluebells.

The grounds are full of great sightings each Spring as noted in the "Current Sightings" section below in this newsletter. Sean Fox has also mentioned that the sugar maples and serviceberries are blooming as magnificently as we've ever seen them. It is a great time to come and see them.

Our Arboretum Centre is a unique venue for conferences, meetings, banquets and weddings. May and June are busy months for conferences and meetings and also starts the busiest time of the year off for weddings. Many couples celebrate their wedding day with outdoor ceremonies and the reception in our Arboretum Centre.

Our interpretive staff are busy offering a variety of programs to a number of different groups. You may see them out on the grounds with a following of children (or adults) eager to learn more about nature. On Wednesday, June 14 at 7 p.m. our Wednesday Night Walk, led by Rachel will be part of the 2 Rivers Festival in Guelph and on Sunday, June 18 Sean Fox will lead a tour of "The Trees Along The River" as part of the Two Rivers Festival. The Two Rivers Festival in Guelph celebrates the Speed and Eramosa Rivers and offers a number of events throughout May and June.

As always we hope that you will find time to come and visit us whether it be for a leisurely walk on our grounds or for one of our workshops or programs. There are so many reasons that The Arboretum is enjoyed by so many!

by Polly Samland

There are numerous ‘exotic’ species that thrive in our climate, and the majority make excellent additions to the landscape (such as Japanese maples or star magnolias). Then there are the ones that are so adaptable that they spread and compete in a destructive way, with devastating environmental and economic cost (such as European buckthorn and autumn olive). These plants are considered to be invasive species, and as stewards of the land we all can have an active role in recognizing, monitoring and removing them from our communities.

The best times of year to recognize an invasive species is on the cusp of the growing season, in late fall or early spring. The cues to dormancy that the native species follow are not recognized by these plants, which have not completely synchronized with our seasons. In the woodland collections around our Arboretum Centre, one of the first things to leaf out in April is the Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica). Semi-evergreen periwinkle (Vinca minor) may maintain their leaves through the winter – and this allows them to shade out and threaten the native woodland understory.

This timing can work to our advantage, as invasive species stand out as interlopers. A great time to organize a buckthorn pull is in late October; shrubs that used to blend into a green mass of foliage, disappearing amidst dogwood, chokecherry and sumac, are suddenly the only ones left holding their leaves. Losing their summer camouflage, they become very easy to target. Even in early December, we were out removing thickets of privet (Ligustrum vulgare), covered in limp green leaves.

Once you notice the presence of invasive species as distinct and out-of-step with their environment, you will see them everywhere on your travels, in ditches and along rivers, as hedges and ornamental gardens, and as steadily increasing patches in woodlots and forest trails. There is great information available from the Ministry of Environment and the Ontario Invasive Plants Council on the particular threats each species poses – some harbour disease and pests, some release chemicals from their roots that inhibit growth of native competition, many are spread by seed and regenerate into dense thickets, creating an seemingly endless battle.

The villain of the moment is garlic mustard, (Alliaria petiolata). This biennial spreads swiftly, forming a rosette its first year and shooting up into a flower and seeding in the second year. The roots of the garlic mustard have proven to be allelopathic, sending out chemicals that interfere with the growth of native woodland flowers. Right now in early May garlic mustard is just starting to flower, and it is crucial to dig up the plant or at least snap off the flowering stalk (or line-trim it) before it is able to go to seed.

garlic mustard just starting to flower

Links: There is a community action planned in Guelph for May 18, a garlic mustard pull and pesto making day, more information at: http://www.invadingspecies.com/invaders/plants-terrestrial/garlic-mustard/

More general details on garlic mustard can be found at: http://www.invadingspecies.com/invaders/plants-terrestrial/garlic-mustard/

A printable version of this article is available at: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/May%202017/Invasive_article_Polly_May_2017.pdf

If you would like to learn more about Invasive Species of Plants and Animals please register for our Invasive Species Workshop on June 3. The early bird deadline is May 25. More information is available at: https://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/educationandevents/workshops

by Jason Chan

I was never big on bugs growing up; and like many, any creepy crawly was quickly squashed, dismissed, and then discarded. I remember camping with my family and purposely flicking harvestmen (also known as “daddy longlegs”) off the tent. But there’s tactic to it, you have to flick it from the inside, so you didn’t have to touch it at all. But in my final semester of undergrad, I enrolled in ENVS 3090: Insect Diversity and Biology here at The University of Guelph after hearing about how interesting it was for some of my friends.

After four months of identification boxes, night labs, bell ringers, and insect collecting (in the dead of winter, if I may add!), I was hooked; it was a 180 degree turn around. By the following summer, I found myself scooping up, observing and identifying insects with my hand lens at camp or wherever I was.

The world of insects is a fascinating but often neglected world. Considering their incredible roles in the natural world (which directly affect us), their unique features and adaptations, and the fact that they make up 80% of all the living things on earth, they can and should only spark awe and wonder when truly understood and appreciated.

Stepping in with all six of our legs, let me introduce you to the world of beetles. It’s been found that 1 in every 4 living things is a beetle, with 300 000 - 400 000 species currently described, and is potentially the biggest order of all living things! Some are equipped with the capability to fire boiling liquid out of their abdomens for defense, some can turn on their own internal lights, and some have divided eyes to see above and below the water’s surface. One metallically blue beetle, fairly hefty in size relative to most beetles we see (about 0.6-1.6mm), has its own secrets hidden up its sleeves, or leg joints to be more accurate. This is the Oil Beetle (Meloe impressus). They are classified under the Family Meloidae, a group commonly known as blister beetles.

Such a common name should raise a red flag in your mind, because as the name suggests, they can cause blisters! These beetles are incredibly toxic due to their possession and ability to produce cantharidin, a chemical compound that can cause burns, and as a result, blisters. When threatened, bright yellow hemolymph (“blood” found in invertebrates), mixed with cantharidin will ooze out of their joints. For this very reason, the blister beetle has very few natural predators.

Because it is toxic, the cantharidin they possess is highly valuable to many insects as a means of defense, and so any crushed or dead blister beetles quickly become a feast for specialized flies and beetles that may want to acquire some of this noxious gold. However, it may not be long before humans are added to the list as cantharidin has been found to be useful in removing warts and recent research even suggests that it may play a role in fighting cancer cells.

And if you thought that wasn’t cool enough, wait till you hear about the unique and parasitic lifestyle within the genus Meloe. It begins with a female laying her eggs in a hole, in mass amounts, potentially thousands of eggs across many clutches. For one particular species, Meloe fransiscanus, which are found in California, the larvae emerge and migrate over to a nearby plant in masses, forming a big black clump. Though potentially subject to predation, the larvae will emit pheromones, another chemical compound to attract male solitary bees. The black mass is meant to resemble a female bee, and so the male, when deceived, finds its way to this “female” bee and attempts to mate with it. Seizing the opportunity, the beetle larvae climb on board before the male realizes that it has been fooled. The larvae are then delivered to the female bee who becomes their connecting flight to their final destination, the bee’s nest. This is the beetle larvae’s feeding paradise. It’s in this nest that the larvae feed on pollen and bee larvae before they pupate and emerge as the brilliant blue adults that we recognize. The Meloe impressus that we found around here exhibit the same lifestyle, except they are found hiding individually in flowers rather than forming a black mass before making their journey to the bee’s nest.

And that’s just highlighting one of species in the group of blister beetles, within the world of beetles, which is just one of the many different orders of insects found across the globe. Just as each bird and mammal have a role in the surrounding and global ecosystem, so do each of the creepy crawlies we come across at home and out in nature. All it takes is a bit of time and a bit of research before the wonders of the small and neglected are made known. Our backyards, the nearby forests and even your very own basement are littered with stories like these waiting to be discovered - go and explore!

Speaking of discovery, the University of Guelph is hosting their first annual Bug Day on August 27th 2017 and it’ll be hosted right here in The Arboretum Centre! Hikes, interactive booths and displays will be organized and set up for family and friends. It’ll be a full day dedicated to our six-legged friends. Be sure to mark it down on your calendars!

A video of the unique life of the Meloe fransiscanus - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ8h1YBTSvE

Until next time,
Bugboy

A printable version of this article is available at: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/May%202017/Oil_Beetle_Article_Jason_May_2017.pdf

References
https://thesmallermajority.com/2012/10/08/life-saving-beetles/
http://somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com/2009/10/24/oil-beetle/
http://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4030.1.1/16129
Hafernik. J and Saul-Gerzhenz, L. (2000). Beetle larvae cooperate to mimic bees. Nature 405, 35-36tps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/10/08/life-saving-beetles/

by Marg Gillies, Arboretum Volunteer

During a 2016 summer time cruise that included three ports of call in Iceland and two in southwestern Greenland, I had the opportunity of visiting two botanical gardens and an agricultural research centre.

Although it was a visit in drizzly rain, I enjoyed wandering through Akureyri’s Public Park and Botanical Gardens. Unfortunately it was the last of a number of stops that day and one which was far too hurried for my tastes. The park itself had its beginnings in 1912 with the botanic section being added in 1957. Developed as a place of peace and tranquility as well as scientific research purposes, it is said that more than 400 native species and 6000 non-native species grow in the park’s 3.6 hectares. It also functions as a gene bank for hardy plants suitable for the Icelandic weather conditions. As I wandered through the perennial gardens, I was amazed at the number of perennials that grow in our own gardens that thrive so well within a hundred kilometres of the Arctic Circle. With a short growing season and very long days, large groupings of tall plants such as grasses, ligularia (leopard bane), delphinium and poppies with their hardy stems and lush, richly coloured blossoms were a dazzling sight. What a thrill it was to view a bed full of Himalayan poppies even if their beautiful perfectly blue faces were dripping with rain drops! Various primulas, perennial geraniums and ferns filled nooks and crannies in the garden areas connected by winding pathways along with a reflecting pool or two. A variety of trees and shrubbery seemed to provide protective windbreaks here and there.

In the remote West Fiord region a stop at Isfjordur led us through the mountains via a tunnel system to a small botanical garden known as Skrudr. With a mountain backdrop to its north and distant views of sloping pasturelands and a fiord, this garden was formally launched in 1909 and flourished until 1980. It initially was developed by the area’s priest with the seeds that he collected on his travels to various parts of the world. Encircled by protective trees and stone fencing, tiny garden areas filled with familiar hardy perennials were connected by parthways. A vegetable plot for root vegetables and rhubarb filled one corner of the garden. With lack of attention for twelve years, a local citizens’ group restored the garden in 1992 and later transferred it to the education department. One of the aims today is to link the public school with environmental education.

After arriving in the south western Greenland village of Oaqortoq, a small group of us travelled in a launch to a rather isolated agricultural research centre. Situated on a grassy slope within the confines of a protected bay, the research centre has a magnificent view of a large icy blue iceberg near the docking area. This facility was first established in 1957 with the planting of a small grove of trees that has slowly grown and now look not much larger than ‘oversized Christmas trees’. The sunny hilly slope suited the various vegetable plots such as carrots, Swiss chard, turnip, cabbage, lettuce and spinach. To retain the sun’s heat and to speed up the growth of these crops, thin thermal blankets covered swaths of vegetation mostly at night and on cooler days. Rhubarb obviously enjoyed the climate as its stalks and leaves were huge. Cold frames that could be covered contained a variety of hardier annuals that were blooming. Much of what is produced at this site is sold in Qaqortoq.

The property had a hoop house where annual flower seedlings were growing in flats and pots. Earlier in the season, all the individually hand-planted vegetables that were in the garden plots had begun as seedlings in the computer controlled greenhouse and then transferred to the hoop house for the hardening process. Hoop house fruits such as currants and raspberries were ripening at the time of our visit. Due to the extremely cold winter (2015/16) the strawberry crop did not survive. In the greenhouse with its modern heating and ventilation system, tender vine vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers had been planted in garden earth bags but were not yet producing anything by mid-summer.

During the planting and growing season, ten horticulture students live on site and spend two years at this facility before completing their diplomas in Iceland. During our visit it appeared that the manager and his wife were kept busy with garden and greenhouse maintenance work including the removal of weeds (saw little evidence of weeds anywhere). This facility also raises a flock of sheep that are kept in a special barn during the winter months. As we readied for departure, I could not resist photographing a happy looking sunflower that was thriving in its remote northern greenhouse.

  
Akureyri Botancial Garden            Skrudr Botanical Garden

Memona Hossain, PhD Candidate, Akami and Portland State University

A walk through the local park; sitting in a summer garden; staring up at the clear night sky; listening to the morning bird songs; receiving a vibrant bouquet of flowers – what do these have in common? They each have the ability to gently tap into our senses and awaken a desire to connect to beauty. We naturally perceive beauty in these simple, yet profound natural elements around us. There is a sense of balance, tranquility, vibrancy, and perfection that inherently pulls us toward it. If we were to pause and consider for a moment – Nature is the only entity around us, which functions, and has functioned for over 5 billion years, without producing garbage. It is the one perfectly operating system that recycles every element of itself and creates no pollution. Pause and think about that for a moment – everything goes somewhere and has its place!

Here’s something else to consider – nature is an element which functions without the complex language and abstract thinking that humans use to communicate and understand the world through. Yet, nature is able to maintain balance, harmony, and operate in perfection with regards to the millions and millions of processes and cycles within it. When do we see a break in this harmony? When human impacts cause an element of nature to deteriorate or disintegrate. Clearly, there is wisdom within nature and a connection and communication that is happening based on attractions that is different from language as we know it. How can humanity learn and benefit from this?

Humanity is connected to nature. This is why we experience good feelings when we are exposed to nature. If we trace humanity’s trajectory over the past thousands of years, what becomes clear is a growing separation from nature. If we consider, our ancestors would typically live in small societies that were built around sources of water and vegetation. Over time, as societies gained further sophistication, technology and assets, we moved towards arranging ourselves in more nature isolating ways of living. In today’s society, it is possible for people to spend entire days in front of screens, and other forms of machines and technologies. Yet, even a small amount of exposure to an element of nature usually gives people a good feeling. For example, a sunny day, a plant in the office, or spring buds. Studies are showing that humanity is experiencing mental health illnesses at an unprecedented rate. How did we get to this point?

Ecopsychology aims to understand how to restore this balance and learn how our natural attractions can guide us to reconcile the mental and emotional challenges we are facing through our nature disconnected ways. Ecopsychology is a process whereby individuals gradually gain a deeper sense of self-value; further develop their relationship with nature, and cultivate a desire to engage with Nature as a trusted and valued aspect of one’s own life. Ecopsychology encourages one to bring to consciousness and activate ones senses to thereby be guided by natural attractions and trust nature to be a source of wisdom and learning.

Here’s a challenge: Our senses are what allow us to bring information in from our surroundings and make meaning of our world. Aristotle is said to have been the first one who identified humans to have 5 senses, in the 4th Century BC. Research today says humans can experience up to even 54 senses! What if we were to open ourselves to the possibility of multiple more senses, how would that impact our understanding and interaction with our surroundings? Furthermore, we are highly dependent on our sense of sight and labelling using language. Go for a walk in a natural area around you and try to engage with your surroundings by closing your eyes. Resist your initial instinct to label everything you experience with the names and labels you have been taught to use through your years of conventional learning. What happens? What do you notice about your other senses?

If you would like to learn more about Ecopsychology than please register for our Ecopsychology workshop in September and October. More information is available on our website: https://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/educationandevents/workshops

We have two great options available for guided walks on The Arboretum grounds.

Join Jason every Wednesday at 12:15 as he explores the grounds on a 50 minute hike. It is a wonderful way to explore as spring migrants return and life blooms on The Arboretum grounds. The walk is free and you should meet at the kiosk at the end of the promenade closest to campus if you are interested in participating.

On Wednesday, June 7 our Summer Interpretive Naturalist, Rachel will begin our annual Wednesday Evening Walk series. These programs take place each Wednesday evening from 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. beginning at the J.C. Taylor Centre. The cost is $2 per person with children under 5 free. The schedule of walks including topics will be posted on our website near the end of May.

Stone Wall Building. Abstract Landscape Photography, Invasive Species, Look, See, Paint, Sketching Nature, Night and Low Light Photography, Bird Sounds and Moth workshops are approaching. The dates and registration deadlines can be found in our Coming Events listing in the column on the left side of this newsletter. A detailed description of each course is available on our website. Help us promote our programs… please forward this e-mail on to your friends and colleagues who may be interested. The more participants we have, the more programs we can offer.

Registering early is important for us because we need lead time to decide if there are enough people registered to run the workshop or not. To encourage registering before the deadline, we have an Early Bird Fee. You can still register after the deadline, but it will cost an extra $10, so why not register early?

Registration is available on-line, which allows you to register for our programs at anytime, not just during our regular business hours. A secure link is provided on our website for this easy registration process.

If you do not have internet access, registration can still be made by phone or in person at 519-824-4120 ext. 52358 as in the past. Please remember that a decision is made on the registration deadline as to whether the workshop will run or not, based on the minimum number of required registrants. You may still register after the deadline as long as the workshop is running and there is space.

May is always a busy time for The Arboretum. Our trilliums, Trout Lilies, Marsh Marigolds and Downy Yellow Violets are blooming, turtles are sunning themselves, the Sugar Maples, Sakura Cherries and Magnolias are in flower and many birds are migrating through. Highlights birdwise so far are two Sandhill Cranes, a Solitary Sandpiper and many spring songbirds such as Ovenbird, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue-headed Vireo, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green Warbler, Eastern Kingbird and lots and lots of Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Mourning Cloaks, Common Green Darners and bumble bees are zipping around, too.

           
            Magnolia
            Photo by Brenda Doherty

 
Painted Turtle                                   Rose-breasted Grosbeak
photo by Brenda Doherty                    photo by Kathy Horvath

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Be a part of the BetterPlanet Project by donating on-line:

Your donation can be directed to The Arboretum online through the secure University of Guelph donation page: http://uofg.convio.net/arboretum

If you prefer not to make an online donation, there are several other ways to provide your financial support. You can choose to donate by telephone, mail, fax, or in person:

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH Attention Alumni Affairs 50 Stone Road East Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 Tel: 1-888-266-3108 ext. 56934 Tel: 519-824-4120 ext. 56934 Fax: 519-822-2670 Email: [log in to unmask]

If you would like information on bequests and planned giving to The Arboretum please contact:

Amy Atkinson
Senior Development Manager, Ontario Agricultural College
at (519) 824-4120 ext. 58652 or by e-mail at [log in to unmask]