Whether it be from a folklore, religious or decorative standpoint, red berries are often linked to the holiday season. So, here is a red berry quiz! But since this is a hard one, I've given you a clue to help. The letter that each photo is in has to do with either the berry's common or scientific name. I know how generous this clue is, so think of it as your Xmas present from me... The answers are at the bottom of the newsletter. A printable version of the quiz is available here: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/December%202017/printable_quiz_red_berries_Dec_2017.pdf

The fall in temperature and snow has changed The Arboretum into a winter wonderland. The change gives visitors new ways to experience The Arboretum and a different perspective on what you can see. We hope you have the chance to come out and visit.

While many projects are wrapping up with the end of fall, one project has just recently begun. Some of the arbors in our English Garden have been removed and the work has begun to replace them. Arbors such as the ones going into the Edna and Frank C. Miller English Garden present a great dedication opportunity. As you wander our grounds you can see many gardens, trees and other structures that have been dedicated in memory of family members and friends. The dedications such as these allow family members and friends to honor the significant person that was in their life and to have somewhere to visit and relive fond memories. A plaque on the dedication tree or structure shows the person's name as well a short quote chosen by the person or people dedicating it. If you would like information on dedication of an arbor in the English Garden please contact The Arboretum Director, Shellley Hunt by e-mail at [log in to unmask].

 
English Garden arbor                          English Garden

by Jason Chan

I often get two questions when I tell others about my job as The Arboretum’s Interpretive Naturalist Intern. Firstly, “what is an Arboretum?”, and secondly, “so what exactly do you do?”

The Arboretum is like a zoo, for trees. Native and non-native ones, we have thousands of plant species from all over the northern hemisphere. As for my job, some think of me as a tree hugger and a mud feeler, while some think I help exterminate and remove wildlife. To get to the bottom of this, I took it upon myself to ask a school of grade 7 and 8s to draw what they think I do at The Arboretum as the interpretive naturalist intern and here’s what they had to say (see image on right).

This position has given me the opportunity to dabble in so many different projects, from managing social media platforms, to leading tours and designing educational material. But as of late, my latest assignment has been a unique partnership with Rickson Ridge Public School (RRPS). And as of October, I have been the weekly outdoor educator for the Grade 7 and 8s.

The story begins at our Arboretum Teacher Training Workshop, an all-day program that hopes to inspire and equip teachers with the tools and confidence to connect and bring the school curriculum to the outdoors. After attending the workshop last fall, Mike Kumbhani, a science and technology teacher at RRPS suggested the idea of a having an Arboretum staff regularly come into the school and work with the students. This fall, the idea became a reality. There are two purposes with this role, the first is to be the outdoor educator, delivering programs about the natural world, and the second to equip the students with the knowledge and skills to create interpretive educational signs for the natural area they are developing on their property.



Over the past couple of months, we’ve covered topics ranging from spiders, to tree identification, parasitic cordyceps fungi, and the ecological interactions on goldenrod galls. The students have also had the chance to compare, contrast, and redesign some of our Arboretum interpretive signs (including some that have not been released yet!) as they prepare to consider the audience and the elements they want to incorporate into their own signs for the school property.

It has been a challenging but fruitful experience thus far, and I have certainly gotten just as much out of my time there as the kids have. Working with Rickson Ridge has helped affirm my desire to pursue a career in education. I have loved getting to know the students, and I was encouraged to see the enthusiasm within the different classes. I have been learning how to set classroom expectations and how to work with diverse personalities and learning styles. Being in a different natural area, I have even come to realize how much I have taken The Arboretum for granted, noting that rare and endangered trees like Honey Locusts and Cucumber trees aren’t always within walking distance.

One of the neat revelations I had was at the end of one of my teaching days. I was sorting through all the completed handouts from class, putting names on pages, counting papers, and I remembered that as a kid I used to pretend to be a teacher in my living room, printing out stacks of “assignments” and making up fake attendance sheets and chewing gum (because all teachers chew gum obviously). Fast forward 15 years or so and here I was, in an actual school, with actual handouts, teaching actual students. It’s quite surreal thinking about it.

With that I want to thank Mike Kumbhani from Rickson Ridge P.S. for initiating this partnership that has allowed me to apply my learning and skills at a new level with such autonomy and creativity. I also give my thanks to Shelley Hunt, Chris Earley, and The Arboretum for letting me pursue and continue this partnership at Rickson Ridge in the new year. Looking forward to what 2018 will bring!

A printable version of this newsletter is available here: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/December%202017/Rickson_Ridge_Jason.pdf

Looking for a great gift for the nature lover in your life? We have a series of 5 booklets: Feeder Birds, Wildflowers, Mammals, Dragonflies and Summer Garden Birds which would be a perfect choice for a gift. Each booklet is full colour and is $8. Details can be found on our website.

We also have a nature journal with a series of colour photos in the centre pages and lots of unique pages with leaf backgrounds for sketching or journaling. Each journal is $10.

Our biodiversity sheets are $5 each or $50 for the set of 12. Check out the new ones that just came out a couple months ago... they must be purchased as individuals as they are not part of the set of 12. Each one of the 21 double-sided, laminated placemat features a different topic in nature.

For the first time we have published a desktop calendar featuring an Arboretum grounds photo for each month. We have limited quantity so you should purchase early.

Gift certificates are also available for our workshops. Owl Prowls make a fabulous family outing; or check out our other workshops.

Our pin-on buttons for $1 each and our cling window decals of the Arboretum logo for $3 can top up the stocking nicely.

To purchase these booklets, journals, biodiversity sheets, calendars, buttons, window decals or gift certificates please call ext. 52358 or e-mail us at [log in to unmask]. We would be happy to mail these out to you (a mailing fee will apply).

The Arboretum is part of the University of Guelph so The Arboretum Centre therefore is closed when the University is closed. The offices will be closed from Friday, December 22, 2017 and re-open on Tuesday, January 2, 2018. The grounds remain open for you to enjoy from dawn to dusk daily during this time. It is best to make any purchases by December 21.

Join Jason next Wednesday at 12:15 for his last walk as he explores the grounds on a 50 minute hike. It is a wonderful way to explore the change of the seasons as we move from fall into winter 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. Walks will resume on January 10 with Rachel leading them in the new year.

The Owl, Animal Tracking, Owl Prowls 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.

Sightings are now starting to have a winter flair. Black-capped Chickadees have been seen pecking into goldenrod galls. Eastern Chipmunks have finally disappeared but might pop up again on warm days. Porcupine sightings are on the rise as they sit out in the open to catch some of the sun's warmth. A Cooper's Hawk is now patrolling our bird feeder areas. Flocks of European Starlings are eating our sumac berries. We have had a few unwinter-like birds near The Arboretum Centre feeder still, though, including a Northern Flicker and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The first snowfall we had a couple of week sago was AMAZING for tracking. The snow consistency allowed for quite detailed prints of even small animals such as deer mice. Hopefully we will get some more snow soon so we can continue to read the stories written on the ground.

 
Deer Mouse tracks                             Eastern Chipmunk tracks

 
Raccoon tracks                                 Striped Skunk tracks

back to quiz

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]