Here’s your annual twist on the monthly quiz! Christmas is fast approaching! Identify the organisms or species in each row as they are clues that make up some of your favorite Christmas songs. Can you name the three Christmas songs, one per row? It won’t be too easy, good luck! A printable quiz is available by clicking here. The answers are at the bottom of the newsletter.

The Arboretum has had lots going on over the last month. Here are a few highlights:

We were very excited to start selling our Arboretum t-shirts earlier this month. More information about the t-shirts is below in the newsletter. Watch soon for our Arboretum hats.

This autumn, The Arboretum continued working on Cherry Birch (Betula lenta) conservation activities in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Cherry Birch is an endangered species both in Ontario and Canada. Arboretum staff have been working with private landowners to develop stewardship initiatives to help protect the trees remaining in the wild.

As the winter season begins our seasonal volunteer groups have wrapped up for this year. The end of the outdoor growing season however does mean the beginning of our Seed Groups as they begin their work inside in the green house over the winter months. What a great group of volunteers we have! We are very appreciative of all their hard work and support.

We have a greater variety of our biodiversity sheets now available. Our new sheets include: Warblers and Sparrows, Hawks and Owls, Ducks and Wetland Birds, Spring Migrants, Sky and Space, Spiders, Animal Signs and Winter Seedheads. https://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/educationandevents/arboretumbooks

Arboretum staff have been working on updates to our main entrances, both at College Avenue, as well as our western connection to the main University of Guelph campus. Keep your eyes open in the coming months for some updated trails, signage and some fantastic new plantings!

Our J.C. Taylor Centre was in need of a new roof so over the last weekend and this coming weekend the roof is being done.

Thank you to our volunteers, Marg and Monica for decorating our Christmas tree in the foyer. It looks amazing with all the natural decorations that Lig, our Gardener gathered.

                        
                         Marg and Monica with the Christmas Tree.

Thank you to Michael Caunter from SkyJack Inc. for providing us with this footage. This past October, SkyJack generously loaned one of their trademark boom lifts to aid with our seed collection activities.
The Tulip-tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) seed being harvested here will be used for conservation and research activities, and this is the third straight year they've helped us get high into our tree canopies. Thank you, SkyJack!  Click here for video footage of Sean in the boom.

by Sean Fox

Naturally, trees are always at the forefront of our thoughts at The Arboretum, whether being due to the life they support, the environmental services they provide, or their beauty and the comfort they instill. December is the time of year when many trees and shrubs also take centre stage in shops and storefronts throughout the community. Here they add ornamental appeal during cold, grey days, provide materials for holiday traditions, and serve as food crops for many of our favourite winter meals. Browsing around will lead you to wreaths and vases that are full of evergreen boughs and berries, rows of pyramidal conifers species serve as Christmas trees, and bins are filled with fruit and nuts that originate from an array of plant families. Over the years, I have certainly noticed an increase in the diversity of offerings that many shops carry, and this provides us a timely opportunity to look more closely and recognize the origins of these unique plants.

During the holiday season, one of the first things you may notice upon entering a floral shop, supermarket or hardware store is the bundles of limbs, branches and boughs that are for sale. With home gardens looking a little more bare during their winter dormancy, these items are most often used to add colour to front porches and balconies. Locally, what is most commonly offered are the white-barked limbs of paper birch (Betula papyrifera), the bright, red branches of red osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) and the evergreen boughs of white pine (Pinus strobus) and white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis). While these plant features are beautiful, all of these species are native to much of eastern Canada, and nothing compares to witnessing them in their full glory as healthy plants in the natural environment. All can be found growing in The Arboretum’s natural areas, and many more can be found labelled in a number of The Arboretum’s plant collections. All are suitable for home gardens, as well, which provides a great opportunity to plant a beautiful winter landscape to enjoy from the window for years to come.

There have been some other additions to the storefront mix in recent years. Gaining popularity are the clusters of bright, red berries from winterberry (Ilex verticillata), which is a deciduous species of holly that is native to our local wetlands, including the provincially significant wetland in The Arboretum’s Nature Reserve. You may have also noticed some branches covered with thick, green leaves with velvety, brown undersides. These belong to the southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), a species not cold-hardy to Guelph, but at home in the southeastern US. A few different species of pine provide the decorative cones on display, with the massive, elongated cones of California’s sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) being quite eye-catching, as are the shorter, but more broad cones of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa); a native to British Columbia and south. Ponderosa pine, in particular, is very cold hardy, and some large specimens can be found growing in The Arboretum’s World of Trees and Conifer Collections.

If you’re crossing through the front doors of a merchant that’s carrying food, you’re likely to first encounter the produce section. Trees are the source of much of this seasonal abundance with fruits such as pomegranate (Punica granatum), oranges, clementines, tangerines (Citrus spp.) and apples (Malus domestica) being noteworthy, as are the nearby baskets full of bulk nuts from sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima) English walnut (Juglans regia), European hazel (Corylus avellana), almond (Prunus dulcis) and pecan (Carya illinoinensis).

Citrus fruits are best suited for growing in sub-tropical climates, however, as members of the Rue (Rutaceae) Family, their close relatives, hop-tree (Ptelea trifoliata) and prickly-ash (Zanthoxylum americanum), can be found growing in various parts of The Arboretum including the Gosling Wildlife Gardens, the Rue Family Collection near the Arboretum Centre, and the Native Trees of Ontario Collection. During your next visit in the summer, be sure to rub the leaves of these species between your fingers to pick up the citrusy scent that they share with their warm climate cousins.

Cultivated apples have a long and interesting history, and the varieties that are found in grocery stores are all different cultivars from the same species of tree - Malus domestica. Recent evolutionary studies suggest that these domesticated apples are ancestors of the Kazakh apple (Malus sieversii); an endangered species which can be found growing wild in Kazakhstan. You can witness offspring from these very special trees (and many other species) growing in the World of Trees Collection, as well as the Malus section of the Rose (Rosaceae) Family Collection (guelph.arboretumexplorer.org/default.aspx). And, while not cold-hardy to Canada, did you realize that almonds are also part of the rose family? In fact, as a species in the genus Prunus, almonds are much more closely related to cherries, peaches and plums than they are to nuts such as hazels, chestnuts and pecans.

Speaking of nut trees, you can catch a glimpse of pecan and English walnut in our World of Trees Collection adjacent to some of their relatives from Ontario such as black walnut (Juglans nigra), butternut (Juglans cinerea), shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) and pignut hickory (Carya glabra). There’s even a Chinese wingnut (Pterocarya stenoptera) nearby, another close relative, for those looking to spot something particularly unique.

Finally, December is the month when many Christmas trees go on display, and it’s the pyramidal, evergreen nature of a number of coniferous tree species that is traditionally desired. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), white spruce (Picea glauca) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea) are long-standing favourites, while canaan fir (Abies balsamea var. phanerolepis), Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) are considered to be “premium” trees due to their narrow form and better needle-holding characteristics. Conifers are a large and wonderful group of trees and shrubs, and I could go on and on discussing their origins and beauty, however, that is beyond the scope that this single article can cover. What I will suggest is that you make a note to visit the Conifer Collection this winter to discover the wonder for yourself (guelph.arboretumexplorer.org/default.aspx). There you can find over 100 taxa (species, varieties and cultivars) from across the northern hemisphere, with labels displaying their geographic origins and evolutionary relationships. The tall spires of the fir trees, in particular, are incredibly striking when their boughs are draped in snow.

Next time you’re out to pick up some groceries for dinner, or some hinges to fix the cupboard, take a moment to think about everything surrounding you that is provided by woody plants. And, when you venture back to the cold outdoors, appreciate the shelter that the firmly rooted and well-cared-for trees provide from the winter winds, just as they provided refuge from the heat and drought this past summer. We wouldn’t be here without the support of our planet’s trees and forests and that is something that is certainly worth protecting all year long.

A printable version of this article is available by clicking here: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/December%202016/SFox-Dec16-Newsletter.pdf

                  
                   Boughs of White Pine, White-cedar and Balsam Fir are
                   accentuated by the branches of Paper Birch

    
  Red Osier Dogwood twigs are commonly        A wreath of Balsam Fir and White-cedar     
   used to liven up the entrances of homes        is highlighted by the striking leaves of
   and businesses.                                    the Southern Magnolia.

     
  These synthetic branches are replicas of       The hugr cones of the Sugar Pine.
   Winterberry, a deciduous holly (Ilex)
    species that is native to Ontario.                                            

              
               The splendor of The Arboretum’s Conifer Collection. Here we
               see a small sample of the Fir (Abies) section.

by Alexandra Kocher

Saw-Whet Owl found in The Arboretum last winter
Photo by Chris Earley

If you ever wanted to learn about owls, this is the time of year to do it! The branches are bare, the night sky glows, and the snow keeps the nights quiet and still. All of these factors make it the perfect time to see and hear these amazing nocturnal raptors. In my personal opinion, owls are one of the coolest animals because they are so well adapted to their environment and lifestyle of a nocturnal hunter.

TALONS:
Let’s start from the bottom: the talons. All raptors are birds of prey, and strong grasping talons are a survival necessity if you are going to be hunting for small game like rabbits, voles, and mice, as owls do. Talons can do some serious damage, so it’s best to stay on an owl’s good side, especially since owls can rotate one of their front talons to the back beside their hallux talon (the fourth foot digit that is positioned where our heel is), so that they have two talons grasping from the top and two grasping from the bottom. This creates a grasp stronger than most birds, and the only other local species that can do this is the Osprey that need such a strong grasp for catching fish.

After catching their meal these birds eat their prey and then they cough up the bones and fur later. This coughed up mass is what we call an owl pellet. Bones and fur remain intact, and you can break apart the pellets and decipher what these birds have eaten.

              
               Talons of a Great Horned Owl on display.

The hallux is not in view since it is hidden by the leg feathers, but note the talon on the right is rotated back from the two front ones.
Photo by Alexandra Kocher

FEATHERS:
Feathers are a very important trait for birds, they are lightweight, hollow, and their fluffy separated texture means they have a lot of surface area to create wind resistance which helps in flight. On top of all of this, the leading edges of an owls' primary wing feathers consist of special serrations which cut the air in a way that makes them virtually silent in flight.

                
                 Serrated feathers of a Great Horned Owl on display.
                 Photo by Alexandra Kocher

EYES/NECK:
Most people know an owl for its ability to rotate its head 270 degrees. This trait is necessary because owls cannot rotate their eyes. Think of us, we can keep our head in one place but still look to the left and to the right by moving our eyes. Owls on the other hand, have such large eyes that it takes up most of the space in their head, which leaves no room for rotational muscles. The large eyes wouldn’t be something the owls would want to lose since they are extremely important for hunting at night. Rotating their neck is also necessary because those big eyes don’t allow peripheral vision like we have. But the owls don’t mind, because having bad peripheral vision is a tradeoff for having amazing depth perception because it is so focused and large compared to other bird species. This is actually why owls bob their heads up and down and from side to side when staring at something. Moving the scene they are looking at, through bobbing their head, helps them to determine how far away things are and enhances their depth perception.


Peripheral vision and depth perception in woodcocks (10° in front and 30° behind out of 360°), pigeons (20° out of 340°), humans (140° out of 180°) and owls (70° out of 110°).
Diagram by Alexandra Kocher
Reference ”Owls”, by John Sparks & Tony Soper

EARS:
Owls do not have ears that protrude out of their head like we do, rather they have simple holes in their skull. Some might mistake the tufts on their head (seen in species like the Great Horned Owl) as their ears, but those are actually just feathers. Scientists believe these feathered tufts are used for communication through body language; kind of like dogs and how they wag their tail when they are happy, or put it in between their legs when they are frightened.

Owl ears have a very specific placement; if we compare a human to an owl, we have our ears on either side of our head at the same height. Having two ears, one on either side, allows us to determine whether sounds are coming from the left or right. Owls however are different; they also have two ears, one on either side of their head, but theirs are not symmetrical in height because one ear is higher than the other. This allows them to determine if sounds are coming from the left or right, as well as if the sound is coming from above or below. They are flying hunters after all, so knowing what is above or below them is very important for their survival.

The hearing ability in owls is so good that they can hear a vole tunneling underneath the snow, and can pinpoint its exact location from the sky without even seeing it. If you watch an owl dive down to their prey, you would notice the owl going in face first, keeping its face pointed to the target sound until the very last second before it kicks up its feet and grabs the prey through the snow with its talons.

Piecing together the talons, feathers, stealth, night vision, neck rotation, depth perception, and acute hearing, you can see why owls are so perfectly adapted to their lifestyle. Plus, there are so many different species of owls in our area! In The Arboretum alone we have spotted Eastern Screech-Owls, Great Horned Owls, Snowy Owls, Barred Owls, Long-eared Owls, and Northern Saw-whet Owls over the years. Owls can also be found all over the world, in fact they are found on every continent except Antarctica! They live in many different habitats: from woods, to rainforests, to grasslands, and deserts and can be found nesting in hollow trees, on the ground, in burrows, or even old barns. However, there are many owl species at risk in Canada due to habitat loss, forest fragmentation, farming practices, urban development, and chemical pesticides affecting their prey. For more information about at risk species, visit The Species at Risk Public Registry and take a look at species like the Short-eared Owl, Burrowing Owl, and Barn Owl.
http://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/species/speciesDetails_e.cfm?sid=611

To learn more about why owls are such an amazing species and have the chance to see and hear them, think about taking our Owl Workshop or Owl Prowls! I guarantee you will love them even more!

A printable version of this article is available here.

Looking for a great gift for the nature lover in your life? We have a variety of products available to assist you in your gift giving.

Our t-shirts are brand new with an awesome design of 16 different leaves on them. They are made of a bamboo / organic cotton blend and Made in Canada. The cost is $33 including tax.

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 last month... they must be purchased as individuals as they are not part of the set of 12. Each double-sided, laminated sheet features a different group of local organisms.

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

To purchase these t-shirts, booklets, journals, placemats 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 23, 2016 and re-open on Tuesday, January 3, 2017. 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 22.

Nature is known to be unpredictable and unexpected, so what awaits us today? Jason, the Naturalist Intern, will be leading free walks every Wednesday, January through April. Walks will begin at The Arboretum Kiosk at 12:15 p.m. The kiosk is at the end of The Arboretum closest to campus just past Child Care Services, Alumni House and East Residence (when coming from camous). Please contact x53615 or [log in to unmask] for further information.  Click here for a printable pdf of the flyer: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/December%202016/Wednesday_Afternoon_Walk_Flyer.pdf

[log in to unmask] if you would like to receive more information when available." />

Owl Workshop, Animal Tracking and 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 now 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.

Lots of good sightings are happening here and most of them are right at The Arboretum Centre! On Monday, Chris, Alexandra and Jason went out to photograph a Red-bellied Woodpecker that was feeding at The Arboretum feeders. This species is not a common one here. While we were looking at it, a mink showed up! Then, when the mink went into the bamboo near the feeder, the Eastern Towhee popped out! The towhee is attracting lots of birders and photographers here as it is a rare winter bird for our area. We also have a Fox Sparrow hanging around the feeders, too, plus many American Robins and Cedar Waxwings check out our local fruiting trees and shrubs.

 
Eastern Towhee                                          American Robin
photo by Melanie Howarth                            photo by Chris Earley

                        
                         Mink Tracks
                         Photo by Chris Earley

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:

Ross Butler
Director, Gift Planning
at (519) 824-4120 ext. 56196 or by e-mail at [log in to unmask]