For both ecological and economic reasons we no longer print and mail a seasonal program listing of our workshops and special events. The information is now distributed via this e-newsletter and is always available on our website. We do appreciate your past and future support of our workshops; the income supports other Arboretum educational endeavours such as brochures, signs, booklets, tours and our website.

If you know of people who may be interested in our workshops who do not receive this e-newsletter we would appreciate if you would pass this information on to them. To subscribe to the newsletter follow the simple instructions as outlined on our webpage at: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/educationandevents/enewsletter.shtml

If you have a spot in your community or at your workplace where you can display our workshop posters, please send us an e-mail at [log in to unmask] and we will be happy to send them to you.

Below is a list of upcoming workshops at The Arboretum. Please forward this e-mail to your friends and colleagues! The more participants we have, the more programs we can offer.

We now offer an on-line registration process which allows you to register for our programs 24/7 as they say, not just during our regular business hours. A secure link is provided for this easy registration process. Click here for the link.

Workshop Name	Workshop Date	Early Bird Deadline
Spider Workshop	Wednesday, August 24	Tuesday, August 16
Hawk Workshop	Friday, September 9	Thursday, September 1
Shinrin-Yoku Walk	Thursday, September 15	Wednesday, September 7
Growing Native Woody Plants from Seed	Tuesday, September 20	Monday, September 12
Shrub Identification	Thursday, September 22	Wednesday, September 14
Tree Identification	Friday, September 23	Thursday, September 15
Fall Landscape Photography	Saturday, September 24	Thursday, September 15
Point and Shoot Basics	Saturday, October 15	Thursday, October 6
Close up and Macro Photography	Saturday, November 12	Thursday, November 3
Owl Workshop	Friday, January 13, 2017	Thursday, January 5
Animal Tracking	Friday, January 20, 2017	Thursday, January 12
Owl Prowl - Adults	Friday, January 27, 2017	Thursday, January 19
Owl Prowl - Families	Saturday, January 28, 2017	Thursday, January 19
Winter Landscape Photography	Sunday, January 29, 2017	Thursday, January 19
Owl Prowl - Families	Friday, February 3, 2017	Thursday, January 26
Owl Prowl - Adults	Saturday, February 4, 2017	Thursday, January 26
The Art & Practice of Pruning	Wednesday, March 15, 2017	Tuesday, March 7
Warbler Workshop I	Tuesday, April 11, 2017	Monday, April 3
Warbler Workshop II	Wednesday, April 12, 2017	Monday, April 3
Introduction to Birds	Monday, April 24, 2017	Thursday, April 13

by Chris Earley

Our gardens are sporting a rainbow of colours right now. Can you tell what flowers these are? A printable version is available here. See below for the full photos and answers. And when you are done, come out to The Arboretum and see if you can find these dazzling blooms!

by Polly Samland, Horticultural Assistant

A botanical collection relies upon the label: the simple way we share basic information about each plant on display. Collection labels in The Arboretum follow a standard format and make certain assumptions --that the reader understands that the world of plants is sorted into families, why both Latin and common names are used, and how the native range could be important.

             

Let’s investigate the label for Carpinus caroliniana, and unpack the details engraved there. Top billing is given to the name of the plant, and at the bottom left corner is the family. In both cases, the same information is written out in two separate ways, using common and scientific language. The scientific language (Latin) is unchanging. No matter where in the world you are, from Toronto to Beijing, Betulaceae will be used. The common language is much more complicated and regional. In Guelph, we use English as a common language, while in Barcelona the common family would be written in Spanish (abedul familia), Dutch in Amsterdam (Berkenfamilie).

You may recognize the name “birch” and suppose that plants in the birch family would include different types of birch, as well as their relatives. But what makes a plant related? Why are hornbeam, alder, hazel, and ironwood all in the birch family? Why not the alder family? (There is no good scientific answer for this –the family is named after the most ‘common’ member in the opinion of the taxonomist at the time.)

From the 17th century onward, a discussion on how to classify and group plants in a scientific, evidence-based way has unfolded. Some look at the big picture for answers, at natural history inferred from fossils and ancient seed beds. Others examine the close-up, discovering genetic markers in laboratories. As perspectives change and technology advances, a shuffling and re-arranging of plant names and relationships is constantly underway. There is never complete, final consensus. In the field, the most useful way to understand plant connections can be determined by the human eye, observing the characteristics of the plant growing in front of us; the type of root, the shape of leaf, the parts of its flower and fruit.

In general, the structure of a plant’s flower and fruit are key characteristics that place them in one family or another. After all, this is how they reproduce themselves. When exploring a collection, comparing flowers and seeds can really help us understand how plants can be ‘related.’ Look at the catkins of birch and alder, and the papery nutlets of hornbeam, hazel and ironwood, and see the connection for yourself.


  from top left to bottom right: Betula papyrifera, Corylus americana, Alnus incana  
  ssp. rugosa, Ostrya virginiana (photos Sean Fox); Carpinus caroliniana (Photo  
  Chris Earley).

Of course, other wind-pollinated families like the willow family also have catkins, and other nutlet-bearing plants exist, (which is one way to group plants backwards through the ranks of order, class, phylum, kingdom). The Latin and common names can help place a tree within a complex web of relationships, while focusing on what features make it distinct as a species. Carpinus caroliniana is not a birch or a beech, as the family and common name may suggest. Blue-beech and musclewood both refer to the remarkable form of the trunk and branches, which have a muscular, sinewy appearance and thin, smooth bark. Observing the tree, these are noticeable features, and useful for identification in the wild. Often, names were given to distinguish new species from existing, familiar ones. The name blue-beech assumes that we know what a beech looks like, and can see the resemblance. Instead of physical traits, a name could give some other data, such as habitat the plant prefers (swamp milkweed). The specific epithet caroliniana was frequently used to name species found in eastern states, and it tells us where the plant was first discovered.

The final piece of information on the label is the native range. This can be very broad (Eurasia) to very specific (southern Rocky Mountains). A precise geographic origin may imply that the wild population of the species is limited: threatened by development, or a remnant from a previous era and climate. A widespread range suggests robust, adaptable populations. It can hint at whether a species is hardy or tender, or if it is native to the area you are standing in. The core native range for Carpinus caroliniana (central and eastern North America ) is a generalization. While a main understory species in forests across central and eastern states, it also occurs in southern Ontario and Quebec, and in fragmented patches in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.

There is so much that can’t be included in a label, but there is reason behind this standard format. The clues of name, family and origin can allow us to see these specimens in a larger context, and to recognize these connections and relationships through our own power of observation.

A printable version of this article is available by clicking here.

Alexandra Kocher

    
    An American Robin grooming itself with an ant
     Photo by Chris Earley

A printable version of this article is available by clicking here.

Join Jason, our Summer Interpretive Naturalist, for Wednesday Night Walks at The Arboretum through to August 31. The cost is only $2 per person with children under 5 FREE! Walks take place every Wednesday evening from 7 - 8:30 p.m., beginning at the J.C. Taylor Nature Centre.

For more information please contact The Arboretum at 519-824-4120 ext. 52363 or go to our website.

August 17 - Fungi and Lichens: Why did the fungi leave the party? Because there wasn’t mush-room! - but there’s plenty of room on our Wednesday Night Walks! What are they? Why are they important? These organisms, neither plant or animal, play a huge part in our lives - from our food to our health. Often underappreciated, the fungi and lichen of The Arboretum would love to meet you!

August 24 -Who Needs A Camera Anyway? In today’s digital world, we all carry mini computers and cameras in our back pockets. We yield such power to capture, edit and share what we see! Beginner or expert, come on out to this smartphone photography workshop and snap some great shots of the natural world!

August 31 - Insect Inspectors: Goldenrod Edition. We’ve seen and have been tasted by the world of mosquitoes, we’ve crawled around with the beetles, and this time around, we’ll be wandering through fields of gold looking for more of our six-legged friends again. Prey and predator interactions, mimicry and camouflage, an entire field of treasure awaits us!

Our Annual Plant Sale, normally held during the second weekend of September, is on hiatus this year.

Those of you who have attended the sale know that it takes place at the R.J. Hilton Centre, The Arboretum’s horticultural headquarters north of College Ave. This general area is also poised to become the new home for the Guelph Turfgrass Institute, the construction of which is slated to begin in the coming year. Part of the new development involves renovations and improvements to Arboretum buildings as well, and the logistics of trying to run the sale in the midst of construction just didn’t add up. We’re going to use the downtime as an opportunity to re-think, re-jig and improve aspects of the plant sale, to ultimately provide an even greater experience when we bring it back after the dust settles. Sometimes, even a time-honoured tradition can use some refreshing, and we’ll now have the time to do just that. Looking forward to welcoming you all back soon to a new and improved Annual Plant Sale!

Snow? ... No it is not snowing here at The Arboretum! However, it is a sight commonly seen in December during Christmas parties.

...Although it definitely doesn't look or feel like Christmas outside, it is time to think about booking your company's Christmas Party. The Arboretum is a perfect location for your Christmas party for groups up to 130 people. For further information please contact Dawn Ann Webster, Bookings Co-ordinator at extension 54110, [log in to unmask].

All catering is provided by Hospitality Services, University of Guelph. For further information on the catering please call extension 53350 or [log in to unmask].

  
West Lawn                                         Auditorium set up for a Christmas Party

The Annual Wall Custance Memorial Forest Dedication Service is on Sunday, September 18, 2016 at 2:30 p.m. For further information please contact the Wall Custance Funeral Home at 519-822-0051 or www.wallcustance.com.

The summer heat has been hard on our plants and this has translated to fewer sightings of some wildlife species. For example, we seem to have fewer caterpillars this year. We have still found some cool caterpillars, though, including a Hog Sphinx caterpillar, Agreeable Tiger Moth caterpillar and White-marked Tussock Moth caterpillar. Our Butterfly Workshop, led by Jessica Linton, was super successful and we found lots of butterfly species, so maybe the caterpillar population has just been hiding better than usual this year! Other good sightings in the insect department are Wandering Gliders over The OAC Centennial Arboretum Centre's reflecting pond and Jason, our summer interpretive naturalist, got to watch a newly emerged cicada dry out its wings before preparing to take its first flight.

 
Hog Sphinx                                      Wandering Glider

Butterfly Workshop: Clouded Sulphur butterfly and Halloween Pennant dragonfly

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]