by Chris Earley

This month's colour is white. Which of these Arboretum inhabitants with the word "white" in their names do you know? The answers are at the bottom of the newsletter. A printable version of the quiz is available here: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/September_2017/printable_quiz_colour_white_Sept_2017.pdf.

Lots of changes happen at The Arboretum at this time of year. Fall is just around the corner, our summer students have returned to classes, our naturalist staff are busy giving tours to student groups, professors are bringing their classes out to The Arboretum, requests from students come in asking for the use of the grounds for research purposes, our meeting and banquet rooms are busy, there are lots of additional people enjoying the grounds during the day with the lovely fall temperatures and so much more.

Our grounds staff have continued work in the Wall Custance Memorial Forest Site. They have been clearing invasive species in preparation for plantings next year as well as preparing the site for the service this coming Sunday. They have also been busy on the rest of the grounds painting and reinstalling signs, fixing up trails and planting in the Ontario Horticultural Oak Grove.

Bug Day at the end of August was a huge success with over 700 people attending. It was fabulous to see so many people here interested in bugs. Thank you to the group of students who organized the amazing day. Check out this clip that Rogers TV put together about Bug Day: http://www.rogerstv.com/show?lid=12&rid=8&sid=6689&gid=282155

We have a great group of volunteers here at The Arboretum. They help us out in many wonderful ways to improve The Arboretum. Our Grounds / Gardening groups have spent many hours this summer helping with the upkeep and maintenance of the gardens and collections. We thank all our volunteers.

The Master Gardeners of Guelph and Wellington care for the Jane Goodall Roots and Shoots Garden adjacent to The Arboretum Centre. A crew of Master Gardener volunteers were here last week and did a large planting as well as maintenance on the garden. Stop by and check it out the next time you are here.

Master Gardeners Group

Jason's Wednesday Noon Hour Walks will continue throughout the Fall months. We hope to see you out at one of his walks or just enjoying the grounds and all The Arboretum has to offer.

by Polly Samland

Earlier this week I was rummaging through bags of freshly collected seed, examining squat acorns from a majestic old Shumard oak and blackish cobs of skunk cabbage, and inhaling the intoxicating aroma from a sack of prickly ash. This time each year, the seed tables in the Hilton Centre start to pile up with buckets, jars, bags and envelopes of seed. Forget leaf colour, it is the seeds that make early fall so special!

Berries, nuts, cones, pitted fruits and winged ones, dried papery capsules, spiraling bracts, slimy jewels nestled into long pods, or glowing tantalizing at the tips of branches – I love finding and collecting seed, and each harvest is slightly different. Some plants produce a reliable annual yield, while others save their energy for a big dynamo bumper crop every few years. In Guelph, September and October are optimal months for collecting a wide variety of seeds, and we balance between waiting for a berry or cone to mature and beating the squirrels to it.

You can “forecast” or keep an eye out for what will have a good seed crop by beginning your monitoring early on. This year, maples had an amazing spring flower and we have watched the sugar maple seed slowly mature and ripen over the summer, the fresh green seed fattening and slowly browning. Seeds mature at remarkably different rates –willows can go from pollination to germination within a few weeks, while pine cones can take up to 3 years to fully mature. Collecting at the right moment is essential, and there are great references to help you pick your moment (Growing Trees from Seed by Henry Kock or The Complete Guide to saving Seeds by Robert and Cheryl Gough).

Appreciating a fruit is easy -it has a beautiful coloured flesh, or tastes amazing- but identifying which particular kind it is can be a challenge in the wild. If you want to eat, conserve or save a seed to grow, you should first identify it. As with a leaf or bud, there are key characteristics and parts that can help you distinguish between genus (between a walnut (Juglans) or hickory (Carya), for example) and between species (pignut or shagbark hickory). Sometimes you need to view the plant as a whole, or at different times of year. It is almost impossible to distinguish species of serviceberry simply based on the berry, it helps to know the habitat, the size of the shrub, the leaf, buds and flowers.

An acorn is one of the first seeds I could draw, but it was the idea of an acorn I was drawing, more of a symbol. Now I observe the details. I examine the cap, how thick is it, how hairy, does it have firm scales or a bumpy, frilly top? Is the nut pointed, does it have circles around its tip? You can’t just look at a single acorn. They can be variable from tree to tree, branch to branch, perhaps different sizes, perhaps maturing quickly in the top of the canopy or on the side that gets the most sun. Try to find seeds that seem robust and typical, based on what you are observing.

We don’t collect seed just for fun. In The Arboretum (and in botanical collections in general), a plant that was grown from seed collected from its native range in the wild is the most valuable kind of plant to have. A richly recorded provenance allows for more robust research down the road. The more detail the better. When labeling any seed you collect, remember to write notes. Include the location (GPS coordinates are helpful) and Latin name, describe the habitat briefly, the elevation and aspect of the site, and even notable characteristics of the plants themselves. Historically, plant collectors would race to steal the rarest plants from a forest, we now try to realize the negative impacts seed collection can have on sensitive environments and to minimize it. Basic guidelines for ethical seed collection are to not collect from an isolated population or single plant, and to take only a limited amount of seed -5-10% is generally acceptable. Remember that species listed as at-risk in Ontario (see link at bottom of article) can only be collected with an official permit.

We collect seed for conservation purposes, for replanting areas, for sharing with nurseries and institutions, and for developing the diversity of our own plant collections. The conservation efforts we are most proud of –orchards of rare and threatened species—are important not just for the current trees that exist but for the seed they produce, and the future forest this seed represents. Conserving the widest possible variety of genes is especially important for woody plants. In many nurseries, woody plants are frequently propagated using cuttings, a method that endlessly replicates the genetics of the parent plant. Seed preservation is increasingly important, as wild populations are continually shrunk and often so fragmented that trees can’t breed naturally; climate change interferes with and alters patterns of seed production; and recently introduced (yet devastating) diseases and insects devour everything in sight!

You have likely all heard of the emerald ash borer, and maybe you have noticed the effects of the declining and vanishing ash throughout southern Ontario. The National Tree Seed Centre has an initiative asking for citizens to help find and collect ash seed from naturally occurring stands, so that we can preserve a seed bank representing the range of affected provinces and counties. If you are interested (if you have a swamp lined with black ash or a mixed woodlot) please look at the link at the end of the article for details on how to help.

An equally destructive threat which gets a little less press is the beech bark disease. This is an ‘insect-fungus complex’ that begins with an infestation of scale insects. Scales can be transported in wood, but are also carried by wind, so the spread of the disease is hard to contain. They land on massive old specimens first, attracted to the roughest patches of bark, and stab through the bark to suck the juicy beech sap. The holes and cracks they create are pathways for fungus to enter, and it is the fungus that kills the trees, causing dead patches that, when they connect, girdle the trunk or branches. It is a very hard process to control and has dramatically altered the makeup of the traditional maple/beech/hemlock forest.

American beech (Fagus grandifolia) have evolved to produce mighty seed crops every two or three years. Recent extremes and unpredictable weather (early warm spells followed by frost that kills flowers; lingering drought which forces trees to abort seed) have extended the period of years between viable crops. This is exacerbated by predation in many areas, where small seedlings that would be emerging and competing (creating a dense mixed-age understory) are being eaten by deer.

It is easy to get discouraged. Luckily, the act of being outside, of walking through pathways and becoming immersed in the search for a particular seed is incredibly restorative. The Arboretum is a remarkable oasis for seed production, and the beech are putting out a huge, successful crop this year.

If you are interested in learning more, Sean Fox leads a seed workshop ‘Growing Native Woody Plants from Seed’ each September.

Links for further reading:
To the National Tree Seed Centre
http://ww.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/research-centres/afc/13449#conservation

To a pdf on beech bark disease in Ontario https://dr6j45jk9xcmk.cloudfront.net/documents/2851/stdprod-096009.pdf

To a list of species at risk in Ontario
https://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/species-risk-ontario-list

A printable version of this article is available here: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/September_2017/seed_article_sept_2017_polly.pdf

 
Beech Nuts                                      Fagus grandifola

                         
                          Thuja occidentalis

by Jason Chan

photo by Olivia Ruddiman, taken in Oregon

Last month on August 21st 2017, two of our most familiar celestial bodies aligned, drawing millions across North America to look up to watch the heavenly phenomenon known as the solar eclipse. Some went to their local observatory and those who were more adventurous drove hours down to the path of totality, in which the skies would darken as our source of light was hidden momentarily.

Guelph wasn’t along the path of totality, but we did get about 70-80% coverage. Jumping on the bandwagon, Rachel and I went over to campus to join the hype, but having almost no knowledge when it comes to space, astronomy, or anything of that matter, I had a hard time figuring out why this was such a phenomenal event. Don’t we always have eclipses from time to time? Was it simply the moon passing in front of the sun? What did this mean? We stopped by the campus observatory, and asking one of the master students studying physics to help me understand the weight of what was going on that day, she simply said, “it’s nothing special”.

So What’s The Big Deal?
In one sense for the average Joe, an eclipse is just one celestial body passing over another celestial body. But for the average solar physicist, it meant a rare glimpse to understanding the atmosphere of the sun. The sun is approximately 400x wider than the moon, and on August 21st 2017, the moon was 400x closer to the earth which from our perspective, meant that the two were almost equal in size. When the moon blocks out the sun in totality, the surrounding flame-like glow you see is known as the corona, the outer atmosphere of the sun (see image on right, photo by Olivia Ruddiman, taken in Oregon). What’s interesting about the corona is that it is actually hotter than the surface of the sun. This is opposite to what we’re used to because the temperature usually rises as we approach a heat source. And so, these two minutes of totality is precious time for the world of solar physics as they attempt to understand the sun. The data collected and the high speed images could reveal how particles move in the sun’s atmosphere, how energy could be transferred from the sun’s core, and could even help with forecasting space weather in the future.

NASA (The National Aeronautics and Space Administration) funded and set up 11 other projects that day (more on that here - https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/science-ground) across the United States to study the phenomenon, including launching two jets to fly along the path of totality to capture what may be the clearest eclipse images in history (watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0GNqlGNZkI#action=share).

If you missed it this time, the next predicted solar eclipse will actually have it’s path of totality passing through Canada (through the Hamilton, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls area) in April 2024! But the solar eclipse isn’t the only thing you should look out for; many people make sky watching a pastime, looking up at planets, stars, clouds, sundogs, and halos to name a few. If you want to learn more, consider purchasing a Sky Watching and Space Placemat to support The Arboretum and to enhance your knowledge of the skies. You can pick yours up from The OAC Arboretum Centre for $5.

The heavenly realms and the cosmos have always provoked wonder and awe, and it reminds me of just how small and miniscule we are in comparison to the vast and endless universe. For some, the moon, the sun and the eclipse was all a result of coincidence, but maybe there’s a greater connection behind not just the solar eclipse, but all the intricacies and complexities we see in natural world.

To see a timelapse of the solar eclipse that took place here in Guelph - check out this video put together by University of Guelph student, Brandon Edwards - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSSxtswhB8U&feature=youtu.be

A printable version of this article is available here: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/September_2017/Solar_Eclipse_Article.pdf

Rachel Irwin, Summer Intern

Part of The Arboretum World (to the tune of The Little Mermaid’s ‘Part Of Your World’)

Look at this Arb(oretum), isn’t it neat?
My summer internship here is complete!
Wouldn’t you think I’m the girl,
Who’s got the best job in the world?

Look at this tree, plant, bird and bee
How many wonders can one person see!
With a job like this you would think,
Rachel knows everything!

I’ve done tree, shrubs and mushroom ID-ing,
Banded birds, bats and monarch tagging.
You want a monarch?
I’ve raised (maybe) twenty!!

But who cares?
No big deal
I'll learn more!

I wanna be better at bird calls,
I wanna hear, wanna know who's singin'
Watching them soar through those – what do you call’ em?
Oh – binoculars!

Reading books hasn’t gotten me far,
But hiking, exploring and dancing outdoors has
Strolling along down the – what’s that word again?
Promenade!!!!

Where everyone walks, down where they run,
I’ve gotten to play all day in the sun,
Always learning – I'll always be
Part of the Arb(oretum)!

I cannot believe I've finished as The Arboretum’s Summer Naturalist! I am so thankful that I was able to call The Arboretum my office for these past four months. When I tell people I am an Environmental Science student they assume I know how to identify most things in nature. When in reality if you were to ask me to identify a certain tree, or tell you what bird is singing – I’d be completely clueless! These aren’t skills we learn in class. That is why I’m so thankful to have had the incredible opportunity to work alongside the Interpretive Biologist / Education Coordinator, Chris Earley, and Educational Intern, Jason Chan. There is always something new to learn and discover here. I’d have to say the most important thing I’ve learned this summer is that it’s okay to say “I don’t know.” You don’t always have to know the name of something to learn about it.

My time here hasn’t been all butterflies and rainbows though! It was challenging at times but also very rewarding. The feeling of identifying something correctly, seeing the smile on a kid’s face when you put a dragonfly on their nose, and being able to pass along what I’ve learned to others has been priceless. I’ve met so many amazing people this summer, and I can’t express how much I’ve learned and grown as a naturalist. While my time as The Arboretum’s Summer Naturalist has come to end, I am delighted to announce that I will be returning in January as The Arboretum’s next Educational Intern. So this isn’t a goodbye, it’s just a see you later! That’s all for now folks!

A printable version of this article is available here: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/September_2017/Rachel_Article.pdf

The Annual Wall Custance Memorial Forest Dedication Service is on Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. For further information please contact the Wall Custance Funeral Home at 519-822-0051 or www.wallcustance.com.

Join Jason every Wednesday until the end of the year at 12:15 as he explores the grounds on a 50 minute hike. It is a wonderful way to explore the fall colours and so much more that fall offers 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.

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]

Auditorium set up for a Christmas Party

Shinrin-Yoku, Growing Native Woody Plants from Seed, Introductory Mushrooming and Gull 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.

Monarchs! After two years of dismal numbers, this year has lots of Monarchs for us to watch. The last month has revealed many caterpillars, chrysalises and adults. We have started to tag some of the adults as they are now on their way to Mexico! Have a safe journey, guys! Not to be outdone, other butterflies and their caterpillars are moving around including Red-spotted Purples, Giant Swallowtails, Silver-spotted Skippers and Common Ringlets. A large number of Praying Mantids, another insect favourite, are present right now. A Sorex shrew (species to be determined) showed up at the Taylor Nature Centre during a Focus on Nature camp, wowing everyone with its tininess. Jason, our interpretive naturalist intern, found some lovely Blue-stain Fungus on one of his recent Wednesday Noon Hikes. Other mushrooms are starting to show themselves, one good result of such a wet summer. Red-eyed Vireo, American Redstarts, Blackburnian Warblers and Common Yellowthroats are moving through and the Gosling Wildlife Gardens are a great place to watch for them. We suggest sitting at the picnic table beside the recirculating stream in Garden 3 where some of these migrants have been seen bathing.

 
tagged Monarch                                 Sorex Shrew

                          
                           Blue Stain Fungus

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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]