This month is the letter "L" - can you figure them all out? A printable version is available by clicking here. The answers are at the bottom of the newsletter.

by Alexandra Kocher

There is no “X-marks-the-spot” hint to finding the little treasures buried inside goldenrod galls, but the best treasure hunters don’t need one. Black-capped Chickadees and Downy Woodpeckers are the expert archeologists when dealing with goldenrod galls; but what are they even looking for?

On goldenrod you can often find bulb-like growths on the stem, and these growths are actually made by the Gall Fly. The fly will lay an egg inside the stem and the plant will grow around the developing larva, creating a gall. During one of the larva’s developmental stages it grows teeth, and in preparation for an escape it will chew a tunnel through the gall and stop just as it reaches the outside wall. When the larva is an adult fly and ready to escape in the spring, it can crawl through the tunnel and break through the outer door.

A printable / shareable version of this article can be viewed by clicking here.

Finding food in the winter can be extremely tough, so Black-capped Chickadees and Downy Woodpeckers really benefit from finding a juicy morsel of protein inside a gall. Both birds will peck around the gall until they find the hollow tunnel, then they break through and dine on their find!

When looking at the remnants of the galls, you can actually distinguish between the two birds as to which one broke into the gall. Downy Woodpeckers are expert hole creators, so their excavation is clean and precise. Black-capped Chickadees on the other hand leave a mess of pecking marks, but they get the job done regardless! If you find a gall that has no pecking marks and the slightest pin-prick of a hole, then that means the Gall Fly made it through the winter and escaped in the springtime.

So next time you’re outside this winter, take a look and find the remains of a treasure excavation. Was it team chickadee or team downy who took the prize?

For a printable shareable copy of this article please click here.

  
Golden Rod Gall with hole made   Golden Rod Gall with hole made
by Downy Woodpecker                 by Black-capped Chickadee

                            
                             Golden Rod Gall with hole from Gall Fly

We like to share information and photos. If you would like to see more from us then please check out our Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.  You can go directly to each of the sites by clicking on the corresponding word above.

The Arboretum’s grounds are the perfect setting for group tours. Our knowledgeable docents (trained volunteer guides) give pre-arranged  1 ½ hour tours of The Arboretum’s grounds, gardens, collections and other points of interest. The tours can be focused on the areas that are seasonally appropriate and / or that are of interest to you and your group. Tours should be booked a minimum of 2 weeks in advance. The cost is $5 per person, with a minimum charge of $60. Tours provide an excellent break for a meeting group. For further information on tours or to make a reservation please contact Dawn Ann Webster at [log in to unmask] or 519-824-4120 ext. 54110.

I hope everyone had a Happy Valentine's Day! If you or someone you know is lucky enough to have given or received that special ring and proposal and beginning to plan for that exciting day please be sure to check The Arboretum out for the ceremony and reception. For further information please contact Dawn Ann Webster at 519-824-4120 ext. 54110 or [log in to unmask]. Further information on our unique reception facilities and outdoor ceremony sites can be found on our website.

 
West Lawn                                        Auditorium

Basic D-SLR Photography, Pruning and Gardening Fundamentals 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.

Our semi-winter has been an interesting one. The lack of snow has made tracking challenging but we can still see that a mink is visiting the Gosling Wildlife Gardens and some raccoons have been out and about recently, too. The day after Groundhog Day we had an Eastern Chipmunk running around outside The Arboretum Centre - maybe this squirrel family burrower would be a better animal to ask about spring arrivals? We have at least four porcupines on our site still with one showing well in the cedars near the Wild Goose Woods Pond. The current cold snap has made our feeders very popular and many Purple Finches are visiting at the moment. We are starting to notice blue bunny pee. Don't know what this is? Check out our description on our Flickr site at https://www.flickr.com/photos/52649814@N05/8513649878/in/photolist-dYjFuS-dYdZf2-dYdZbP/ You will be amazed!

Purple Finches


Black-capped Chickadee

Downy Woodpecker

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]