I thought this one would be hard to make but it wasn't! The letter V is very varied with various volunteers vying for this month's volume of voluptuous visions. The answers are at the bottom of the newsletter and a printable version is available here: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/October_and_September_2018/printable_quiz_Letter_V_Fall_2018.pdf

Have fun!

by Shelley Hunt

If you build it, will they come? This was the thought running through the minds of Arboretum staff leading up to our inaugural Arboretum Expo event last month. The plants for sale were grown, tended, labelled, and displayed proudly on the West Lawn, the displays, booths and activities were set up in the OAC Centennial Arboretum Centre Auditorium, the tours were planned, the food truck was ready, the U of Guelph campus arborist (and friends) had tree-climbing gear ready to go…but we had put our popular annual plant sale on hiatus for two years, and made big changes to the event when we brought it back this Fall, including a move to a new location. So, would anyone show up?? Happily, that question was answered in the positive when plant-sale enthusiasts and other visitors began lining up at the gate well before opening time. And hundreds of people kept on coming all through the day! If you were one of those visitors, we hope you had a great time and learned something new about The Arboretum and its trees. If you took advantage of the opportunity to buy some shrubs, trees and other plants, thank you! The plant sale is a significant fundraiser for us, and helps us continue to carry out all of the work that we do here, including maintaining the grounds, running education programs, and working on plant conservation initiatives. If you weren’t here for the event this year, be sure to mark your calendars for 2019! We will hold our second Arboretum Expo on the second Saturday of September next Fall.

Our amazing staff put a lot of sweat (hopefully not so much blood and tears) into organizing and preparing for the event – hats off to all of you! A huge thanks is also owed to our wonderful Arboretum volunteers – who helped immeasurably with the event at every step along the way, from propagating and tending the plants for sale, to helping with displays, activities and tours, to keeping everyone fueled up by serving snacks and coffee, to directing traffic, to cleaning up at the end – we couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you also to the North American Native Plant Society, the Society for Ecological Restoration Ontario, Guelph Urban Forest Friends, NeighbourWoods, and the U of G Environmental Sciences Student Executive for running booths at the event.

We were glad to offer the opportunity for you to come and ‘Meet the Trees’, and we can’t wait for next year’s Arb Expo!

 
Plant Sale                                          Plant Sale
photo by Wayne Prowse                       photo by Wayne Prowse

 
Arborist Tree Climbing             Display / Activity Table in Auditorium
Demonstration                       Photo by Wayne Prowse
photo by Wayne Prowse                                                       

  
Arborist Tree Climbing Demonstration    Sean Fox taking with someone at
Photo by Shelley Hunt                             the Plant Sale
                                                        Photo by Wayne Prowse

by Emma Davis

With the transition from balmy summer days to crisp fall mornings on our doors, changes are also happening in our daily tasks at The Arboretum. During the summer, I spent most mornings watering thirsty seedlings in the nursery and greenhouse facilities at the Hilton Centre, however as our plant friends prepare to take a winter rest, they require less attention, freeing up time to pursue other indoor projects during the “off season”.

Before joining The Arboretum on a full-time basis in April, I was working to complete my PhD research on campus in the Department of Geography. The focus of my project was to find out why the distribution of subalpine trees in western Canada are not moving upslope as quickly as expected given how much temperatures have warmed during the past century. Otherwise put, now that alpine environments are much warmer than they used to be, why are trees not establishing there in large numbers? Using field and greenhouse experiments, the answer we found is that even though the climate might now be suitable, unsuitable soil characteristics and exposure to high temperatures during the summer in shadeless alpine environments are enough to prevent young seedlings from surviving long enough to turn into large trees. This example is specific to Alberta and British Columbia’s beautiful Rocky Mountains, and Guelph is undeniably a relatively flat city (with the caveat of the Gordon St. hill, which, as resident of downtown, really clarifies the meaning of ‘uphill both ways’ to work!). In spite of this, however, there are many tree species growing at The Arboretum whose abilities to establish and thrive in new environments are likewise being challenged.

  
A view of the alpine treeline in   Using cold hands to locate tree seedlings Goodsir Pass, Kootenay National        during a snowy July day in British Columbia’s   Park.                                      Rocky Mountains.  

Southern Ontario does not have much in the way of harsh alpine conditions to contend with, but particularly in our most developed parts of the province, activities like land clearing and habitat fragmentation can also negatively affect the spread of many tree species. An example that immediately comes to mind is the Cherry Birch (Betula lenta); it is an extremely rare tree species in Canada, with fewer than 10 individuals growing on privately owned land in the Niagara region. Although Cherry Birch are abundant in the northern United States, development, deforestation, and erosion along the shoreline of Lake Ontario challenge the long-term survival of the northernmost population of the species. Just as certainly as the passing of months will soon bring snowy days to The Arboretum grounds, the passing of years is sure to transform our regional climate and alter the distributions of plants and animals across the globe. In cases where human activities are the primary factor impeding a species’ survival, which is the case with the Cherry Birch, recovery and restoration efforts are an important step for ensuring protection and future success. As our Thursday morning Plant Sale volunteers will know from tending to the watering, weeding, and transplanting needs of Cherry Birch seedlings this past summer, we are currently propagating dozens of trees to use in restoration plantings in the coming months.

                     
                      Some fine looking Cherry Birch growing in the
                      nursery at the Hilton Centre.

This fall as I begin a Post Doctoral Fellowship position here at The Arboretum, and as there are fewer opportunities to step outside to collect seeds or care for plants in the nursery, I’m eager to delve more into the varied conservation and recovery projects that have been ongoing here for many years. In particular, I look forward to updating you about some exciting work with the Elm Recovery Project in a future newsletter, another project whose aim is to help a species recover from human impacts in a changing world.

A printable version of this article is available here: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/October_and_September_2018/Times_They_are_a_Changin_Emma.pdf

by Rachel Irwin

As an entomologist, I have to admit that I have been very “leg-ist” in the past. I have discriminated against bugs who did not have six legs. Anything that wasn’t an insect was disregarded, ignored and thrown away. Whenever I was out in the field, I overlooked the spiders, millipedes, centipedes, snails and slugs, flicking them out of my net just as quickly as I had caught them. It wasn’t until I started working at The Arboretum that I began to really appreciate the other “creepy-crawlies”, especially spiders. My first day on the job, Interpretive Biologist Chris Earley, asked me to help him “wrangle some spiders.” Ya sure, that’s a totally normal thing for your boss to ask you. Hesitant at first, I began helping Chris collect, observe, identify and photograph spiders and I am proud to now call myself a “Spider Wrangler” (yes, I will be adding that to my resume).

I quickly learned there was really nothing to fear, and my fascination and appreciation for spiders has only grown since then. Spiders can spin webs with silk that is stronger than steel, dance like their life depends on it, swim and walk on water, jump with great accuracy, and they can even fly!! Unfortunately, there’s not enough room in this newsletter for me to write about all of the amazing talents and life strategies of spiders, but thankfully that’s what our Spider Workshop is for (we offer it in September)!  You’re probably thinking, “Why on earth should I care about spiders?” Well, not only are they a key part of our ecosystem but they also provide many benefits to us humans.

1. Venom – Except for one family, all North American spiders are venomous. They have special glands that produce venom (a chemical cocktail of toxins, enzymes, peptides, proteins, and other substances) that they inject into their prey using their fangs. This may sound intimidating, until you simply realize that we are not spider food and they have no desire to bite us. It is more likely that you will die from a lightning strike, than you would from a spider bite¹. Instead, spiders may have a “bite that cures”. Current research shows that certain compounds found in spider venom have medicinal properties and could be used to treat things such as chronic pain or muscular dystrophy².

2. Silk - Spiders have multiple silk glands at the end of their abdomen which produce different types of silk. For example, orbweavers have 7 silk glands, each producing a different silk with a special purpose such as web construction silk, wrapping prey silk, egg sac construction silk... etc.¹ Spider silk is extremely strong, flexible, resilient and water-proof making it extremely intriguing to scientists and engineers. Currently, research is looking at using spider silk for ligament repair, enhancing microscope resolutions, and making clothing, stronger nets and ropes, and
bulletproof vests.                    Cross Orbweaver
                                               Photo by Shelley Hunt

3. Big Appetites - A recent study calculated that globally, the spider population consumes 400 - 800 million tons of prey a year³. To put that into perspective, the human population consumes 400 million tons of meat and fish a year³. Therefore, spiders play a huge role in keeping insect populations in check. They help our agriculture industry and personal gardens by reducing crop pest populations. They are also an important food source for other animals such as birds, wasps, and lizards. Some birds even use spider webs in the construction of their nests. Thus, spiders play a large role in our ecosystems.

So next time you find a spider in your house, I challenge you to not kill it. Let it live peacefully in the corner, cleaning up all the unwanted insects. It’s a win-win situation! Spiders are here to help!                                                                                         Don’t be this guy.
                                                 Photo by @jakelikesonions
References:

1. Gaddy, L. L. (2009). Spiders of the Carolinas. Duluth, Minnesota. Kollath+Stensaas Publishing.
2. Bushak, L. (2015) Venom as medicine: How spiders, scorpions, snakes and sea creatures can heal. Retrieved from https://www.medicaldaily.com/venom-medicine-how-spiders-scorpions-snakes-and-sea-creatures-can-heal-328736
3. Nyffeler, M., & Birkohofer, K. (2017). An estimated 400-800 million tons of prey are annually killed by the global spider community. The Science of Nature, 104: 30.

A printable version of this article is available here: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/October_and_September_2018/Spiders_Rachel.pdf

The Arboretum grounds are used by many researchers, including undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and researchers from external organizations. This past summer was busy with several projects from various research groups happening. Two of these projects are described below. If you would like further information on research at The Arboretum please contact our Research Co-ordinator, Dr. Aron Fazekas at [log in to unmask].

Salt: The Element of the Problem
By Sylvia Byer

Sylvia was part of a student group at John F. Ross high school in Guelph, that included Liam Deaton, David Dennis, Charlotte Duncan, Connor Hawkins, Liam Hawkins, Elijah James, Riley Luke, Lucy Matulis, and Ashtyn Yu. The group was supported by science teacher James Bell.

Salt, specifically sodium chloride (NaCl), is used to prevent the formation of ice on roads across Canada. We have observed that the use of NaCl rock salt in Guelph may be excessive, potentially having negative environmental impacts. Our group decided to examine the impact of road salt on white pine trees. We hope that our research can be used to further specific understanding of how NaCl road salt impact the environment and to highlight the need for less-damaging options for preventing road ice buildup.

Sampling of white pine needles and soil was performed at The Arboretum at the University of Guelph. We collected white pine needles of two different age categories (new needles, old needles) from six trees at three different distances from a salted road (Victoria Road). Soil samples from beneath each of the trees were also collected.

Soil samples were analyzed for soil salinity and pH in the lab of Dr. Longstaffe at the University of Guelph. We measured soil pH using a standard protocol: the soil was suspended in water, allowed to stand, and then pH was measured using a calibrated electrode. Salinity was measured using a similar procedure, except the soil was suspended for 3 minutes to prevent insoluble salts from mixing through reactions.

The pine needle samples (new and old) as well as the soil samples taken from beneath the trees were also examined using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) at the Canadian Light Source in Saskatchewan. Calcium peaks in both the soil and needles varied with distance from the road, and age of the needles. There was more calcium in the soil closest to the road, however the needles at this distance had the lowest calcium content. Older needles also had a higher calcium content than newer ones.

Although our data indicate there was more calcium in the soil close to the road, white pine needles from trees at that location had the least amount of calcium present. It appears the white pine trees were unable to uptake as much of the calcium as trees further from the road despite the higher calcium availability. The results suggest that exposing the trees to salt reduces their ability to uptake calcium, and as calcium is vital to the health of the pine trees, this has the potential to negatively impact the tree. Further research would be needed to determine how severely the lack of calcium is impact the white pine trees.

  

                
           Collecting pine and pine soil samples at the Arboretum

Building the buzz: Evaluating the efficacy of artificial nest boxes as a conservation tool for bumble bees
By Hayley Tompkins

Hayley Tompkins, a graduate student in Dr. Nigel Raine’s Lab, has been busy at the Arboretum this season installing and monitoring bumble bee nest boxes. Her research, in collaboration with Wildlife Preservation Canada, focuses on the use of artificial nest boxes to study the nesting habits and colony development of wild bumble bees.

Bumble bees are essential pollinators of agricultural crops, and of trees and flowering plants in natural ecosystems. In fact, one in three bites of food we eat depend on the pollination services of insects, such as bumble bees. In Ontario, roughly one third of bumble bee species are in decline, and face threats such as pesticide use, parasites and diseases, and the loss of nesting and overwintering sites because of changes in land use and development.

Not a lot is known about the nesting preferences of bumble bee queens in the spring, such as where different species are nesting and why. To learn more about bumble bee nesting ecology, 82 nest boxes were installed at the Arboretum in mid-April to coincide with the emergence of nest-searching queens. Boxes were installed using one of two techniques (underground and aboveground), and were monitored throughout the spring and summer to look for signs of occupation. During site visits, habitat attributes were collected, and colony development in occupied boxes was monitored. On alternate weeks, site-level floral and bumble bee population surveys were carried out, to collect information on species abundance and distribution.

   
Aboveground domicile       Underground domicile      Occupied Aboveground
                                                                          domicile

Through this research project, Hayley hopes to identify variables leading to successful occupation of nest boxes, and to learn more about colony development of different bumble bee species in Ontario. Preliminary results of this project indicate a 12% occupation rate, which included colonies of at least three different species. The data collected from occupied nest boxes will be used to help fill knowledge gaps in terms of nesting preferences of bumble bee species, and will improve nest box installation techniques in Ontario.

You can view Hayley’s award-winning NSERC “Science, action!” video about her research here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djFDj2hZAj4

by Sally Cheung

Four months has flown by quicker than the swamp darner The Arboretum’s naturalist team has been trying to catch all summer! When asked to reflect upon my time here at The Arboretum, this one specific tree came to mind.



I stumbled upon this tree while walking by a community garden one day, and I had to stop because of the little message left by the base of the tree. “GROW DAMMIT”, it wrote. My summer spent here at The Arboretum can be pretty well summed up here. I came into this job wanting only to grow as much as I could and be a valuable contribution to this community.

Not only did I want to grow by learning but also to physically grow taller, because half of the grade 6 students attending programs at The Arb towered over me! One of those things I knew were impossible to achieve, and the other I had to work for. So I started drinking 8 glasses of milk a day.

All jokes aside, I told myself that in these four months I should take the opportunity to absorb as much information as possible. I came in having some knowledge of birds, reptiles, and amphibians, after working with them hands-on these past few years and travelling the province teaching people about these cool animals (Check out Wild Ontario and Sciensational Sssnakes). But after attending my first warbler workshop, I realized I was just a little seed anticipating so much growth and waiting to absorb everything that Chris and Rachel had to offer me. If I wanted to be a true naturalist, I would need to cover all aspects, especially the areas I had very little knowledge on, like the insects and the plants. Thankfully, Chris and Rachel have taught me so much, from wildflowers to trees to aquatic insects to dragonflies. Still to this day, I walk down a path I’ve walked numerous times throughout the summer and will notice a new plant or insect that I have yet to ID.

There is constantly something new to learn and explore, and I think that’s how nature keeps grabbing my attention. I love knowing that I can learn and learn but there is always room for more. There is something about being able to identify a species, know its adaptations or understand its relationship with its ecosystem that makes me appreciate nature that much more. And we’re not even at the best part of the job yet. Being able to share what you know and inspire this appreciation for nature in others, that was the best part of this job.

I felt like while little seed Sally continued to grow into a sapling, she was ready to become a contribution to this community garden that was the Arb staff and everyone who visits The Arboretum. I enjoyed every opportunity I had to share what I know, to see students and campers learning and asking all the questions their curious brains could come up with, and to see others develop a love for nature. Not only did I learn so much from the naturalist team, but from the rest of the Arboretum staff and from members of the public attending our programs as well. It was a great four months being part of a community of people who also share the same love I have for the environment.

Now a bit more grown up as a sapling, I know there is still so much for me to learn and so much room for improvement as an interpretive naturalist. I have four months away from the office and into those boring lecture halls, but I am very excited to say that I will be back in January as The Arboretum’s next Educational Intern!

Another gardening season is winding down at The Arboretum and with that many of our volunteer groups go into hibernation for the winter months until the plants wake up again in the spring. We would like to thank the many volunteers that work at The Arboretum in the many groups or doing individual tasks ... gardening groups, front desk, posting flyers, caring for plants in the nursery, seed groups and so much more. We will still see some volunteers over the winter months as not all volunteer duties are fair weather duties and look forward to your smiles and helping hands. Thank you to all our volunteers for helping The Arboretum grow!

The Arboretum has some fantastic publications and merchandise to assist you when you are out in nature. Check out our biodiversity sheets, booklets, t-shirts and hats. We also have window decals, buttons and will soon have our 2019 Arboretum Desktop Calendar. Information is available on our website at: https://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/educationandevents/arboretumbooks and https://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/education-events/t-shirts-and-more.

You can stop by the Arboretum Centre Monday - Friday during business hours to make a purchase in person or you can order over the phone by calling 519-824-4120 ext. 52358. A shipping fee does apply. Watch the website as we will soon be offering sales for on-line purchasing.

Please click on the image below for a larger printable version.

Join Rachel every Wednesday until the end of the year at 12:15 as she 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.

       

On Sunday, September 16, 2018 the annual Wall Custance Memorial Forest Dedication Service took place here at The Arboretum. This year marked the 30th anniversary. The day was a hot with the approximately 2000 attendees seeking shade to sit in for the service. This year's symbolic dedicated tree was an American Elm from our Elm Recovery Project. If you would like more information on this program please go to the Wall Custance Funeral home's website at: http://www.wallcustance.com/memorialforest.html or call them at 519-822-0051.

Christmas party, business meeting, conference, anniversary party, wedding, birthday party, workshop... the list goes on and we can accommodate you and your group for all these events. Our Auditorium seats 120 - 150 people banquet style (depending on setup required) or 225 lecture style and offers a fantastic view of our picturesque grounds. The Boardroom seats 20 people and the Sun Room seats 14 people and both again have huge windows with views outside into The Arboretum. We also off 2 outdoor sites for wedding ceremonies. Parking is free. All Catering is provided by Hospitality Service here at the University of Guelph (event.uoguelph.ca). If you would like more information on renting our space please contact our Bookings Co-ordinator, Dawn Ann Webster at [log in to unmask] or at ext. 54110. 

 
Auditorium set for a Christmas party   Boardroom

 
Auditorium set for a wedding                West Lawn set for a wedding ceremony

Would you like to see more of what is happening at The Arboretum or read more nature related information? Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr and YouTube by searching @uogarboretum.
          

Winter Tree Identification, Owl Workshop, Owl Prowl, Animal Tracking and Pruning 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.

Many migrating Monarchs meandering to Mexico! That is what we have noticed this fall so we hope the Monarchs numbers have truly gotten a boost this year compared to the last few dismal years. This species is of special concern and needs all the help it can get! They are fueling themselves with mostly goldenrod nectar so please thank a goldenrod plant the next time you see one. Other sightings in The Arboretum recently include many fall warblers (with lots using our recirculating stream in the Gosling Wildlife Gardens) as well as some vireos (such as a Philadelphia Vireo we banded last week) and a couple of new-for-The-Arboretum spider species found during our Spider Workshop. Another new spider species was caught by two of our grade 11 DaVinci students as well.


Hundreds of Monarchs visited one of our friends' backyards recently - wow!
Photo by Ruth Robinson


A Tennessee Warbler in fall plumage in the Gosling Wildlife Gardens.
Photo by Brenda Doherty


This Manybanded Antmimic Spider is new for our Arboretum list and
was found by two grade 11 students in the DaVinci program!
Photo by Chris Earley

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]