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	DATE 2016	EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Sparrow Workshop	Friday, May 20	Thursday, May 12
Invasive Species - Animals & Plants	Saturday, June 4	Thursday, May 26
Sketching Nature	Wednesday, June 8	Tuesday, May 31
Bird Sounds	Thursday, June 9	Wednesday, June 1
Medicinal Plants	Tuesday, June 14	Monday, June 6
Night and Low Light Photography	Saturday, June 18 (rain date: Sunday, June 19)	Thursday, June 9
Look, See, Paint	Wednesday, June 22	Tuesday, June 14
The Mysterious World of Moths	Sunday, June 26	Thursday, June 16
Dragonflies and Damselflies	Wednesday, July 6	Tuesday, June 28
Identification and Biology of Butterflies	Tuesday, July 19	Monday, July 11
Hawk Workshop: The Magnificent Raptors	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

It is N's turn this time. Can you identify all of them? Click here for a printable version. The answers are at the bottom of the newsletter.

by Alexandra Kocher

If the saying is “the early bird gets the worm”, then what do those early spring flowers get? You know, the ones that pop up on forest floors just as the snow melts. The ones that get you excited for the upcoming spring. The Trilliums, Trout Lilies, and Bloodroot. Well, they may not be aiming for the worms, but they are aiming for the sunlight.

One of the problems living in a forest understory is the lack of sun. Trees stretch as high as possible to compete with other sun-loving trees, and their canopies stretch and fill every inch of sky they can reach. Down below on the forest floor only shade loving plants are adapted to survive; the only exception is that perfect window in spring. This window is just when the snow melts and the leaves of those competing trees have yet to open. It is this window of time when the sun can reach the forest floor. Spring ephemeral wildflowers have adapted to the usually shaded forest floor by coming out as early as possible to soak up the sun.

Here are some of the wildflowers that have been spotted in Victoria woods this spring:


Trout Lily
This flower is named for its spotted trout-like leaves. There will be hundreds of single leaves along the forest floor, but the only ones that will have a flower will be the plants with two leaves.
Photo by Alexandra Kocher


 
Hepatica
The name of this flower comes from the Latin word for liver, because the leaf shape is similarly lobed like a liver.
Photo by Alexandra Kocher and Chris Earley

Wild Leek
Wild Leek may not have a flower until later in the season, but it still has a very memorable spring smell to it. The best way to experience the smell without harming the plant too much is breaking off a small portion of the leaf. You will smell a garlicy-onion scent that will remind you of some old home cooking.
Photo by Alexandra Kocher

White Trillium
The White Trillium is one of the most well-known spring wildflowers in the area, and it better be considering it is Ontario’s provincial flower! The tri-leaf base with the tri-petal top makes a beautiful floral composition. We also have Red Trilliums in our forests.
Photo by Alexandra Kocher



Bloodroot - a very ominous name for such a pretty flower. The Bloodroot is named after the bloody liquid inside the root, stem, and leaves. The best way to see it without harming the plant is breaking off a tiny piece from the leaf and watching the “blood” run out of the broken veins.
Photo by Alexandra Kocher

Click here for a printable version of this article.

by Marg Gillies, Arboretum Auxiliary Member

The trail system in the Arboretum at the height of spring is meant for leisurely walks. If the main idea of walking along these trails is a form of calorie burning strenuous exercise, then one can miss many treats that are a delight to the senses. Before the trees have fully gained their new foliage, the sound of birds calling to each other provide an opportunity to track the source of those calls. A fluttering butterfly may lead the eye to an unfamiliar wildflower nestled against a tree trunk. A patch of unfamiliar, sunny yellow blossoms may rouse one’s curiosity enough to research and identify its name.

In spite of the fact that I have taken many springtime walks along the trails especially in Victoria and Wild Goose Woods, there was a time when a number of unfamiliar plants somehow managed to escape close scrutiny on my part. Perhaps this was due to the fact that the blossoms of some of these plants were not as attention grabbing as compared to well recognized plants such as Bloodroot, Dog-tooth Violet, Jack-in-Pulpits, Marsh Marigolds and the masses of Trilliums. On a recent walk, I purposely watched for plants that were not among the ‘big five’ including Coltsfoot, Early Meadow-rue, Blue Cohosh and Wild Ginger. These plants were brought to my attention by Ann Estill during a wildflower walk that she once conducted as a volunteer docent.

As an alien early blooming plant, the Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) has dandelion yellow blossoms which appear on stalks that have reddish scales. Their large leaves appear later. A large patch of Coltsfoot can be found under the trees near the little bridge in the World of Trees.
In Victoria Woods there are patches of Early Meadow-rue (Thalictrum dioicum), which is a member of the buttercup family. It can be recognized by its sprays of droopy clusters of very tiny greenish white flowers (actually sepals) tinged with a deep purplish-red colour. The stem has many leaves in three parts, with each leaflet being a rounded lobe.

The clusters of tiny, six-pointed blossoms in shades of yellow-green to brown of Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) are especially pretty when one is able to view them at a very close range. The blossoms are replaced by deep blue berries later in the season. With its leaflets that are shaped and arranged similar to Meadow-rue, Blue Cohosh is an intriguing plant that may be easily missed as its colouring tends to meld with its surroundings.

The triangular, cup-like reddish brown blossom of Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), is considered a curiosity as it is positioned in the crotch between two leaf stalks at ground level. The blossoms of this plant can be easily missed due to the plant’s large, heart-shaped leaves with hairy stalks. Due to its large creeping rhizome, there are a number of sizeable patches of Wild Ginger in The Arboretum. In his stories about native plants, Bill Casselman notes that North American aboriginals taught the early settlers a number of uses for Wild Ginger root including spicy flavouring and for various medicinal purposes. In his caution to readers, Casselman warns that some of the oils in wild Ginger Root have caused cancerous tumours in laboratory tests.

By slowly walking the woodland trails in both Victoria and Wild Goose Woods, one can discover a number of other interesting wild flowers. They include Hepatica, Toothwort, Foamflower, Large-leaf Avens, Large-flower Bellwort, Red Baneberry, White Baneberry, Wild Lily of the Valley, Solomon's Seal, Marsh Marigolds, Umbrella Plant and various violets. Although some of these plants are not as prolific, they are a pleasure to behold when they are recognized. If you need help identifying some of these unusual woodland flowers, why not consider purchasing an Arboretum Wildflower Booklet available for sale at the Arboretum Centre?. With each passing week, changes occur daily during Springtime in The Arboretum. No wonder the month of May is a wonderful time to view and enjoy the changing palette of woodland plant life along Arboretum trails.

   
Early Meadowrue                              Blue Cohosh

   
Wild Ginger                                     Coltsfoot

by Shelley Hunt

The Arboretum is grateful for its wonderful community of volunteers, and this time of year we especially appreciate their contributions to spring clean-up, among many other tasks! From long-time regular volunteer group members to students in the middle of exams – this spring everyone has chipped in to clean up branches and trash and make the grounds look beautiful.

Some aspects of spring clean-up, however, require very specialized skills, and we are so fortunate to have had the chance to welcome a large crew of professional arborists who volunteered their services for an entire day last month (Earth day, no less). These amazing people are able to ascend effortlessly into the trees (even while hoisting large, sharp tools) to prune, trim and cut out broken or problem branches, keeping our trees healthy and protected from further damage. They may make it look easy, but this is physically and mentally demanding work, and we are grateful to have been the beneficiary of the collective energy and skills of this group for a day. This year, in part due to the Easter ice storm, our Rotary Grove needed attention, and is now in much better shape than it was the day before the arborists arrived. Thanks also to our Manager of Horticulture, Sean Fox, not only for co-ordinating this Arborist Day at The Arboretum, but for wielding a chainsaw right alongside them. Kellen and Cael were indispensable as well. Great work, all!

from left to right: Sean Fox, Phil Whetstone (Capella Tree Service), Zam Hexamer (Capella Tree Service), Dave MacFayden (Capella Tree Service), Patrick McCauley (Capella Tree Service), Mike Salfi (Capella Tree Service), Robin Shaw-Lukavsky (U of G Grounds Dept.), Doug Steel (Full Circle Tree Care), Kellen Wood and Cael Wishart

                            
                             Arborist in Tree

Every Spring we have a new (and some returning after winter) group of students that join our staff for the summer. You will see many of them on the grounds caring for our collections and mowing grass. Jason, our Summer Interpretive Naturalist will do many interpretive tasks as well as lead our Wednesday Night Walks and other programs. We wish a warm welcome to all of these students and are looking forward to working with them this summer!

                                
                                 Jason Chan
  
from left to right; Cael Wishart, Bennett Whitnell, Jocelyn Wainwright, Chelsea Martin, Shanelle Labrie, Emma Davis

Join Jason, our new Summer Interpretive Naturalist, for Wednesday Night Walks at The Arboretum June through August. The cost is only $2 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.

June 1 - Ephēmeros: “All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.” Things come and things go, some faster than others. Join me for a walk through The Arboretum as we explore the different aspects of nature that come and pass away - may it remind ourselves to truly cherish what we have before it’s gone!

June 8 - Insect Inspectors: Mosquitos or Must-kill-those? Interestingly, our Wednesday Night Walks are pretty much perfectly aligned with when these annoying friends of ours are most prevalent - but rather than immediately shoo-ing them off or flattening them, come and discover the diversity and biology of these most-hated and even feared creatures.

June 15 - Anatom-tree: Trees stand still for ages and ages, occasionally swaying in the wind, and are often times neglected and under-appreciated. But in fact, they are incredibly complex as stand alone monuments, specially designed with unique and fascinating features. This Wednesday, we’ll take a closer look at the different parts of a tree, and why exactly they are such amazing organisms.

June 22 - Stop and Smell The Wild Roses: Carnations, hydrangea and roses are just a few of the many beloved flowers we see regularly, but how about the Buttercup, the American Dog Violet, and the Bittersweet Nightshade? A whole and completely different world of blooming plants await to be loved at The Arboretum. Come stop by and smell the wildflowers!

June 29 - Buffet For The Birds: Have you ever wondered what different foods birds would pick up in a buffet line? What are their favorite foods? The Arboretum is a place filled to the brim with a plethora of food options but the catch is, it’s not all served in a line; rather they have to go and find it. What’s on their plate?

Mark June 18th in your calendar for a day of science, adventure, and fun outdoors in the beautiful Arboretum. Come get free tours looking for insects, birds, mammals, herptiles, and different plant species in exchange for your help spotting as many creatures as possible! If you would like to participate then please meet at the J.C. Taylor Centre just before 10:00 a.m. The event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Further information can be obtained by contacting Alexandra Kocher at [log in to unmask]

Hooray for May! Lots of exciting things are happening here as spring finally grabs a hold of our site. Lots of serviceberry and cherry blooms are out and there are more woody plant flowers to come. Many spring woodland wildflowers are at their peak with carpets of trilliums in our woods. Birds are migrating through with sightings of warblers, flycatchers, buntings, orioles and sparrows being reported. Garter snakes and many frog species are moving around now and our first butterflies, Spring Azures and Mourning Cloaks, are flitting through the forests. Time to come and visit!

  
Eastern Garter Snake                           Spring Azure on Trout Lily
photo by Chris Earley                           photo by Chris Earley

Sargent Cherry Tree blossoms
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]