The first quiz of 2019 is a different one. Can you associate one of these natural photos with a name of one of our staff members? To help you out, here are the staff member's names who are in the quiz - can you link them with a photo? Some are easy but some are hard! Answers are at the end of the newsletter. Good luck!

Shelley Hunt, Dawn Ann Webster, Polly Samland, Sean Fox, Kellen Wood, Aron Fazekas, Barb Ash, Sally Cheung and Chris Earley.

A printable version of the quiz is available here: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/January_2019/printable_quiz_Arb_staff_nature_names_Jan_2019.pdf

by Shelley Hunt

Happy new year from everyone here at the Arboretum!

As part of an academic institution, it’s often September that feels more like the start of a new year, as students return and classes resume after summer break. But January does bring a sense of renewal as well, as we start looking ahead to another busy growing season. Not to say that Arboretum activities are dormant until spring, like our plant collections and gardens may be – throughout even the coldest parts of winter we are running workshops (on topics like animal tracking, winter tree identification, winter invertebrates, reptiles, tree and shrub pruning, and more), hosting owl prowls, and leading our free Wednesday noon walks (for more information on any of these activities, visit our website or follow us on social media). Interpretive staff are planning programs and designing and producing educational materials. Grounds and horticulture staff are busy indoors and out, doing tree maintenance work, tending plants in the greenhouse, and repairing equipment and infrastructure. And of course Arboretum wildlife is busy at the winter survival game, as a hike along the trails or visit to our birdfeeders will reveal (check out the latest wildlife sightings later in this newsletter).

Speaking of renewal, our OAC Centennial Arboretum Centre is currently getting a much needed interior facelift, with some improvements in the form of fresh paint and new blinds and carpeting in the Auditorium. We anticipate some more substantial improvements to this unique building over the next few years to improve its energy efficiency and accessibility. Renewal is also coming to our main boardwalk trail through Wild Goose Woods – we have raised more than half of the funds we need for reconstruction of this well-used and well-loved boardwalk and we are on track to begin the work this spring and summer. We are still accepting donations to help support this project – any contribution of $2000 or more will receive recognition on special signage we will be placing along the boardwalk. If you are interested, please contact us! Contact information for any kind of Arboretum donation can be found at the end of this newsletter.

Those of you who have visited in the past few months and have heard chainsaws in action or noticed trees being taken down may have a hard time reconciling this with the goals of an Arboretum, but of course the other side of renewal is death, and while many trees live for centuries, some have their lives cut short by disease, insect outbreaks, and other factors – such is the cycle of life. Currently, the invasive Emerald Ash Borer beetle is sweeping through Guelph, The Arboretum included, and so removing dead and dying Ash has sadly been a major activity of our grounds staff, and outside arborists as well, for the past several months. As hard as it can be for tree lovers like us to see a big, stately Ash go down, we can find some solace in the fact that dead wood has a second life in nature, as beautifully described by Horticulture Technologist Polly Samland in her article later on in this newsletter.

On a final, happier note, we welcome new interpretive biology/education intern Sally Cheung to the team. Some of you will remember Sally as our summer interpreter last year - we are glad to have her back, and excited to continue our donor-supported internship program.

2019 is looking to be a great year at The Arboretum!


American Beech winter bud

by Polly Samland

Some winter days, I choose to take a short-cut through deep snow. All the various animal tracks that are normally trampled and shoveled away are suddenly unspoiled and visible, including racoon and squirrel trails, connecting the trunks of trees like the dots in a children’s activity book. This reminds me of an ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) seminar I attended a few summers ago, led by Brian French. The topic was how to include wildlife habitat into the regular assessment of risks and benefits – and the subsequent pruning prescription - that arborists consider when they inspect a tree.

One of the first rules of pruning that I learned is to begin with removal of the three Ds: dead, damaged and diseased wood. The rationale is that dead wood does not give any energy back to the tree (no longer photosynthesizing, storing or transporting energy), and at the same time dead wood crowds the interior of a canopy or shrub, so light and wind are less able to penetrate. When a shrub grows too densely, it will often form new growth only at the tips, resulting in a plant where a thin green surface supports a twiggy, leafless interior. Dead wood is also viewed as an avenue for pathogens and fungus to enter a tree, increasing stress and forcing it to use its energy defensively.

It is common practice to “clean” dead wood, and certainly this is an issue of perception as well. Dead wood left in a tree canopy suggests neglect to many of us, and similarly dead wood left on the ground can seem messy. However, there has been a wealth of research into the role of dead wood in a forest system, where CWD and FWD (coarse and fine woody debris, respectively) have proven critical features, creating microhabitats for lichen, fungus, insects, rodents, birds, bats, snakes – creatures large and small. Bears eat grubs from old rotting logs, skunks nest in cavities in old trunks, moose eat lichen on low, dead branch stubs. Arborists have an obligation to scout for birds when creating a work plan. Nesting sites for all bird species are protected in Canada, it is illegal to disrupt or damage them. However, how often this is enforced is questionable, and generally the presence of a squirrel or racoon nest in a failing tree is considered more of a hassle than an asset.

Leaving dead wood on the ground is a method of temporarily storing carbon, allowing it to slowly be released back into the ecosystem. Coarse woody debris – stumps, rotting logs - are the ideal hosts for many seeds to germinate in. The incredible ubiquity of chippers, and the process of immediately chipping all wood that is removed and cut, creates a gap in these slow cycles. Chipping potential nurse logs creates a more challenging environment for new seedlings to take root.


mushrooms on nurse log in deep shade

Walking to the Arboretum Centre from the parking lot, you may notice the trunk of a freshly deceased scots pine at the trail edge, its branches removed. We didn’t forget to finish the job, the pole is a deliberate attempt to normalize dead wood, clearly display its usefulness, and integrate it into a formal garden composition. In our most prominent collections like the World of Trees, dead wood is removed on a case-by-case basis, after deliberation. Is the overgrown ninebark creating a safe shelter for animals? Is a dead limb looming over a trail where it could drop on a visitor, or is it an unlikely threat? Is a branch damaged in a ragged tear that could lead to infection, or has it been shaded out and naturally sealed off from the trunk? The debate is part of the evolving concept of the urban forest, where the value placed on trees used to be limited to benefits for human beings – shade, increased property value, oxygen and food production - but has expanded to include benefits to other forms of life.

I propose this topic as something to think about when you too are going for a winter walk, and it is hard to tell apart the dead and living wood.

Related links:
https://extension.psu.edu/dead-wood-for-wildlife
Some projects and press related to Brian French – somewhat of an arborist celebrity:
http://www.arboriculture.international/about/
http://treecareforbirds.com/portland-arborist-promotes-pruning-dead-trees-for-wildlife/

A printable version of this article is available here: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/January_2019/Dead_wood_article_Polly.pdf 

by Sally Cheung

Over the holidays, I had some free time to do some winter birding. Though unlike summer birding where you can grab a pair of binoculars and jump outside in a t-shirt and shorts, winter birding requires some, or rather lots, of layering up. The order goes short-sleeve, long-sleeve, long johns, pants, socks, sweater, jacket, another jacket, toque, mitts, until I look like this:

           

The birding begins, and on the river is a mallard standing in -10°C weather, looking as content as a duck can be, with two webbed feet in full contact with the sheet of ice frozen over the river. And I look down at all the layers I’ve drowned myself in and look back at the duck. How is that duck’s feet not frozen? How do other animals survive the winter without putting on 5 layers of clothing? What do plants and trees do to withstand the cold temperatures?

Ducks and many other species of birds have a countercurrent heat exchange system in their feet, since their feet are not covered in feathers nor have a layer of fat for insulation. The warm arterial blood that flows towards the feet come into close contact with branches of the vein carrying cold blood from the feet back to the body. As a result of this, the heat from the arteries warms up the blood in the veins so that blood reaching the feet is already cold to conserve heat and blood flowing back into the body is warm to help maintain core temperatures. Since birds’ feet are not made up of much soft tissue, there is less of a need for warm blood and this reduction in temperature differences between the feet and the ice allows for less heat to be lost. This heat exchange system is so effective that only 5% of their body heat is lost through their feet¹. The feet just need enough blood to receive food and oxygen, without getting frostbite and damaging any tissue.

Now when it comes to other animals we know that some eat a lot and then sleep a lot, some migrate south to warmer destinations, and humans will use both those strategies when they can. However, one unique example comes to mind when I think about surviving the winter: the wood frog.

Many humans think we’re the smartest species on this planet, but the wood frog has figured out how to time travel! Over the winter months, these frogs will completely freeze into frogsicles and when the weather gets warmer, they thaw out and continue on with their lives. Once the weather starts to drop, the frog’s liver produces large amounts of glucose and replaces the water in their cells with all this thick sugary substance. This process pushes all the water into the space outside the cells, which eventually freeze, but the cell itself avoids freezing and thereby being destroyed. The frog’s heart will stop, brain activity stops, and the frog is frozen. Once the frog thaws in warmer temperatures, the ice outside the cells melt and the water flows back into the cells resuming normal functions.

                
                 Wood Frog

For the longest time, I thought that process was unique in the natural world, until I found out that trees are just as smart! Some plant cells within the tree will change their membranes so that more water can easily move out of the cell into the intercellular space. Then the trees will also use sugar as an antifreeze, turning starch into sugar and replacing the water inside the cell with high concentrations of sugar. This prevents the cells from freezing and dying, just like in the wood frog. Trees also will go through a dormant state over the winter months, lowering their metabolism, using less energy by dropping leaves in the fall, and slowing down growth.
Now only if humans can figure out how to time travel. But in the meantime… shirt, shirt, sweater, jacket, long johns, pants, and mittens will do!

1. Kilgore, D.L. & Schmidt-Nielsen, K. (1975). Heat loss from ducks’ feet immersed in cold water. The Condor, 77:475-517.

A printable version of this article is available here: http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/Listservnewsletter/January_2019/January%20Newsletter%20article-Sally.pdf

by Rachel Irwin

It has been an honour getting to call The Arboretum my office for the last year and a bit. When friends and family asked me what I do for work, I’d proudly respond with “I’m the Interpretive Naturalist at The Arboretum!” Almost everyone would give me a confused look and first ask what an Arboretum is, followed by “so what exactly does an Interpretive Naturalist do?” I believe the following photo gives a good representation of what comes to most people’s minds first:

  

While my last name makes me believe I am a born crocodile hunter, that wasn’t exactly a part of The Arboretum’s job description. Although, I did get to spend the last year wrangling spiders, tagging butterflies, banding bats and birds, and handling cool herps which I personally consider to be just as awesome! As The Arboretum’s Interpretive Naturalist I was responsible for booking programs, leading tours and programs, co-organizing events such as Arboretum Expo and Bug Day, and developing educational materials. I am no Steve Irwin (yet), but everything I did at The Arboretum had the same goal: “Conservation through exciting education.”

The first thing Professor and previous Arboretum Director, Alan Watson, teaches in the Nature Interpretation course at the University is the definition of Nature Interpretation, which is as follows: “A communication process designed to reveal meanings and relationship of our cultural and natural heritage to the public through first-hand experience with an object, artifact, landscape or site, that leads to environmental discussion and conservation.” To accomplish this and lead impactful programs at The Arboretum, I did my best to teach through guided discovery. Instead of telling my participants names and facts about things we found in nature, I’d try to let them explore, discover and ask questions first.

Reflecting back on my time here at The Arboretum, I realize my whole position and everything I learned was based around guided discovery. During my undergrad I read about nature, talked about it, and appreciated it but it wasn’t until my time at The Arboretum when I really discovered it. This was a year of exploring, interpreting, asking questions, countless mispronunciations and wrong identifications and because of it I am walking away from this position having learned so much.

Thank you to my amazing and patient mentors Chris Earley, Shelley Hunt, Sean Fox, Jason Chan and all the other wonderful nature geeks I met along the way for sharing your expertise with me. Thank you to everyone who came to Wednesday Night and Noon Walks and to those of you who kept coming back! The highlight of my week was getting to share all the new things I’d learned with you all. Thank you to all of the docents, volunteers, and supporters who constantly help The Arboretum accomplish all of its goals. As heartbroken as I am to leave this place I’ve gotten to know and love so well, I am excited to continue to share my love and knowledge of nature with the public. Starting in May 2019, I will be attending Fleming College’s Environmental Visual Communications program where I will continue to learn how to better engage and effectively communicate environmental issues to the public and hopefully foster positive change!

The Arboretum grounds are used by many researchers, including undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and researchers from external organizations. This past fall, several groups of undergraduate students from BIOL*3010 (Lab & Field Work in Ecology) were at The Arboretum working on independent projects under the guidance of Dr. Robert McLaughlin. Three 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]">[log in to unmask].

Genotype vs local environmental factors in regulating leaf abscission in temperate deciduous trees
By McKayla Jarvie, Catherine Rutherford, Katrina Mamone and Bryan Oblin

Climate change, caused by various human activities, continues to alter biological systems across the world, potentially interfering with important ecosystem services such as water and carbon cycling that humans rely on. Autumn leaf abscission (leaf drop) in trees is crucial for these environmental cycles to take place as both water and carbon are absorbed and released as seasons change. With these services being so vital, it is more important than ever to understand how deciduous tree species will respond to the significant changes in climate expected in the next few decades.

During the Lab & Fieldwork in Ecology course, we tested whether genetics or local environmental conditions were the primary control of abscission. It is possible, that individuals from different latitudes show different abscission timing as a result of natural selection on genetic components that control the timing of abscission. Alternately, it is also possible that individuals of a species display the same abscission timing as a result of similar temperatures and levels of precipitation experienced in a particular location (The Arboretum) regardless of their latitudinal origin.

For our research project we selected various individual trees from three native species, (red maple, sugar maple and the threatened blue ash) in The Arboretum’s Gene Bank and other collections and grouped them based on the latitude from which they were originally collected. Beginning in October, the abscission of each individual tree was assessed every other day based on the percentage of leaves it had lost until the tree was bare.

 
A red maple individual whose latitudinal origin was near Sault Ste. Marie. The picture on the left was taken on October 12, 2018 and shows full foliage while the picture on the right was taken on October 26, 2018 with the majority of leaves having fallen.

We had expected one of two things to occur: either abscission timing would be the same for all trees, indicating that the local environment was the primary influence, or timing would be different, varying according to latitude, indicating that genetics had the major influence on abscission. However, our results showed no differences in abscission timing between latitude origins, but rather variation in timing existed within latitude groups instead. Seeing as these conflicting results were not expected, it led us to new hypotheses for how abscission is controlled. This study was conducted with the assumption that abscission timing has one primary influence, while our results imply that this process is more likely to have two or more contributing influences. While this research didn’t provide exact answers, it provided inspiration for future projects, including observing abscission over several years to allow for possible patterns to be revealed. This knowledge could be applied to conservation and management techniques as it may make processes such as abscission more predictable in a changing climate.

Adaptation to temperature and precipitation in petiole length of Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus)
By Kayleigh Hutt-Taylor, Cameron Azulay, Katelyn Hill and Rachel Young

The evolutionary significance of plant morphological structures is fundamental in understanding species capacity to adapt to changes in the environment. Plant morphologies can arise through an evolutionary response to the local environment (local adaptation) but specific forms are often expressed in response to temporary changes in the environment. The capacity for a species to express different forms depending on environmental factors is known as phenotypic plasticity. For example, the Hawaiian tree Metrosideros polymorpha can display differing leaf hypodermis thickness depending on moisture availability. Considering how these plant structures relate to species success can aid in managing threatened populations and contribute to effective conservation strategies. The Kentucky Coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus), an early successional species, represents a species currently facing threats to survival that are related to its environment. The species maintains small scattered populations across Southern Ontario and the Eastern United States but faces strong dispersal barriers and isolation from other populations. These populations have experienced different abiotic conditions of temperature and precipitation. These differences in environmental conditions, combined with population isolation have created the ideal conditions for local adaptation to its geographic origin.

Our study examined whether variation in petiole length in G. dioicus individuals in The Arboretum gene bank was a result of local adaptation to levels of temperature and precipitation at the geographic origin of the individuals. Few studies have considered whether leaf petiole length adapts to the local environment to maximize sun exposure and minimize water loss. Our study aimed to investigate whether there was any adaptive significance to this plant characteristic. The Arboretum’s gene bank and ‘World of Trees’ collection offered a unique opportunity to investigate the morphological differences in petiole length in a ‘common garden’ setting. Seed from distinct geographic populations across North America have been grown at the University of Guelph’s Arboretum. This means environmental conditions such as temperature and precipitation are the same and any differences observed can be attributed to local adaptation (genetic differences) rather than phenotypic plasticity. Individuals originating from fourteen different locations across Canada were sampled to determine whether differences in petiole length could be explained by the temperature and precipitation levels of individual geographic origin.

Overall, our findings indicated no significant relationship between petiole length and climatic conditions of geographic origin and therefore could not support our hypothesis that G. dioicus individuals had experienced local adaptation in petiole length. Although local adaptation to native temperature and precipitation levels could not be confirmed in this study, further research examining G. dioicus response to changes in the environment could help determine its capacity for adaptation. G. dioicus is currently listed as a threatened species in Canada and continues to experience increased isolation and barriers to dispersal. Understanding the mechanisms related to the success of this species will be crucial in creating management strategies to promote its survival in a changing climate. Although it is unclear whether G. dioicus individuals experienced local adaptation or alternatively, experienced a combination of factors related to natural selection and phenotypic plasticity linked to their geographic origin, understanding the mechanisms involved in this species response to climatic conditions remains crucial. Further study could help close the gap of knowledge regarding its capacity to adapt to new and changing environments in the future.

                         

Effects of elevation and Eurosta solidiginis parasitism on Solidago altissima performance in the University of Guelph Arboretum
By Savanah Muller, Cassidy Mccarthy, Aiden Maloney and Sarah Hasenack

Climate change has been shown to cause increased fluctuations of average rainfall, resulting in increasing occurrence of droughts in the Northern hemisphere. The effects of drought on plants undergoing simultaneous biotic stress, such as parasitism, could influence their internal allocation of resources and their ability to withstand such disturbances. Our study, conducted at the University of Guelph Arboretum, focused on the performance of late goldenrod (Solidago altissima) undergoing simultaneous parasitism by goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidiginis).

Performance of goldenrod was determined at low, mid and high elevation plots. Elevation was used as a representation of soil moisture content; high elevation plots were considered to have low soil moisture levels and low elevation plots to have high soil moisture levels. The purpose of this study was to determine if any synergistic interactions exist between water stress and parasitism on goldenrod floral biomass production. If synergistic interactions did exist between water stress and parasitism, we predicted the summed effects of the simultaneous stressors would be greater than when stressors were present independently. Therefore, we predicted that floral biomass production should be lowest in ramets undergoing gall fly parasitism in high elevation plots (low soil water moisture). Additionally, we wanted to determine if any antagonistic interactions existed between water stress and parasitism on goldenrod ramet height. If antagonistic interactions did exist, the combined effects of both stressors would be less than when each stressor is present independently. Therefore, we predicted that parasitized ramets in high elevation plots (low soil water moisture) would be representative of low water conditions only.

Data was collected on average floral incidences and heights within each elevation and analyzed using ANOVA and interaction plots. Our study was not able to provide data to support that any significant synergistic or antagonistic interactions existed between water stress and parasitism when acting on goldenrod performance. We suspect that the differences in soil moisture between the different elevation sites was not large enough to cause differences in water stress. The inability of our study to support the presence of these relationships does not mean they do not exist in this system and many other terrestrial systems, providing areas for future research. Additionally, the use of natural resources gradients, such as slope, provides an idealistic opportunity to determine the effects of climate change in a natural setting and should be considered for future studies.

                        

This time of the year tends to be a little quieter for Arboretum volunteers. We still have some volunteers that remain active at this time of the year but many get a rest until the gardening season begins to approach. We will be looking at what groups have openings for the upcoming season sometime in March. If you are interested in volunteering please fill out the application on our website (https://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/volunteer/overview) and submit it to our Volunteer Co-ordinator, Barb Watson - Ash.

We still have lots of 2019 Arboretum desktop calendars available. Each month of the calendar there is a photo of one of The Arboretum staffs' favourite tree or shrub (We called it "staff picks" as some staff objected to having to pick just one favourite tree!) Why they like the tree and / or a cool fact about the tree is also shown on the calendar. Each calendar is $12 including tax. You can purchase in person or on-line: https://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/calendar.

All of our merchandise is now available on-line at: https://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/education-events/arboretum-merchandise. Check out our t-shirts, hats, booklets, biodiversity sheets, buttons and window decals.

We offer pre-arranged group tours of our grounds. You can choose whether you want a general tour or a more focused tour / program on something specific. We have both staff led tours / programs and docent (trained auxiliary) led tours. Further information can be found on-line at: https://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/educationandevents/tours or by contacting Dawn Ann Webster, our Bookings Co-ordinator at 519-824-4120 ext. 54110 or [log in to unmask]. Programs and tours are offered year round.

Join Sally every Wednesday at 12:15 as she explores the grounds on a 50 minute hike. It is a wonderful way to explore the Arboretum grounds in the winter and see what nature offers at this time of the year. 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.

Weddings, meetings, anniversaries, birthdays, celebrations of life, conferences.... we can accommodate all of these types of events. We have three rooms available for rental as well as two outdoor wedding ceremony sites. Our Sun Room seats up to 14 people boardroom style and the Boardroom seats up to 20 people also at a boardroom table. Our Auditorium seats 120 people for a wedding, 150 people banquet style or 225 lecture style. All three rooms have huge windows with fabulous views of the Arboretum grounds. Catering is provided by Hospitality Services here at The University of Guelph. For further information or to rent our space please contact Dawn Ann Webster, our Bookings Co-ordinator at 519-824-4120 ext. 54110 or [log in to unmask].


Boardroom                   Auditorium                      West Lawn

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.

Owl Prowl, Animal Tracking, Pruning, Reptiles, Winter Invertebrates, Galaxies, Stars and Planets 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 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 40th (yes, we are old) Arboretum Winter Bird count was held on Saturday. It was pretty quiet overall, but we did see a few uncommon birds including two Ruffed Grouse, a White-throated Sparrow and we caught a glimpse of a large owl, too (likely a Great Horned or Barred). A calling Common Raven was the first record for the count. It's fun to look at the data and see what species used to be common and what are common now. We will have an article about this in an upcoming issue! Our recent snowfall has provided lots of great mammal tracks for visitors to see. In the last couple of days we have found tracks for Striped Skunk, Raccoon, Porcupine, Coyote, Deer Mouse, Short-tailed Shrew or Meadow Vole (can't tell these apart easily), weasel (either Long-tailed or Short-tailed), Sorex shrew (either Masked or Smoky), Mink, Gray Squirrel, Red Squirrel and Eastern Cottontail. That plus a very courageous and hardy Eastern Chipmunk visiting the Gosling Wildlife Gardens feeder make up a lot of mammals to watch for. One young Porcupine has been showing itself off to visitors along the Ivey Trail for the last few days so keep your eyes peeled!

                 
                  Porcupine
                  Photo by Shelley Hunt

                 
                  Raccoon, Gray Squirrel and Short-tailed Shrew tracks
                  Photo by Sally Cheung

                 
                  Weasel Tracks with quarter for size comparison
                  Photo by Sally Cheung

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]