by Chris Earley

The Arboretum grounds have looked especially amazing recently because of the massive snowfall we received. That gave me the idea for this month's quiz. Here are 9 snowy locations in The Arboretum. Can you figure out where each photo was taken?  The answers are at the bottom of the newsletter.

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 Barb Watson – Ash at [log in to unmask] or 519-824-4120 ext. 54110.

Mark your Calendar for the evening of Thursday, March 28. Sean James will be speaking at The Arboretum Centre on Native Alternatives to Ornamental, Exotic Plants. This event is sponsored by the Waterloo Wellington Wildflower Society, Guelph and Wellington County Master Gardeners, The Arboretum and Healthy Landscapes, City of Guelph.

Hope everyone had a Happy Valentine's Day! I'm sure many people became engaged. If you or someone you know is looking for a space for your wedding reception and / or ceremony please contact Barb Watson – Ash 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.

 
Auditorium                                         West Lawn

by Ric Jordan

As the middle of February arrives we have just experienced our first big snow storm of the year. Such excitement by all, as the University was closed except for essential workers. Of course the snow didn’t stop the influx of e-mails to our inbox and voice messages left on our phones. I’m sure that a number of individuals were dealing with some of the e-mails from home or perhaps catching up on a backlog that had built up recently.  Read More.

Ivanna and Yasmina potting up White Pine seedlings in propagation facility

The Pruning, Ecological Vegetable Garden 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.

For further information and / or to register please call at 519-824-4120 ext. 52358 or [log in to unmask]. Please note 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.

The Guelph Field Naturalists held a bird banding demonstration at the J.C. Taylor Centre last weekend and it was terrific! David Lamble, a local bander and teacher extraordinaire, taught everyone not only how to band birds but revealed the birds' feeding adaptations and identification features. And we caught a lot of birds! Many Black-capped Chickadees but also a White-breasted Nuthatch, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a Hairy Woodpecker and a couple of Dark-eyed Juncos. But the show-stopper was a male Red-bellied Woodpecker! Nice. We also caught three chickadees that were already banded. One was banded by David in May of 2009, making it at least 4.5 years old! To see photos of the birds and people at the demonstration, please check out our flickr site by clicking here. The Guelph Field Naturalists do a lot of great outings - check out their website by clicking here.

 
Happy Participant                           Another Happy Participant
photo by Chris Earley                      photo by Chris Earley

                        
                         Red-bellied Woodpecker
                         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]