For both ecological and economic reasons we no longer print and mail a seasonal program listing 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 simply send an e-mail to [log in to unmask] with “subscribe to newsletter” in the subject line and include your e-mail address and first and last name in the text of the e-mail.

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.

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 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.

by Chris Earley

Many animals hide, but some hide right in the open and depend on camouflage for protection. Can you see what is in the photo? Answers are below.

by Ric Jordan

Weekend

Everyone's watchin' to see what you will do
Everyone's lookin' at you, Oh
Everyone's wonderin' will you come out tonight
Everyone's tryin' to get it right, get it right

With apologies to the song ‘Weekend’ by Loverboy I think we did get it right on the weekend. Due to the vagaries of scheduling the weekend of September 14 and 15 saw The Arb hosting both our annual plant sale and the Wall Custance Memorial Forest Dedication Service.

Saturday was an absolutely wonderful day for our Annual Auxiliary Plant Sale and seeing the smiles on the plant lovers faces as they found their selections from the rows of woodies and herbaceous materials brought smiles to the faces of Auxiliary members and staff alike. The combined effort of our volunteers and staff (volunteers for the day) sent many people home with a broad array of plants to add to their gardens far and wide. Preliminary totals suggest the results were up from past years, which is a good sign however what makes staff smile even more is seeing the empty slots meaning we sold out of that variety and we’ve contributed to adding to the tree canopy in broader community. A big thank you goes out to the Guelph-Wellington Master Gardeners for assisting us by being a resource for those buyers who were looking for guidance. Also kudos to the Guelph Turfgrass Institute for the use of vehicles allowing us to assist in transporting purchases from the sale yard to the parking lot.

After a sound sleep staff was back at it Sunday morning setting up 2000 chairs in preparation for the 25th Memorial Forest dedication service. The service this year commemorated the planting of native trees and shrubs in memory of 615 loved ones lost in the past year. I have been present at all 25 services and each year I am able to observe how the simple act of having a tree planted in memory of a friend or family member individuals can be connected to the natural world. We are the recipients of a wonderful programme administered by Scott Young and the staff at Wall Custance which provides an opportunity for community members to play a significant role in the ongoing development of The Arboretum. For more information on the program please visit either our website or Wall Custance’s site http://www.wallcustance.com/memorialforest.html

In summary The Arb accommodated over 3000 visitors to events organized by us. There was also a wedding on the grounds at the Arboretum Centre, Chris led an insect tour for Nature Guelph members, numerous birders were searching for early migrants, new students were exploring the grounds and families were wandering the World of Trees collection taking in the Vanishing Acts exhibit http://atguelph.uoguelph.ca/2013/09/find-the-vanishing-trees/ While it wasn’t a typical weekend I think we did “get it right”.

  
Sean Fox at The Plant Sale


Wall Custance

Although it definitely doesn't look or feel like Christmas outside, it is time to think about booking your company's Christmas Party. The Arboretum is a perfect location for your Christmas party. We can accommodate up to 150 people for lunches or dinners with a picturesque view of The picturesque Arboretum grounds. We still have some good dates available … book soon before they are gone. For further information please contact Barb Watson – Ash, Marketing and Bookings Co-ordinator at extension 54110, [log in to unmask] or check out our website. All catering is provided by Hospitality Services, University of Guelph. For further information on the catering please call extension 53350 or e-mail [log in to unmask].


Christmas Party at The Arboretum

Does your organization book meetings at off site locations? Do you have a special occasion such as a wedding, anniversary, birthday, retirement or other event coming up? The Arboretum has three meeting rooms available for rental, all with ground to ceiling windows and spectacular views of the gorgeous Arboretum grounds. The Auditorium seats 150 people at round tables or 225 lecture style. The Boardroom seats 20 people and the Sun Room seats 14 people. The Arboretum's location gives you the feeling of a tranquil country setting with the convenience of being within the City of Guelph. Catering is provided by Hospitality Services, University of Guelph. For further information on booking The Arboretum please contact Barb Watson - Ash at [log in to unmask] or ext. 54110.

Auditorium

Our Vanishing Acts Exhibit is only here a few more weeks. Come out and enjoying the beautiful fall weather, spectacular Arboretum grounds and meander through the exhibit that displays many endangered trees.

Vanishing Acts

Summer is winding down and autumn is starting to take hold. Tuesday, Reuven Martin and Mark Dorriesfield (U of G students) reported 8 raptor species migrating over The Arboretum, including Turkey Vultures, Sharp-shinned Hawks and a Merlin. And they saw a whopping 733 Broad-winged Hawks! One of the flocks of Broad-wings had about 180 birds in it. Coooool. We are also having quite a few different species of warblers moving through as well as some other migrant songbirds. On the plant front, there are seeds and fruits everywhere! American Plums, acorns, maple keys, wild grapes...a good time to be a herbivore. Chipmunks are busy storing as many of these as they can before it gets too cold.

 
American Plum Fruit and Thorn             Eastern Chipmunk

                             
                              Socrates, the Turkey Vulture

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]