by Chris Earley

With all the fruits, berries and acorns around here this fall, the squirrels are having a good time! And that got me thinking: why not do a rodent quiz? So here you are. Can you identify these nine Arboretum rodents? Hopefully the challenge won't drive you nuts... The answers are at the bottom of the newsletter.

by Shelley Hunt

Spruce, pine, fir – with our vast northern forests full of these trees, it’s hard to imagine that some species of these evergreens are vulnerable or endangered elsewhere in the world. Bristlecone pines, found in the western US, can be thousands of years old but are slow to reproduce and threatened by a changing environment. Fraser fir, the beloved Christmas tree species, grows naturally only at high elevations in the Appalachians and is on the decline due to attack by invasive insects as well as other threats. And Serbian spruce, once common across much of Europe, has been reduced to just a few hundred individuals in the wild. Historical forest clearing and competition by more aggressive trees are to blame. These are three of the threatened species highlighted in an outdoor travelling exhibit being hosted at the Arboretum until early November. Vanishing Acts: Trees Under Threat, on loan to us from Chicago’s Morton Arboretum, consists of a series of tree-shaped panels each bringing our attention to the plight of an endangered tree species from somewhere in the world. The 17 panels are set up throughout the World of Trees Collection - we challenge you to find them all! The Arboretum has living specimens of many of these species, including the three mentioned above – the panels are placed next to the actual tree whenever possible so you can get up close and personal with these trees while learning about them. Come and see this exhibit before it vanishes…

Vanishing Acts

by Ric Jordan

I’m not sure where the time has gone but here we are past mid-October and I’m late with my article for the article for newsletter. Barb tells me I am the hold-up so please accept my apologies for the late delivery of our newsletter.

For those of you in the Guelph area I’m sure you have read some of the press about the release of the University’s Program Prioritization Process (PPP) results and wondered how or if it affects us. In summary the PPP was launched last fall to identify and rank all academic and non-academic programs and services. 492 programs were identified and they were required to complete a uniform assessment form which was then reviewed and ranked by a 21 member task force. As well as the rankings several recommendations and opportunities for restructuring, generating revenue, forming partnerships and enhancing strategic priorities were put forth. Along with other tools already in place these rankings and recommendations will assist in setting budget targets as the University faces a projected funding gap of $32.4 million over the next three fiscal years. I am pleased to pass on the info that The Arb ranked in the top 20% of the programs so we have set a high standard for ourselves going forward. We still are awaiting clarification of what if any effect this will have on us, but I think it safe to say that the institution recognizes our contribution not only internally but to the broader community as we fulfill our tri-fold mandate of teaching, research and service. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention that a good portion of the credit for our ranking can be attributed to you, the readers of this newsletter. There is a good chance you have taken one of our workshops, served as a volunteer or been a donor and these were all part of the criteria that were measured to determine the ranking, so a BIG THANK YOU from all of us to all of you.

Preparations for winter are proceeding with final plantings being done, cleanup of collections on-going as the weather continues to be mild and planning meetings being scheduled. If you have visited us recently two things of note have occurred. The installation of the Vanishing Acts display has been a pleasing addition to the World of Trees collection but it will be moving on in early November so if you haven’t had the chance to take it in please do visit it and let us know your comments for possible future installations such as this. Also Physical Resources has overseen the replacement of the siding and trellis work on the Arboretum Centre. We’ll be looking at some final touch-ups to the patio and new plantings for the spring. As well, although no definite date has been set a new roof is in the works for the Hales McKay Memorial Shelter. Once that is completed we hope to have a substantial information display installed over the winter if weather permits so be on the watch for these developments.

If you have questions, comments or suggestions on activities at The Arboretum please do ask or pass them on and we will try to answer or act on them. Although it didn’t come directly to us, an Alumnus wanted to know why the University didn’t have a celebration of Canada’s first National Garden Day this past Father’s Day. The long and the short of it was we weren’t prepared, however in co-operation with the Dean’s Office and Plant Ag we are looking at a way to involve the campus and The Arb in next year’s celebration on June 13th, so watch for announcements in upcoming newsletters.

Slainte, Ric

Arboretum Centre Trellis

Christmas is quickly approaching. If you haven't already booked your Christmas party then please consider The Arboretum. It is a perfect location for your Christmas party. We can accommodate up to 150 people for lunches or dinners with a 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].

Auditorium set for a Christmas Party

As The Arboretum wraps up many of its outdoor activities for the year we would like to say THANK YOU to all our wonderful volunteers. Our volunteers include the people who staff the front desk, the grounds crew, the docents, the gardening group, the seed collection and cleaning crew, the plant sale group, the individuals who go out to staff a table at events, and yes, even the staff who volunteer a weekend for the plant sale. The Arboretum couldn't be all that we are without your contribution!

Arboretum Volunteers at the Plant Sale

The Basic SLR Photography and Black and White Photography 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.

Registration is available on-line which will allows you to register for our programs at anytime, not just during our regular business hours. A secure link is provided on our web-site 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 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.

Lots of sightings to report this October! First of all, there are berries, fruits, acorns, seeds and nuts everywhere. That means our chipmunks are extra busy so they seem to be everywhere, too. The birds are enjoying the food as well, with sightings of White-throated Sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Hermit Thrushes chowing down. We have a noisy pair of Pileated Woodpeckers that have been found in Wild Goose Woods and the forested area right around The Arboretum Centre. Many species of warblers have been seen passing through our site this fall and right now there are kinglets everywhere. One of our best sightings was a pair of porcupines in the gravel pit rehabilitation collection! Our whole class of grade 11 DaVinci students got to see them sleeping up in one of the poplars. The Arboretum colours are amazing, the weather beautiful and the views magnificent, so be sure to visit soon.

  
Black Maple                                        Chipmunk

                            
                             Cucumber Tree Seeds

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]