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2150 North Alvernon Way, Tucson, Arizona 85712 326-9686
www.tucsonbotanical.org
Volunteer and Docent Newsletter
April 2013
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—UPCOMING MEETINGS—
MONTHLY
VOLUNTEER MEETINGS Second Thursday of Each Month
10AM-Noon Porter Hall
—Next Meeting: April 11— Curious to know more about the four new
“pocket gardens” north of the Pavilion? Come learn about the
Gardens’ newest event,
GROWDOWN! The Great Tucson Garden Design Challenge and see the
short film created by independent filmmaker and Hanson Film
Institute Fellow, Marcus De Leon.
DOCENT MEETINGS
Fourth Thursday of Each Month 10-11:30AM
—Next Meeting: April 25— Speaker TBD
YOUTH EDUCATION
VOLUNTEER MEETINGS Third Tuesday of Each Month
10AM-Noon
—Next Meeting: April 16— Child-Nature Relationship
Speakers: Experimental Educators Suzanne and Eric Dhruv
Spring
Volunteer Appreciation Potluck
Wednesday, May 1
Noon-1:30PM in the Pavilion Please RSVP to Christine
Hoekenga
at 326-9686, ext. 39
or by email at
[email protected]
and indicate the type of dish you plan
to bring (salad, dessert, etc.)
Hope to see you all there!
DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR FLIGHTS OF
FANCY BIRDHOUSE ENTRIES! Submit your entry by Friday, April
5!
With Southern Arizona
listed as a premiere
destination for amateur and
serious birders alike, the
Gardens has invited its
flighted friends, both
migratory and residents, to
make a home at the
Gardens, in the Backyard
Bird Gardens, during later
spring and early summer.
Single-family abodes, multi-unit dwellings, garrets,
fabricated nests and other residences will be on display
as part of Flights of Fancy:Birds at Home in the
Garden. Join us as we observe who moves in to the
newly installed houses. Most likely to be seen are
Verdin, Ash-throated flycatcher, Pyrrhuloxia, Purple
martin, Lesser goldfinch and Cactus wren. With a little
luck, you may also encounter Lucy’s warbler, Ash-
throated flycatcher and Western kingbird.
If you’d like your work considered for this exhibit,
please download the call for entries from our website:
http://www.tucsonbotanical.org/cms/wp -content/
uploads/2013/01/Call-for-Entries-Flights2013.pdf
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BUTTERFLY MAGIC UPDATE
...desired, volunteer in the afternoon. Shifts run from 9:15
until 12:30 and from 12:15 until (at the latest)
3:30.
PipevineSwallowtail Black SwallowtailCaterpillar
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES As some of our volunteers leave next
season, we have new openings arising for new volunteers. This is
a
great time for someone to test whether volunteering in the
exhibit might be right for them. We have seasoned
volunteers they can work they can work alongside and only a
relatively short commitment until we close the
end of April. The exhibit fulfills many functions for many
volunteers. We have had emergency room
nurses, doctors, midwives come to recharge; retired teachers who
experience renewal by sharing the exhibit
with school children in the mornings; some people temporarily
unemployed who volunteer to contribute to the community while they
search for new positions;
and, of course, newly retired or long-term retired people who
still wish to stay engaged. People who are
new to Tucson; people who have lived here all their lives—we
still offer a unique way of interacting with the
community. So, please think of friends and acquaintances who
might enjoy and profit from
volunteering in our exhibit.
This month we have the time clearly available. We will
have an opening on Thursday mornings, plus several other
slots.
As usual for this time of year, I encourage people who
have never yet volunteered in the exhibit to consider doing so.
Word-of-mouth recruiting of other people to
volunteer to see if they’d like it is our best way of getting
great volunteers, so please advertise the
opportunity to different people you contact. If working with
children is appealing, volunteer in the
morning; if a quieter time is desired, volunteer in the
afternoon. Shifts run from 9:15 until 12:30 and from 12:15 until
(at the latest) 3:30.
BUTTERFLY UPDATE From Elizabeth Willott
It’s time to feel sorry for all those winter volunteers
who have left for cooler weather. They will miss the current
delights of our Tucson spring.
As I write this, the Lady Banks rose is a mass of
yellow, pink penstemon charms us in so many spots, the bold
green and red of the Clivia contrast
wonderfully with the Education Building, and there is bright
green new growth almost everywhere. A potpourri arises from the mix
of viburnum, rose,
citrus and many other plants, separating only as you walk close
enough to one plant and then another.
Birds strive to outdo each other in song, lizards scurry in the
leaves, the train chugs along, and happy
voices are found throughout.
Flitting through this amazing world are our native butterflies.
On any day you are likely to see Giant
Swallowtails, Pipevine Swallowtails, Gulf Fritillaries, and
several different Sulphurs. Enjoy them all and
enjoy what’s continuing to happen indoors at Butterfly
Magic.
We have roughly one month left of Butterfly Magic.
Between Sunday and Tuesday last week, the greenhouse was
transformed by the emergence of
so many of our last week’s shipment of butterflies from the
Tropical Entomological House in Malaysia.
We have Asian Cruisers, Asian Tigers, Common Leopards, Paper
Kites, Blue Clippers and more from
Malaysia. We also continue to have butterflies emerge from the
chrysalises we received from
Kenya back in January: this morning we had an African Citrus
Swallowtail, an Emperor Swallowtail,
and a Constantine’s Swallowtail emerge. We are now at peak
species diversity with probably over 45
different species.
Our close date is April 30. We will do our butterfly round-up on
Thursday, May 2, so the butterflies will be in their new home at
the Butterfly Pavilion in
Westminster, CO (just outside Denver) on Friday, May 3.
As usual for this time of year, I encourage people who have
never yet volunteered in the exhibit to consider doing so.
Word-of-mouth recruiting of
other people to volunteer to see if they’d like it is our best
way of getting great volunteers, so please
advertise the opportunity to different people you contact. If
working with children is appealing,
volunteer in the morning; if a quieter time is ....
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—HELP NEEDED—
Spring is in the air, and there are scores of volunteer
opportunities on the horizon
from special events to regular shifts of Butterfly Magic. Here
are some of the ways
you can get involved this April.
BLOOMS AND BITES Katherine Hougland is still looking for a small
group of volunteers to assist with set-up for this
year’s Blooms and Bites event. Help is needed starting at 10AM
on Friday, April 12. Please
contact Katherine directly by coming to the Development Office
or emailing
[email protected].
YOUTH EDUCATION We have a variety of Youth Ed volunteer
opportunities available in April. There is something
for everyone. You are invited to consider the following
opportunities:
Welcoming groups and orienting students to Butterfly Magic:
9:30-10:30AM almost every
weekday
Teaching and assisting with our new and expanding “Grow, Grow,
Grow” program about the
life cycle of plants and “Desert Plants, Desert People”
program.
Dates/times: variable
Co-leading Bookworm Club (reading a seasonal story and
co-leading a simple craft)
Saturday, April 6, 10-11AM
Saturday, May 4, 10-11AM
Coming Soon: Teaching and otherwise assisting with our summer
Garden Nature Camps:
June 3-7, June 24-28, and July 15-19.
To reserve your place or find out more information, contact
Alyson Greene at ext. 31 or at
[email protected]. Thank you for your support of
youth programs at the
Gardens.
BUTTERFLY MAGIC The end of the season is a great time to start
volunteering with the Butterfly Office. Not sure if
this opportunity is for you? Come try it out and see! New
volunteers can be teamed up with
experienced volunteers to test-run volunteering in the Butterfly
Exhibit in April. This does not
have to be a long-term commitment. Please mention this
opportunity to friends and
acquaintances, too! Please see the Butterfly Update on page 2
for more details or contact the
Butterfly Office: ext. 38 or
[email protected] .
—ITEMS WE NEED—
TIN CANS Thank you all so much for the donations of tin and
aluminum cans for Education and
Horticultural Therapy programs. We now have all of the soda cans
we can use! But please keep
the tin cans coming. You can bring clean cans with labels
removed to Juliet Niehaus or Christine
Hoekenga.
COFFEE MUGS The Horticultural Therapy program is collecting
coffee mugs to repurpose and use as planters
for programs. Please bring mugs to Juliet Niehaus.
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—UPCOMING CLASSES— Most classes require pre-registration and are
subject to cancellation due to low enrollment.
You can register online at
http://www.tucsonbotanical.org/education/adult-classes-trips/ or
by calling our class registration line at 326-9686, ext. 19.
POETRY IN THE GARDENS First Saturday of the Month:
March 2, April 6, May 4, 10-11:30AM Art and literature have
always reflected the natural
world. In this new monthly series, hosted by the Tucson
Botanical Gardens and the University of Arizona Poetry Center,
lovers of nature and poetry
are invited to visit a different garden space each month and
explore those connections. Poetry
Center docents will provide participants with a packet of poems
focusing on the natural world and
invite all to join a light and informal conversation of how
literature and nature “work” together. No
prior knowledge of poetry is needed, but a pen and notebook are
recommended. Free with Gardens
admission. No pre-registration required. Saturday, April 6: Iris
Garden
Saturday, May 4: Cactus and Succulent Garden
BUTTERFLY BASICS Tuesday, April 16, 4:30-6PM
Join Elizabeth Willott, Curator of Butterfly Magic, for this
basic introduction to butterflies. Along with
some great shots of butterflies from the Gardens and Butterfly
Magic, we’ll introduce you to butterfly
biology and the inner workings of our tropical butterfly
exhibit. Includes entrance to Butterfly Magic
after hours. $12, $7 members
DESIGNING SUSTAINABLE, COLORFUL
DESERT LANDSCAPES Saturday, April 20, 10-11:30AM
Shelly Ann Abbott, an award-winning landscape
designer and Master of Landscape Architecture
(MLA), sees designing for sustainable, colorful
desert landscapes as one of the best ways to enjoy
our Sonoran Desert. Her wonderful landscapes are
low water and provide beautiful color and interest
all year. Learn sustainability in the Sonoran Desert
through designs meant to share the landscape with
hummingbirds, butterflies, moths and native bees.
Learn how to achieve an intimate, colorful, outdoor
living space. Class includes a visual presentation and
a plant materials handout. Bring your landscaping
questions and challenges. $17, $12 members
KEEP THEM ALIVE! SMART WATERING
FOR DESERT POTTED PLANTS Saturday, April 20, 1-3PM
Ninety-five percent of plant failure in the desert is due to
inappropriate watering. Learn the tricks and techniques for keeping
your potted plants alive and thriving
throughout the summer with Marylee Pangman, Tucson’s Potted
Garden Expert. In this demonstration class you
will learn efficient watering techniques, how to select
appropriate low water plants and how to set up
a simple automatic drip system so that your potted gardens will
thrive even when you aren’t there. Price
includes watering accessories and a take-home guide. $60, $50
members
W O R L D P O P U L A T I O N A N D
DEVELOPMENT Sunday, April 21, 3-4:30PM On the eve of Earth Day
2013, join us for a class that
explores what has happened with world population and wealth
(financial and quality of living) since The
Population Bomb was published in the 1960s. Instead of worldwide
famine, we are now seeing obesity exceed
under-nutrition as a worldwide problem. How did that happen?
What are the current trends? Free with
Gardens admission. No pre-registration required.
BUTTERFLY GARDENING 101 Saturday, April 27, 9:30-11:30AM
If you are interested in luring butterflies to your garden, no
matter how much space you have, this is the class for
you! Learn which plants are needed for larval food as well as
those needed for nectar. Find out which butterflies you are likely
to attract. Discover ways to
provide space for butterfly-friendly plants, from simple ideas
like planting one pot on your patio, to rethinking
the plantings in your entire garden. Take a guided stroll
through the butterfly garden at the Tucson Botanical
Gardens for inspiration. Plant an resource lists provided. $12,
$7 members
More classes, next page!
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RECYCLED METAL FLOWERS Sunday, May 12, Mother’s Day, 11AM-1:30PM
After a visit to the DeGrazia Gallery, instructors
Rich and Ann Bates were inspired to re-create the colorful metal
flowers that graced its gates and
fences. Spend the afternoon with them learning how to create
these easy-to-make flowers from
recycled soda and tin cans. A variety of empty cans, glue guns,
scissors and spray paint will be provided.
Please bring your own found objects—seed pods, beads, pictures,
strings, coins—to personalize your flowers. Let your imagination
soar.
$15, $10 members
YOGA IN THE GARDENS Thursday, May 2, 16, 23, 30, 8-9AM
(four-class series; no class May 9)
Start your day off on the
right foot with weekly sessions of invigorating and centering yoga
practice
in our beautiful garden setting. Led by Laura Greenlaw, a
certified yoga instructor with nine
years of teaching experience, each one-hour class will include
centering hatha yoga poses taught using
good alignment and breath work. Students will learn to create
both flexibility and strength in their bodies.
One month $40, $30 members
—UPCOMING CLASSES— (Continued from previous page)
Most classes require pre-registration and are subject to
cancellation due to low enrollment.
You can register online at
http://www.tucsonbotanical.org/education/adult-classes-trips/ or
by calling our class registration line at 326-9686, ext. 19.
Register online or by calling 326-9686, ext. 19. or call
326/9686, x 19.
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Some of the many blooms you’re likely to see in the Gardens this
month include: The hedgehog cactus in
the Cactus Garden, the annual rainbow of colors in the Iris
Garden, and the Star Jasmine in the Children’s
Garden.
Hedgehog cactus Star Jasmine Iris Garden in Bloom
WILDFLOWER REPORTS
Want to know which flowers are popping, not only at the Gardens,
but around the state? Visit the
Desert Botanical Gardens Wildflower Info Site at:
http://www.dbg.org/gardening-horticulture/wildflower-infosite
Emily and Darlene send updates each week, so you’ll find out
what is blooming on the grounds as
well!
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NEW COLUMN!
An Ear to the Ground
Plant talk and other ponderings
By: Massimo Boscolo March 14, 2013
Today, with a daytime temperature of 91degrees, it is easy to
believe that spring has
finally arrived, and on time, considering that traditionally,
the 15th of March is the day
indicated in Tucson when danger of frost is past. So even if the
mesquite trees haven’t
gotten any new leaves (which is another indicator of an
undeniable change of season)
we feel reasonably safe in bringing out of shelter our most
tender potted plants.
Hopefully, all the frost cloths can finally be stored in some
remote corner of Sycamore
yard and forgotten about, at least until the end of the
year.
Many plants around the garden have already embraced the warmth
and the extra dose
of daylight.
The leaves of the pomegranate (Punica granatum) are a welcome
spectacle in spring
especially the ones in full sun where the translucent quality of
the new growth is more
evident, showing all of its delicate reddish hues.
Along the Ironwood path, the little clumps of Bulbina frutescens
are flowering above a
mass of healthy succulent leaves. This South African native
resembles a diminutive Aloe
and carries stalks of orange flower spikes with rich yellow
stamens.
The Sophora formosa by the butterfly garden is in full flower,
and earlier than the
more common species widely planted along the streets of Tucson.
Don’t miss
the scent of grape kool-aid from the wisteria-like flowers.
Also, new growth is appearing everywhere from the base of almost
all the perennials
and tender shrubs that took a severe beating from the hard
freeze we experienced this
winter. Some of the Penstemons are about to flower and more are
emerging all around
the garden.
Of course, among this wealth of primeval green we are getting a
lot of unwanted
weeds too, as the volunteers who work in the grounds know all
too well. This year,
the species of Filaree are particularly active. (Thanks to
Connie for pointing out their
details to me.)
This relative of the Geranium are low-growing annuals with
clusters of tiny pretty pink
flowers held on the top of the short stalks. The pointy
seed-heads have a thin handle
attached to the body which coils when dried, ingeniously
drilling itself firmly into the
soil.
Changes are happening fast in the garden these days and the next
few weeks are going
to be full of vibrant colors and special events. We invite all
of you to visit during this
long awaited period of growth and regeneration.
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2150 North Alvernon Way
Tucson, Arizona 85712