Dawes ArboretumThe

Trees History Nature

NutshellA bi-monthly publication of news and events

March/April 2011

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The Dawes Arboretum

Project NewsAs we bundle up for the last weeks of winter and await the spring blooms, Arboretum projects are in full swing. Some of the main projects in the works, according to Executive Director Luke Messinger, include the paved walkway at the Center Point and the improved walkway to the restrooms located on the north side of the Visitors Center. We are also nearing completion of the Woodland Garden and walk, complete with a new gazebo. Other projects including the Stumpery and Power Plants continue. “Visitors will have many new areas to explore and experience during 2011,” says Luke. AccomplishmentsGlobal Survey Results: Last year, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), an organization dedicated to the conservation of plants, performed a global survey to report the conservation status of endangered maple taxa. A total of 228 institutions from 37 countries contributed to the survey. In this report The Dawes Arboretum ranked 12th based on a score determined by the number of endangered and critically endangered maple species in each institution’s collections! Of special weight were those taxa of wild known origin. The Arboretum is proud to be recognized in this survey and appreciate our generous members who help support our continued research.

Community Award: In recognition of developing partnerships in the tourism industry, The Dawes Arboretum, in collaboration with the Newark-Granville Symphony Orchestra and Denison University, was presented with an award for Bluegrass, Barbeque & Boom! The Greater Licking County Convention and Visitors Bureau acknowledged the successful collaboration for this event. The concert this year is on September 4, so make sure to save the date and watch for updates.

Commemoration of the Civil WarHistory is on the forefront this year as we observe the sesquicentennial of the attack on Fort Sumter in 1861, the start of the Civil War. Following the large interest in a recent program on Love Letters from WWII, Dennis M. Keesee, historian and author, will return to present the special program, Licking County and her Soldiers in the Civil War on April 12, 7:30 - 8:30pm. This program is part of a county-wide commemoration including 50 events across Licking County.

MS Walk SponsorshipThe Dawes Arboretum is a Silver Sponsor for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Walk on Saturday, April 16, 2011. Help create a world free of MS by joining the walk. With your help, the National MS Society can ensure that people with MS have what they need to keep moving forward. Check in begins at 8am, walk begins at 9am. The route is approximately three miles long and fully accessible.

Arbor DayOne of our most exciting events centers around the celebration of trees, the environment and renewable resources. The Dawes Arboretum is proud to present our annual Arbor Day Festival, sponsored in part by the Energy Cooperative on April 30, from 10am – 4pm. This long standing tradition of celebrating Arbor Day began at The Arboretum in 1979. This special issue of Nutshell is full of stories featuring some of the great work done for the sake of conservation, nature, and of course—trees! Show your support of Arbor Day and join us for this free event for people of all ages. Activities include: kids corner with educational fun, tree climbing, lectures on renewable energy, horticulture learning opportunities, conservation and what you can do to help, Daweswood House open house and more! The first 250 families will receive their choice of either a Willow oak (Quercus phellos) or an American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) tree (quantities are limited). Energy Cooperative will also be giving away a free tree at their tent as well. Of special interest, Royal Documents will be collecting paper materials to be shredded from 10am – 2pm across from the Visitors Center in the Main Parking Lot.

OffshootsUpdates on our Mission and Growth

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Nutshell

On June 1, 1949, engineer and inventor, Charles F. Kettering (1876-1958) became The Arboretum’s 60th tree dedicator. Kettering, who was head of research at General Motors for 30 years, is often regarded as one of the founders of the American automobile industry. However, he is lesser known for his concern about our country’s limited oil reserves and his visionary investigation of biofuel 90 years ago. Kettering was troubled by the automobile industry’s tremendous dependence on oil. In 1920, spurred by the post WWI fuel shortage, combined with the explosive growth of the car-buying public, Kettering studied the nation’s future oil supply. At this time American motorists consumed about four billion gallons of gasoline annually with an estimated yearly increase of 20 percent. Kettering concluded that within his lifetime the United States would run out of oil.

The grim prediction was supported by a study conducted by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. Further, the United States Geological Survey estimated the nation’s rapidly declining domestic reserves at seven billion barrels, a supply estimated to last approximately 20 years. Oil reserves were known in the Middle East yet this was a perilous option as the area was dangerously unstable politically.

Clearly, the scarcity of domestic oil that Kettering feared in the 1920s has occurred today. Yet, decades before the term “biofuel” became widely known, Kettering realized many of the things we now understand. Notably, he felt that the conversion of organic material into automobile fuel was a viable solution when domestic oil supplies began to run out.

Prophetically, Kettering and fellow researchers at General Motors explored ethyl alcohol as an alternative fuel of the future. As early as 1921, Kettering and other GM researchers realized that alcohol needed to be made from cellulose, for example grasses, straw, corn stalks, etc., rather than from food crops such as corn, as more than half the country’s agricultural land would be needed to grow enough vegetable material for alcohol fuel.

Kettering studied ethanol for large scale automobile use as it could be used with high-compression engines, was practically free of pollution and could be combined with gasoline to stretch current oil reserves. Benefits outside the automotive industry were that alcohol fuel such as ethanol could be processed from cellulose waste products from the farm, providing a way to reduce surpluses and support agriculture prices. “I would say it [ethanol] would be a gallon of last summer’s sunshine, but a lot of people would call it moonshine,” Kettering reportedly said.

Although alcohol fuel still had drawbacks that needed attention, Kettering put aside his research and joined the automotive industry’s overwhelming support of leaded gasoline. Sadly, Kettering’s vision of conservation failed to motivate many of his colleagues, perhaps in part because new discoveries of oil combined with improved refining techniques abated his fuel shortage admonition. There was also opposition from the petroleum industry, for leaded gasoline was profitable, and alcohol fuel could not compete as it cost more to manufacture.

Furthermore, speed, increased performance, bigger engines and the idea of status appealed to the car-buying public far more than fuel saving innovations and conservation. Today, Kettering’s worst fears seem to be looming on the horizon prompting scientists and engineers to revisit the knowledge he and his researchers created decades ago.

Tree Dedicator Researches Biofuel Decades Ago

Above right: Charles F. Kettering became the 60th tree dedicator on June 1, 1949.

Right: Gas consumption in the early 1920s was about four billion gallons per year.

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The Dawes Arboretum

“Each generation takes the earth as trustees. We ought to bequeath to posterity as many forests and orchards as we have exhausted and consumed.” These are the words of Julius Sterling Morton (1832-1902) journalist, agriculturist, politician, champion of forestation and best known as the father of Arbor Day.

Well over a century ago, J. Sterling Morton offered a resolution to Nebraska’s State Board of Agriculture to establish a tree-planting day. His proposal was well received and it is estimated that, on April 10, 1872, over one million trees were planted throughout Nebraska heralding the nation’s first Arbor Day celebration. J. Sterling Morton was born in New York State in 1832 and spent his youth in the heavily forested state of Michigan. While in Michigan, the youngster got a taste of journalism at his grandfather’s newspaper office, an experience that would lead to a lifelong interest in writing and publishing. During his early teens, Morton enrolled in Wesleyan Seminary in Albion, Michigan, where he met his future wife, Caroline J. French. Morton continued his education and received diplomas from the University of Michigan and Union College in Schenectady, New York, yet, he clearly felt that his future was in the new territory of the West. In 1854, Sterling and Caroline married and set out for the Nebraska Territory. The young couple settled near the town of Nebraska City where Sterling became editor of a local newspaper and began farming a 160-acre tract of treeless prairie.

Morton saw remarkable possibilities in the grassy plains of the Nebraska Territory where he set about promoting improved agricultural methods and encouraged the planting of trees. To demonstrate his ideas and inspire others to plant trees, the Mortons invested time and money into their farm, a passion that evolved into Arbor Lodge, a fine verdant estate, filled with trees, shrubs and orchards. In addition, Morton served as President of the American Forestry Association and made time for politics; including two terms as Territorial Representative, Secretary and Acting Governor of the Territory of Nebraska and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. After serving four years as Secretary of Agriculture, Morton returned to Nebraska City where he began to assemble a history of Nebraska and founded the Conservative, a national weekly newspaper, covering primarily political and religious topics. However, Morton’s most enduring contribution was Arbor Day: a day set aside to plant and appreciate trees. At first, Arbor Day spread gradually, taking root in Tennessee and Kansas in 1875, then Minnesota in 1876 and Ohio in 1882. That was about the time that Arbor Day celebrations began in schools nationwide, and in 1883 the American Forestry Association formed a committee to promote the holiday. Today, every state in the nation observes Arbor Day and Morton’s idea of a “tree-planting holiday” is observed in several countries.

The Dawes Arboretum commemorated the life of J. Sterling Morton and Arbor Day with a tree dedication in 1927. An American elm, Ulmus americana, from Morton’s estate, Arbor Lodge, was dedicated to the memory of J. Sterling Morton by his descendants. Today, the original elm tree dedicated to Morton no longer exists, yet Morton’s dream of conservation and a day for planting trees is firmly rooted in our nation’s traditions and awareness.

J. Sterling Morton and Arbor Day

Portrait of J. Sterling Morton donated to The Arboretum by his son, Joy, in 1932.

Nutshell

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Green Topic: The Life Cycle of TrashHelp keep our planet clean by using a recycling bin instead of a trash can for many of your household materials. Most can be used and reused to ensure a more Earth-friendly life cycle. Think about setting up a composting area and buying products that are made with post-consumer waste or recycled materials.

PlasticsPlastic jugs stick around a landfill for one million years. Plastic bags, like those used at the grocery store, could be on Earth for 20 to 1,000 years!

Paper ProductsNewspapers take about six weeks to decompose, sheets of paper and paper towels two to four weeks, and some paper products over two months.

MetalsAluminum cans could wait 80 to 200 years before completely decomposing. Each soda can you toss could live longer than you do! If recycled, it only takes around six weeks before it could be reused.

GlassIt can take over 500 years for glass to break down in a landfill, and over one million years in a body of water.

StyrofoamStyrofoam takes so long to decompose that it could be on Earth forever.

Arbor Day April 30

10am — 4pmFree!

Before you toss your

trash, think about how long it lasts!

Statistics from Penn State University, The New York Times and The Ocean Conservancy.

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The Dawes Arboretum

Megan’s Secrets from the Garden

My tools are sharpened, garden plans are fresh in mind, and the snowdrops are about to bloom—spring is almost upon us! Roaming around the gardens is exciting after an old-fashioned white winter. I just can’t wait to see what the next few months have in store for me.

Decorative spent flowering stalks that I left through the winter for garden interest—although beautiful above the snow—look beaten and ragged. It is a relief to now get to these remaining perennials, the coneflowers and the ornamental grasses, and to cut them back so that the emerging new growth will have optimum light exposure and ample growing space. I always start with the most daunting task first, cutting back the large ornamental grasses. This usually involves the use of a chainsaw and a small army of landscapers. It is most helpful to have those extra hands to clear away the copious grass fragments as they’re being cut, so as not to obstruct the view of the chainsaw blade.

If all goes well, I’ll have the gardens cleaned up by early April, just in time to start focusing my time on those pesky garden menaces: weeds! Let me preface this by admitting that I actually enjoy pulling weeds. For me, it’s therapeutic and relaxing. After all, I really should enjoy weeding if I am going to spend half of my days battling these garden eyesores!

I try to stay away from the constant chemical application of herbicides throughout the growing season. However, I do recommend getting a jump-start on weed control, and now is the time to act by spreading a pre-emergent. It’s important to remember that pre-emergents work only before weed seeds germinate. March and April is prime time for weed seeds to begin germinating because soil temperatures are beginning to warm. In case I do get wrapped up in other garden tasks, I am always reminded by the blooming forsythia that spring is approaching and the application of pre-emergents should begin.

With weed seeds in check, new perennial growth emerging, and the buds of trees and shrubs swelling before their upcoming magnificent flower displays, I am anxious and ready for the growing season to take off, aren’t you? Happy spring!

Our Display Gardens Manager talks about spring tasks

Join us for a relaxing, fun weekend! The Dawes Arboretum is privileged to present the 31st Ohio Regional Bonsai Show, a showcase of bonsai artists from Ohio and neighboring states. If you haven’t experienced the show yet, mark your calendars for June 11 and 12, 2011. It’s a splendid, unique event that everyone can enjoy.

Demonstrations: On Saturday and Sunday, some of the region’s leading bonsai artists will demonstrate their skills, free of charge. These informal sessions allow you to get close to the action, ask questions, learn from the experts and definitely get inspired.

Workshops: Throughout the weekend, a few of the bonsai artists connected with The Arboretum will

conduct workshops on various subjects. Registration and fees are required for these workshops. Call or visit for information on registering.

Supplies: There will be vendors selling their wares—everything from distinctive pots and essential bonsai tools to beautiful plants. Plus, there will be silent auctions full of bonsai items.

Experience the Elegance: Visit the bonsai exhibit in the Firelight Room which will showcase bonsai creations interpreting nature through their fanciful forms. Some will come from the hands of long-time artists, others from people just getting started, each distinctively beautiful.

Come and experience the fusion of horticulture and art on June 11 and 12. Show hours are Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 5pm.

The 31st Ohio Regional Bonsai Show

January ~ February 2011 Programs & Events

Reservations are required for all programs unless indicated. Early registration is suggested. Please call 800.44.DAWES. For the entire 2011 programming calendar, please visit www.dawesarb.org.

Programs & Events Guide

MarchMaple Syrup MadnessSaturday, February 19 – Saturday, March 5EXTRA Weekends: March 12 & 13, 19 & 2010am – 4pm Monday – Saturday 1 – 4pm Sundays Free! to Public

Don’t miss this once a year event! Sap will be collected from our own sugar maple trees and boiled down to sweet smelling syrup right before your eyes. Witness the process and sip a tasty sample! Take the trail on your own for a self-guided adventure, attend a Saturday 2pm public tour (not given on the extra weekends), or sign up for a group tour with the Education Department.

Maple Syrup Public ToursSaturdays, February 19, 26 and March 52pmDeparts from the Main Shelter House

Take a guided tour down the Maple Trail to uncover the history of maple syrup production. End at the Log Cabin, where you’ll find a crackling fire, lots of sweet-smelling steam and samples of syrup. If you have a group, call the Education Department and we’ll be glad to set up a group tour for you!

Home School Investigations: Maple SyrupTuesday, March 19 – 10:30am$3 per childDiscovery Center

Join other home school students in exploration of our natural world. Each 90-minute session includes hands-on science study correlated with the Ohio Academic Content Standards for Science. Sessions are for children ages 6 – 10.

Great Trees & Shrubs: Function in the LandscapeSaturday, March 510am – noon$10/$8 membersVisitors Center

Learn how to use trees and shrubs to their best advantage in the landscape. Horticulture Director Mike Ecker covers some appealing alternatives to standard selections, how to use native selections and where to buy many of the species discussed.

AprilHome School Investigations: Helpful HoneybeesTuesday, April 59 – 10:30am$3 per childDiscovery Center

See March 1 for description.

Pruning in the LandscapeSaturday, April 99am – noon$20/$15 membersVisitors Center

Proper pruning enhances the beauty and value of almost any landscape tree and shrub. Well pruned plants live longer and are healthier. By using improper methods, healthy plants are often weakened or deformed. Many potential problems can be prevented by pruning correctly during formative years for a tree. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced gardener, this class will have you pruning like a pro!

Rejuvenation Pruning: A Hands-on WorkshopSaturday, April 91 – 4pm$20/$15 membersVisitors Center

As deciduous shrubs age, more energy goes into supporting the wood and less into producing flowers and fruit, which reduces their ornamental appearance. By performing rejuvenation pruning in early spring, vigorous new branches are encouraged, resulting in increased production of flowers and fruit.. Not only will you learn methods of when and where to prune but also how to recognize a shrub’s particular pruning category that helps you make pruning decisions in the garden. Also, we’ll look at how to correct a plant’s structure that has been damaged by deer, an increasingly necessary skill.

Licking County and her Soldiers in the Civil WarTuesday, April 127:30 – 8:30pm $3Visitors Center

Enter the lives of soldiers and hear their memorable accounts as we observe the sesquicentennial of the attack on Fort Sumter in 1861, through a dynamic program by historian and author, Dennis M. Keesee.

Storybook Science: Fabulous FrogsThursday, April 1410am & 1pmFree, donations welcomeDiscovery Center

See March 10 for description.

Storybook Science: Nocturnal AnimalsThursday, March 1010am & 1pmFree, donations welcomeDiscovery Center

Explore quality children’s literature in a natural setting. Each 45-minute session will include songs, games, crafts, creative movement, outdoor exploration and hands-on science suitable for young scientists ages 3 – 5.

Home School Investigations: Animal Habitat InvestigationTuesday, March 159 – 10:30am$3 per childDiscovery Center

See March 1 for description.

Animals, Big and LittleThursday, March 2410am & 1pmFreeDiscovery Center

See March 10 for description.

Success with SeedsSaturday, March 26 (Please register by March 24)10am – noon $25/$15 membersZand Education Center

This hands-on workshop focuses on the best practices for starting various seeds. Transplanting information as well as seed supplier information is shared. Participants plant seeds to take home and nurture until transplant time. An interesting variety of seeds will be provided and each student takes home a 36–cell tray planted with the annuals, perennials and vegetables of their choice.

Daweswood House Tours1:30 & 3:15pm, Saturdays and Sundays$2 adults, $1 students 12 and under FOD members Free!

Ongoing

MayBirding Fundamentals Lecture Series: Session IITuesday, May 37 – 9pm$15/$10 members (individual session)Visitors Center

Session II topics include: tips to help identify the warblers, discussion on binoculars, field guides and bird walk etiquette. See April 26 for full description.

Container Gardening for KidsSaturday, May 710am – noon$30/$20 members*Please register by May 4 Zand Education Center

Attention Kids! Looking for something beautiful to make for mom for Mother’s Day? Bring in a container of your choice (no larger than 12” diameter) and we’ll supply you with plants and soil to create a beautiful masterpiece to give to her. We’ll also share tips to make sure it thrives all summer.

Birding Fundamentals Lecture Series: Session III, Bird WalkSaturday, May 7 7 – 10am$15/$10 members (individual session)Visitors Center Deck

Session III is a bird walk! The walk tests the knowledge gained in sessions I and II for an early morning walk. See April 26 for details. Wildflower Walk & Book Signing—East SideSaturday, May 1410am – noon$30/$20 members (includes book)Visitors Center

Join our Taxonomic Botanist David Brandenburg in the field as he leads a pleasant stroll through Arboretum East woodlands in search of native plants. Along the hike you’ll have the opportunity to use David’s recently published book National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Wildflowers of North America.

Nature’s Recyclers for KidsSaturday, May 1412:30 – 2pm$15/$10 membersDiscovery Center

Experience recycling the way nature intended! This program focuses on the helpful critters found on the forest floor. Highlights include a worm study, a rotten log investigation and rolypollyology.

StoryTrail™ Opening CelebrationTuesday, May 1710am – noonFreeVisitors Center

Join The Arboretum and Licking County Library to kick off the 2011 StoryTrail™! The morning will include children’s activities, close encounter’s with Discovery Center animals, and of course, story time with the book of choice. Look for more detail in the May/June Nutshell.

Night HikeFriday, May 208:30 – 10:30pmFree, donations welcome

Kids and adults are welcome to attend one of our most popular programs as we hike through collections, grasslands and woodlands. Night hikes are for individuals, couples and families. Scout troops are asked to call the Education Department for current scout-specialized programs.

Plant Sale and Garden Fair Friday, May 20 (Partnership FOD level and above)6 – 8pmSaturday, May 21 (Public Sale)9am – 4pmHorticulture Complex

Purchase from many gems grown in The Arboretum’s nursery—several are rare and hard to find in local garden centers and nurseries. A variety of annuals, perennials, herbs and garden vegetables will be available for a one-stop shopping experience. Check out merchants and professionals offering wares and services in all areas of gardening, landscaping and home décor.

Wildflower Walk & Book Signing—Main GroundsSaturday, May 21 10am – noon$30/$20 members (includes book)Visitors Center

See May 14 for full description.

Beginning Bonsai: Two sessionsSaturday, April 16, 9am – noonSaturday, April 23, 9 – 11am*Please register by April 13$40/$30 membersZand Education Center

This two-session bonsai course introduces participants to the art of bonsai. The first session leads students through the history of bonsai, types of plants to use, containers, bonsai soil and tools needed along with how to prune and style their tree. During the second session, students plant their tree in a bonsai container. Materials for the course include one tree, bonsai container, planting material, wire and an Art of Bonsai booklet. Tools are available for the students to use.

Home School Investigations: Aquatic Ecosystem - Pond StudyTuesday, April 199 – 10:30am$3 per childDiscovery Center

See March 1 for description.

Birding Fundamentals Lecture Series: Session ITuesday, April 267 – 9pm$15/$10 members (individual session)$25/$15 members (two sessions)$35/$20 members (three sessions)Visitors Center

Whether just starting out or you’re a seasoned birder and you need a refresher course, these fundamental sessions are perfect! Session I topic: birding by sight and sound, including bird mnemonics (putting words to bird sounds). Save money by signing up for multiple sessions.

Storybook Science: Terrific TreesThursday, April 2810am & 1pmFree, donations welcomeDiscovery Center

See March 10 for description.

Arbor Day FestivalSaturday, April 3010am – 4pmFree

This celebration of trees, nature and renewable resources is brought to you in part by The Energy Cooperative. It is a rain or shine event. See page 2 of this Nutshell for details.

Nutshell

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Dear Plant Clinic...“My evergreen trees and shrubs are turning brown. Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

Are these plants located near a road? De-icing salt that kept our highways safer during winter snow and ice events can cause significant health issues for many plants.

Salt damage can be caused by spray from roadways, by being absorbed into the soil, or both. When roads or walks have salt applied, the resulting salty slush more times than not ends up around plants, ultimately affecting root zones, causing injury. Salt causes water to become unavailable to plant roots, creating a drought-like condition even when soil moisture is adequate. This is exhibited quite well when evergreens “burn” due to moisture loss to roots.

Salt spray damage usually manifests in spring to early summer as dead twigs, unusual tufted, twiggy growths, and discolored foliage that can be yellowish green, yellow or brown. A common landscape evergreen tree easily damaged by salt spray is eastern white pine (Pinus strobus). The brown needles occur on the tree’s side facing the road and the closer to the road, the more severe the damage. Additional factors in this scenario are faster vehicle speeds and wind direction.

Salt makes plants more susceptible to other problems such as insects, disease or pre-existing cultural difficulties. Sodium in salt accumulates in plant tissue until toxic levels develop, resulting in tissue damage. Salt even changes soil structure, causing poor drainage and compacted soil which can drastically affect a plant’s health.

What can you do? If this will be a recurring problem, remove affected plants or replace with salt resistant plants. Create burlap barriers to physically keep salt spray off plants. Reduce salt application to drives and walks. Don’t shovel salty slush and snow onto landscape beds. Use other forms of de-icers, such as chlorides of potassium, magnesium or calcium, before the advent of snow and ice.

Some salt resistant deciduous trees: serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.), paper and gray birch (Betula papyrifera & populifolia), ginkgo, hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa), Japanese tree-lilac (Syringa reticulata), bald cypress (Taxodium distichum).

Salt resistant evergreen shrubs and small trees: cultivars of littleleaf boxwood (Buxus microphylla), false cypress (Chamaecyparis sp.), Japanese-cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), bayberry (Myrica sp.), yew (Taxus sp.), most junipers.

Salt resistant deciduous shrubs: red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia), beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma), summersweet clethra (Clethra alnifolia), staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), rugosa rose, (Rosa rugosa), Japanese spirea (Spiraea japonica).

at The Dawes Arboretum

Saturday, May 21, 9am - 4pmPublic Sale

n featuring live and silent auctions n annuals, perennials, herbs and garden

vegetables n rare plants n wares and services in gardening, landscaping

and home decor n wagons are welcome to transport all of your treasures

n become a member to attend the Friday sale n shop early for the best

selections n a free plant for Partnership level members and above

Friday, May 20, 6 - 8pmPartnership level members and above

2011

Plant Sale and Garden Fair

at The Dawes Arboretum

Saturday, May 21, 9am - 4pmPublic Sale

n featuring live and silent auctions n annuals, perennials, herbs and garden

vegetables n rare plants n wares and services in gardening, landscaping

and home decor n wagons are welcome to transport all of your treasures

n become a member to attend the Friday sale n shop early for the best

selections n a free plant for Partnership level members and above

Friday, May 20, 6 - 8pmPartnership level members and above

2011

Plant Sale and Garden Fair

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Historic Spotlight: Tree Dedication by Richard Buckminster Fuller

Richard Buckminster Fuller: “I couldn’t be more aware of how little I am. All I’ve been trying to do is find out what [we] little human beings can do for others.”

In the year 1980, on February 26, 84-year-old Richard Buckminster Fuller participated in the 82nd tree dedication at The Dawes Arboretum. Despite freezing temperatures, a crowd gathered to celebrate the importance of trees while Fuller commented on his own amazement of nature. A beautiful black walnut (juglan snigra) tree was dedicated by Fuller, inventor of the geodesic dome and famous Climatron. His scientific contributions while working with arboreta show Fuller’s talent in successfully creating ways to reuse our finite resources.

“I’ve thought a great deal in my life about trees, as we all do,” reflected Fuller during his tree dedication. “As a little child I became fascinated with the excitement of nature, the beauty of trees. I became a student of structures—how nature produces her various wonderful structures.” Fuller concluded his dedication while looking up at the tree: “So great tree, look at the branches...all that grace is there.”

Governor Ted Strickland became our 103rd tree dedicator on December 8, 2010 at 1pm on Hawthorne Hill. Speakers for the event included Board member Rob Drake, Director of Horticulture Mike Ecker, Executive Director and Governor Strickland himself. The Dawes Arboretum is pleased to add Governor Strickland participate in our rich tradition of tree dedicators. The tradition first began after Beman Dawes was inspired by the sight of a century-old tree at a country estate in England to commemorate the allied victory at the Battle of Waterloo. Since 1927, there have been 103 tree dedications at The Arboretum.

Tree dedicators at Dawes are chosen by The Arboretum Board of Trustees to honor individuals or groups with outstanding achievement in the stream of human history or events of significance to The Arboretum. Notable dedicators have included: Colonel John H. Glenn Jr., Jesse Owens, Jack Hanna and Orville Wright. A bronze plaque located at the base of the selected tree shows dedicated to, dedicated by and accomplishments.

Governor Dedicates Tree

Photo courtesy of Don Pound.

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Nutshell

Years ago salamanders were commonly referred to as “fire lizards.” As we know, salamanders are not lizards at all, but they belong to the group of living organisms known as amphibians. The scientific class Amphibia includes: salamanders, toads and frogs. Lizards belong to the scientific class Reptilia which includes snakes and turtles.

Class Amphibia share many common characteristics such as smooth “naked” skin kept moist by mucus secretions from glands. Many amphibians actually “breathe air” through their skin as well as absorb water. When picking up and handling an amphibian, it is critically important to have moist, damp hands. Many a salamander or frog has been inadvertently damaged by touching the creature with dry hands/fingers which tends to remove the mucous coating. Removing the mucous prevents efficient oxygen exchange and water absorption for the creature. They also rely on this coating to help protect against disease and fungal infections. Within the Amphibian group, salamanders lay eggs enclosed in soft gelatinous (jelly-like) material; have “gilled” aquatic larvae; usually no voices or very weak, feeble squeaks; can’t hear but can feel vibrations; have no claws and lack teeth or have very weak teeth.

The Arboretum is home to at least ten species of salamanders. Three families are represented: Ambystomatidae, the “mole” salamanders—ones which live underground during most of their life cycle and breathe with “lungs” and Plethodontidae, the “lungless” salamanders, which acquire oxygen directly through skin and moist membranes lining the mouth cavity and Salamandridae, the “newts.”

The “mole” salamanders are probably the ones Arboretum visitors are most familiar. These are the “explosive breeders” visible in the Bald-cypress Swamp. During the first warm (air temperatures above 50°F) rainy nights of late

winter-early spring, The Arboretum’s “mole” salamanders—Spotted, Jefferson and Smallmouth—migrate from the beech-maple woods to the swamp in order to breed. These salamanders are early egg layers (anytime from February into April). Their embryos develop when water levels are high due to rains and their young hatch as food becomes plentiful. They grow rapidly and then hike to their new woodland underground homes before pool drawdown occurs (usually July or August). These first year salamanders live underground and feed on invertebrates for around two to five years before reaching sexual maturity. They then find their way back to their own “natal” birth pool (like our Bald-cypress Swamp!) to court and mate and the female then lays eggs.

The “lungless” salamanders and the “newts” are the ones that live in shaded, wooded ravines and along streams. At The Arboretum these salamanders are found in and along Quarry Run, Hog Run and the Dutch Fork. The six species of lungless salamanders identified in these habitats are: Northern Dusky, Northern Two-lined, Longtail, Redback, Northern Red and Northern Slimy. The newt species is the Red-spotted Newt.

Newts are rather interesting creatures because—unlike the “mole” and “lungless” salamanders which start their life cycles in water, metamorphose into adults and then live on land (underground, under a rock, etc.)—newts begin their life cycles in water, metamorphose into lung breathing, land dwelling juveniles for two-three years and then, as adults, go through a physical change and become aquatic creatures. Many of these shy, secretive creatures are most active after dark. If you’re fortunate to be in the appropriate habitat at just the right time, you may be lucky enough to see one!

Natural Wonders: Salamanders

The Arboretum’s “mole” salamanders migrate from the woods to the swamp in order to breed.

The “lungless” salamanders and the “newts” live in shaded, wooded ravines and along streams.

page 10 www.dawesarb.org

The Dawes Arboretum

Thank You!

*For the Months of November & December

SupporterSuzanne Paul Beachy

PatronColumbus Zoo & AquariumBarbara Pursley

SustainingMarc & Laurel BergdahlRalph & Diane HodgesAmy Serre & Jeff ShafferColley & Linda Stowell

ContributingReese & Kaye AlbanTed & Patricia BarclayPhil & Susan BarkerMark & Marilyn CordovaRobert & Nancy DrakePeter & Janet HallidayNora HilandJeffrey JamesGeorge Cook & John JohnsonJohn & Sanna Jordan & familyDavid & Sheila KlontzDoloris KreimSally LichtensteinBarbara McKayKirk & Nancy MillemanBill & Katie MooneyDumont Jones & Joan MuellerleileRobert MurphyAndy & Nina MutoneJohn & Judy PletcherBarbara RansopherJerry SatterfieldBarry, Linda & Heather ShannonDoug & Beth SpielesJames Dawes StowellTommy & Jessica StowellVince & Sue SwinehartDan & Rebecca TerribleKen & Marilyn YostMarilyn & Keith Yost

PartnershipAnn Gerace AlmoneyLowell & Barbara AnstineLarry & Valinda ArnoldMike BackJohn & Carol BealsGary BirdMichael & Elaine Boaz & familyLisa Bowers

Buck BrackmanMaggie BrooksJanice M. BryantDeb CookAnn CooperriderErica Abbot & John DaftJoe & Kelli DaftCharles & Jeannette DawesMary Ann EwartDaniel ForakerDebby & Frank FortkampFlorence GibsonGregory GoeddeGregg & Holly GrahamFranklin W. & Ruby GwinnLisa HofferAnn Boyd & Brad HollingworthChuck & Kathy HolmanDon & Barbara HunterGretchen & Joseph JamiolkowskiDan & Marty JonesDiane Elwell & James E. JonesRodney & Pamela KissellRobert & Juli KnechtMarjorie G. KellerDonald KundratDeb KutneyThomas H. LakeCraig & Jane LambieCathy LehoeStephen & Susan LipcseyDon LonesShannon A. Mayfield-ChapinKathy & Randy McDermottJustin and Malinda MowreyEvette & C. J. MyersLeroy & Carol ParsonsDonald & Trisha PoffFred & Barbara PyleAnthony RockwellDonna & George SchweighoferGary & Waneta SchlegelMr. & Mrs. Jerry L. SeversonJ. Park Shai, IIIJanet & Russ SniderRoman & Dorothy SteciwJames ToneyJoe & Amy WalterDoug, Molly & Caleb WhiteMike & Florence White & familyJoel WilliamsonKyle Williamson

Friend plus, oneScott & Jessica AlbaughTravis Allen, Sr.Stephen & Jill BuckholzBill & Patti Busche

Corey & Jenny CorsiDon & Sara CreamerLouise DeckerNancy & Dean EuckerLaurence & Gazelle FallisMike & Sherry ForanVanessa & Michael FusonJoseph GainerTom HanlonSarah HooverKenneth JohnstonTripp & Mary Jones III & familyHarold E. & Carol KelchJames & Mary KishlerRobert & Janice KubikIra & Cheryl LafolletteKelvin M. & Jennie Cisar LawrenceSvenn & Joy LindskoldMary Beth & C. Weldon MathewsKenneth Boone & Betty MazeyJohn & Carol Sue McCluskeyBarbara MillerDale E. & Norma MillerSteve MillerJim MurphyDenise NusekabelMona & Russell OlsonWilma OsborneKelly & Deborah RammellBill & Marlene RushayJohn F. & Judy SchmollSam & Ollie SchwarzkopfBarbara ScottTim Foran & Leslie SchallerWayne & Judith SmithMichael & Vicki SnellingWayne & Rhonda SniderJim & Renee SparksHank & Helen E. SpeaksRichard ThelinJim Kean & Kim ThompsonDianna & Alec ThomsonHarlow & Diva WhitingRobert & Edith WiechelPhyllis K. & Ernest E. WilcoxJerry & Penny WilkinsJesse Woolard

FriendKen AlpeterB. Monroe BarnerLori ClapperTess DawsonWilliam DearloveMarilyn DresserCelia ForanSuzie Fox

Herb GantSandy GareyRobert GiehlChuck GreenBetty L. HammondSusan HarrowJim HockenberryEdward HoltLois JonesShirley LeithPatricia LewisDave LipphardtRonald LokhorstMitch LyndJean McDonaldMichele A. MooreDon MoshgatLou MurphyMargaret MurreyBetsy NicholsMary E. NortonTom ParkinsonAnn M. PicardFred J. PringleKay RawlingsEdward S. RaybouldJeanne RothMatt SalvatorMary SchmidtBarbara SheppardBarbara ShiplettDebbie SorokaMarlene SpenceKatherine StiermanPatricia A. StonekingKathy StoutTim A. TaylorRobert TolandDavid A. VermilionElizabeth WellsRosemary WhiteKathy WildermuthBill WrightW. Tom ZurSchmiede, Jr.

ClubEast Central Beekeepers Association Meadow-Vale Garden Club

New & Renewed Members

800.44.DAWES page 11

Nutshell

While winter thaws and spring begins, listen closely because it is time for the frog chorus to start sounding!

FamilyFunPage

Try making your own frog chorus at home, using the “instruments” indicated.

Why do we sometimes hear just a few

frogs and other times a raucous noise?

The calls become more numerous at night

with warmer and more humid weather

until reaching a peak time of year for that

species.

Where are the ears on a frog or toad?They hear through the circular tympanic

membranes behind their eyes.

Childrens Book Connection: In the Small, Small Pond by Denise FlemingJump, Frog, Jump by Robert Kalan

Species of Frog or ToadSpring Peeper Hyla cruciferWood Frog Lithobates sylvaticaChorus Frog Pseudacris triseriataAmerican Toad Bufo americanusGray Treefrog Hyla versicolorGreen Frog Lithobates clamitan melanotaBullfrog Lithobates catesbeiana

Who sings?

Only the males sing. They do so to attract

strong, silent females.

How do males sing?

Males call by filling a vocal sac with air, holding

their breath and moving the air between sacs.

Beginning in March or April

Later in spring and summer

Sound MadeUp close, make a piercing peepFrom a distance, ring jingle bellsA quackUse a duck callA clickingRun your thumbnail over a combA ten-second trillRing a bellaA two-second trillUse an old phone or similar ringtoneA boingPluck a loose banjo string or rubber bandA low pitched jug-o-rumBlow on a jug or bottle

Vol. 3 No. 23/2011:2500:B

Please RecycleThis paper is made from 100%

post-consumer waste with soy-based inks.

Address Service Requesteddated material - do not delayThe Arboretum’s newsletter (ISSN 0897-0858) is dedicated to the promotion of horticulture, history and nature. Reproduction of portions of this publication requires permission. All photographsare taken by Laura Appleman or Sarah Rice unless otherwise noted. Editor: Laura A. Appleman laappleman@dawesarb.orgAssistant Editor: Sarah E. Rice serice@dawesarb.org© 2011 by The Dawes Arboretum

A CherokeeTM sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Ward’, in the Beech Collection south of Oak Hill was labeled as a Legacy Tree in memory of Dora & Everett Noble by Darla & Wayne Noble.

A Legacy tree was arranged in honor of Jane Allen by her family and friends. The Bruns weeping Serbian spruce, Picea omorika ‘Pendula Bruns’, is in the Conifer Glen, east of the Dawes Lake parking lot.

A Legacy Tree was arranged in memory of Julia E. Boynton Jones by Irving and Charlotte Huber. The Phantom panicle hydrangea, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Phantom’, is located in the Azalea Glen.

Legacy Trees and GiftsWildflower Walk & Book Signing

Saturday, May 14—Arboretum EastSaturday, May 21—Main GroundsSaturday, July 30—Dutch Fork Wetlands10am – noonEach date: $30/$20 members (includes book)Visitors Center

Join The Dawes Arboretum’s Taxonomic Botanist and author David Brandenburg in the field in search of native plants. David will visit a different section of The Arboretum in each walk. Along the hike you’ll have the opportunity to use David’s recently published book National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Wildflowers of North America. This field guide is a fresh approach to the identification of wild plants and has thousands of photographs, line drawings and range maps. The descriptive text, both clear and concise, will appeal to amateurs as well as seasoned professionals and provide readers with a greater understanding and appreciation of our native flora. Participants will receive their own copy of the book, which they may have David sign. Please let us know if you already have the book and the cost of the program will be adjusted.