2150 North Alvernon Way, Tucson, Arizona 85712 326-9686 www.tucsonbotanical.org

Volunteer and Docent Newsletter

May 2013

1

—UPCOMING EVENTS—

You’re Invited to the Perennial Awards Luncheon!

Help us recognize Garden Friends Ginny and

Vern Alexander, Southern Arizona

Attractions Alliance, Thorne and Lucy

Pierce, Juliet Niehaus, Debby Larsen, Shelly

Abbott, Lisa Ribes, Debra Palmer and David

Jester, and join us in a celebration of 30 years of

Horticultural Therapy along with a special

presentation by Dr. Juliet Niehaus: Bringing

Horticultural Therapy to Guyana.

Thursday, May 2, 12:30PM - Tucson Country Club

$50 per person

RSVP by May 1st to 326-9686, ext. 25 or

development@tucsonbotanical.org

~~~~~~

A Great Big Thank You To

Suzanne, Susan, Libby, Violet,

Debra and Sheila ...for all of their hard work in working in the

Grove Gift Shop!! They worked in all kinds of

weather and did a magnificent job!! Our

numbers in the shop were higher than last

year! We couldn’t have done it without you!!!

We hope to see all of you next season!

We make a living by what we get,

but we make a life by what we give.

~ Sir Winston Churchill

On behalf of the entire Gardens

staff, THANK YOU TO ALL

OF OUR VOLUNTEERS for

another year of giving your

time, talent, dedication, and

passion to the Gardens. We

couldn’t do it without you. Have a great

summer!

What’s Blooming at TBG? Although irises are not desert natives, our Iris Garden is now in full bloom, and every color of the rainbow is represented. Another tantalizing flower in bloom is the Columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha) with soft yellow flowers that seem to soar over the attractive foliage. The blooms have an exquisite, distinct three-dimensional shape. Nearby, the Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruiticosa) bushes are also flowering. Arguably the most impressive flowers of the year are opening this week — the various blooming cacti (Trichocereus spp., Echinocereus spp.) make an incredible statement with such enormous goblet-shaped blooms in incredible colors. They are an unexpected treat on a seemingly ordinary looking plant. —Emily Rockey

2

BUTTERFLY MAGIC UPDATE Elizabeth Willott, Butterfly Curator

Thank you to all who have been making this

Butterfly Magic season so wonderful!

Butterfly Volunteer Appreciation!

Free entrance with family/friends to the greenhouse.

May 1, 9AM-3PM

As a token of our appreciation, we want you to feel free

to bring family and friends, for free, to see the

greenhouse on May 1. The exhibit closes to the public

April 30, so this is a special day for just volunteers to

visit.

Recent Emergences We’ve had several moths emerge over the past week

and so we are optimistic that more will emerge before

we close. We have had several of the Green-veined

Charaxes emerge, some Savannah Charaxes, and lots of

Autumn Leaves. A new crop of Lacewings, some more

Great Orange Tips, and much more.

The greenhouse looks great. The chrysalis exhibit is

starting to look bare, though that’s good for us

financially since there’s no point in providing lots of

chrysalises for the Butterfly Pavilion in Colorado.

“What do we do with the butterflies when the exhibit

closes” is being asked frequently. Short answer: We

send the butterflies to the Butterfly Pavilion, in

Westminster Colorado (it’s a suburb of Denver).

Next question: “How?” That involves a longer answer.

On May 2nd we’ll round them up. I’ll come in early and

start the coolers, so the butterflies stay cool and aren’t

flying much. This allows us to collect most of them just

be walking up to them and picking them from their

overnight roosting spots. Each butterfly is identified to

species or genus, and each is placed in a glassine

envelope (the kind we used to get stamps in), which is

labeled with a code number for that particular species of

butterfly. The envelopes are then organized, tallied, and

packed carefully into boxes. I send them Overnight by

FEDEX so they arrive the next morning at the Butterfly

Pavilion in Colorado. Last year all of the butterflies

shipped survived. (Other steps include that I email a

report to the person in charge at the Butterfly Pavilion

and the USDA officials, listing what we send. Once a

butterfly is confined within the envelope it typically

becomes motionless and is just fine. Even those that

don’t instantly get calm, only wiggle a little and do not

hurt themselves. We also cool the chrysalis exhibit room

and the package they get packed in. That helps them

stay calm, too.

BEE SWARMS

IN THE GARDENS Emily Rockey

You may have noticed a

great buzz around the

Gardens recently, and

maybe also in your own

neighborhood. Honeybee

swarms are on the move in

Tucson! This is the time of

year when honeybee

c o l o n i e s h a v e t h e

opportunity to divide and

start a new hive somewhere

else. A new queen and a

large group of workers move together as a swarm

to find a place to live, sometimes resting along their

journey to investigate and explore potential spots.

The Gardens is an attractive site from the bees’

prospective with plenty of flowers for food. As

much as we love bees and their hard work as

pollinators, too many bees at the Gardens could be

problematic with so many visitors and children. A

honeybee swarm is surprisingly docile and does not

usually interact with humans while in transit, but can

become defensive of a home if they choose a

permanent site. Thus, we have been monitoring the

swarms that stop here to make sure that they

continue on their journey. For those swarms that

decide to take up residence in the Gardens, we call

a local expert beekeeper to assist with relocation.

The bees are safely removed and given a secure

home off-property. The swarms will most likely

continue until the early summer so keep your eye

out for bees, and please alert Gardens’ staff to any

new swarms.

Emily feeling the swarm

3

—HELP NEEDED—

Although things slow down considerably around the Gardens during the summer, we continue to rely on help from

volunteers like you. Here are some upcoming opportunities.

FLOCK PARTY, Saturday, May 18 Flock Party is a family-friendly day of presentations, performances and activities—all about birds! Activities will include crafts, storytelling, live bird demos with Tucson Wildlife Center, and docent-led tours and Birds of the

Southwest Discovery Carts. The Audubon Society will be on hand to answer avian questions, and the Doolen Middle School Orchestra will serenade visitors strolling through the Flights of Fancy birdhouse art exhibit.

Shifts will run 9:45AM-12:15PM (includes set-up) OR Noon-2:15PM (includes cleanup). We need volunteers for the following:

Helping children make pinecone bird feeders at the craft table (especially morning shift)

Assisting artist Susan Libby in helping families decorate birdhouse ornaments Staffing the Birds of the Southwest Discovery Cart (afternoon shift)

Please contact Amy Collinsworth: membership@tucsonbotanical.org or ext. 13.

SEASONAL CLASS PROCTORS Many of our summer seasonal classes and workshops still need proctors. Proctors act as the Gardens’ host to students and outside instructors, assist the instructor with setting up the computer projector and other

equipment, handle check-in of students, and facilitate evaluations of each class. This is a fun assignment as the volunteer gets to sit in on the class for free. If you are interested, please contact Christine Hoekenga

education1@tucsonbotanical.org or ext. 39.

OFFICE HELPER IN MEMBERSHIP The Membership Office needs summer help (now through October) on a weekly or bi-weekly basis for just an hour or two, cutting paper, stuffing envelopes, and filing. Please contact Amy Collinsworth:

membership@tucsonbotanical.org or ext. 13.

BUTTERFLY OFFICE Just because Butterfly Magic ends doesn’t mean the work ends. There are still ways to be involved, so if you are in town and wish to be involved, please contact: Butterflyexhibit@tucsonbotanical.org or ext. 38.

Additionally, if you have a preference for which shift you wish to do in the fall, please let us know, and we’ll record it. We won’t hold you to it if circumstances change, of course. See page 2 for the full Butterfly Update.

YOUTH EDUCATION Alyson Greene would like to thank everyone who volunteered with youth ed this spring. It has been wonderful

working with you all! We have some more opportunities coming up this summer, and you are invited. Please contact Alyson Greene: education2@tucsonbotanical.org

1) Assisting Alyson with Garden Nature Camp (mornings and/or afternoons OR to “pop in” for a 10-minute

presentation) during the weeks of June 24 - 28 with 3rd & 4th graders and/or July 15 - 19 with 5th & 6th

graders. Enchantment awaits!

2) Flyer distribution - ASAP through May. We are looking for folks to post Garden Nature Camp flyers at cafes,

libraries, and other places families frequently visit. Even posting a few flyers at your favorite places would be very helpful

for us as we get the word out.

3) Relaxed docent presence with a school group Friday, May 17, 9:00-9:45 (or longer if you wish)

We need a volunteer to welcome a group of 46 students and chaperones to the Gardens and direct them in through

the front courtyard (instead of the bookstore). Beyond that, it is up to you. You could make yourself available for

questions and to be a general docent presence for as long as you like that morning.

4) Hosting the Desert Plants, Desert People Discovery Table, in Ed Building Friday, May 31, 8:30-11:00

Volunteers are needed to set up and staff a “discovery table” with the Desert Plants, Desert People Kit for a school

group of 1st - 4th graders. You’ll help them explore the objects with questions, give fun facts, and help them make raffia

bracelets and play the stick game.

SAVE THE DATE, September 17! We’ll break from our Youth Ed meetings until September. Mark your

calendars for Tuesday, September 17, for our first autumn youth ed meeting. There will be surprises!

4

—SUMMER PROGRAMMING, EVENTS, CLASSES—

Most classes require pre-registration and are subject to cancellation due to low enrollment. You can register for classes online: http://www.tucsonbotanical.org/education/adult-classes-trips/

or by calling our class registration line at 326-9686, ext. 19.

GROWDOWN! DESIGNER FORUM

Thursday, May 30

4:30-5:30PM

Self-guided Tour of the Growdown! Gardens

5:30-7PM

Designer Forum & Special Screening

of the Growdown! Short Film

By now, you’ve no doubt seen the four beautiful small

gardens that were installed near the Pavilion this March

in the first ever Growdown! The Great Tucson Garden

Design Challenge at Tucson Botanical Gardens. The

local designers who created them (Scott Calhoun of Zona

Gardens, LLC; Chris Jeffrey of LJ Design & Consulting;

Ezra Roati of REALM, an Urban Organics Co.; and

Janis and Phil Van Wyck of Van Wyck Projects) will

return to the Gardens for an evening Designer Forum on

Thursday, May 30th to discuss what inspired them, the

process of bringing the gardens to life and tips for

incorporating some of their approaches in your own

landscape. They will be joined by filmmaker and Fellow

at the Hanson Film Institute, Marcus De Leon, who

documented the Growdown! process in a short film.

Arrive early, and take one of the last opportunities to

visit the gardens while they’re on display (through the

end of May). Free and open to the public.

AQUAPONICS EXHIBIT & WORKSHOPS There is some fishy activity going on at Tucson

Botanical Gardens this summer – aquaponics! We’ve

teamed up with Local Roots Aquaponics, a homegrown

Tucson business, to host a basic system near the Native

Crops Garden.

What exactly is aquaponics? Aquaponics is an efficient

and productive method of food production that combines

aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (growing

plants in water with nutrients) in a contained and

balanced ecosystem. Although it may appear to be high-

tech, it is free of artificial inputs. The fish’s outputs feed

the plants, and the plants’ roots filter the water for the

fish with no inputs of fertilizers, pesticides or antibiotics.

Additionally, these aquaponics systems are extremely

efficient to operate: only 35 watts plus the energy from

the sun to grow the plants! In terms of water usage,

modern aquaponics requires 90% less water than

traditional farming, and the plants grow twice as fast.

Please plan for the whole family to participate in the

aquaponics exhibit by watching the vegetables and fish

as they grow over the summer, and maybe even feed the

fish when you come to visit. The Gardens’ system will (continued next column)

(continued from previous column)

be complete with White Nile Tilapia fish and plenty of

tasty tomatoes, peppers, basils and other desert-adapted

vegetables. The exhibit opens May 1, and we will offer

several opportunities to take aquaponics workshops this

summer. See our class schedule for more details: https://www.tucsonbotanical.org/education/adult-classes-

trips/

SEASONAL CLASSES

We have an exciting line-up of classes over the summer.

Here is just a sampling from May and June. Please see

the full calendar in your Member Newsletter or on-line: http://www.https://www.tucsonbotanical.org/education/

adult-classes-trips/. Preregistration is required for most

classes. Please visit our website or call 326-9686, x 19.

YOGA IN THE GARDENS

Thursday, May 2, 16, 23, 30, 8-9AM

(four-class series; no class May 9)

**Also offered Thursday mornings

in June, July & August**

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. No previous experience

necessary. After class, take time to wander the Gardens

(class price includes admission on each class day).

One month $40, $30 members

POETRY IN THE GARDENS First Saturday of the Month

May 4: Cactus and Succulent Garden

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 necessary.

5

—SUMMER PROGRAMMING, EVENTS, CLASSES—

Most classes require pre-registration and are subject to cancellation due to low enrollment. You can register for classes online: http://www.tucsonbotanical.org/education/adult-classes-trips/

or by calling our class registration line at 326-9686, ext. 19.

RECYCLED METAL FLOWERS

Sunday, May 12, Happy Mother’s Day, 11AM-1:30 PM

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

AQUAPONICS WORKSHOP I—

BUILDING SESSION

Sunday, June 2, 9AM-Noon Aquaponics (AP) is an efficient method of food production

that combines aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics

(growing plants in water) in a contained ecosystem free of

artificial inputs. In this session, instructors from Local

Roots Aquaponics and Tucson AquaPonics Project will

show you how to build a single-tank system from start to

finish, discuss different options for AP systems and

building materials and the basics of getting them running.

They provide an instruction manual for you to build your

own single-tank system, complete with recommended

sources for parts. Each student receives a 10 percent off

coupon for supplies at EcoGro (some tanks excluded).

$40, $30 members

AQUAPONICS WORKSHOP II—

ClASSROOM SESSION

Sunday, June 2, 1-4PM Aquaponics (AP) is an efficient method of food production

that combines aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics

(growing plants in water) in a contained ecosystem free of

artificial inputs. In this session, instructors from Local

Roots Aquaponics and Tucson AquaPonics Project will

offer advice on how to successfully run an AP system, the

different choices you will have (e.g., fish, plants, controlled

environments and materials), local conditions and where to

get supplies. Each student receives a summary document

of the material presented and a 10 percent off coupon for

supplies at EcoGro (some tanks excluded).

$40, $30 members

Sign up for this classroom session on its own or together

with the building session. Receive a discount for taking

both sessions the same day: $65, $55 members

**Aquaponics Workshops will also be offered June 23,

July 21 and August 25**

YEAR-ROUND GARDEN MAINTEMNCE

Saturday, June 8, 10AM-Noon

Good design and the right plant in the right place will

minimize your maintenance. However, plants are living

things and have to be cared for. Learn how to maintain

your Tucson garden without back-breaking work. In this

class, horticulturalist Solveig Palanek will cover when and

how to prune, pest management, fertilizing, tool care,

mulching, weeding, irrigation checks and more. Learn how

to develop an annual maintenance plan and prepare your

garden to thrive all year.

$14, $10 members

REDUCE YOUR ENERGY WASTELINE

WORKSHOP

Saturday, June 22, 10AM-Noon

**Also offered August 10**

Specially trained energy coaches from the City of Tucson

and the Metropolitan Energy Commission will show you

how to save money by saving energy at home—from

properly applying weather stripping to installing low-flow

shower heads and more. Each student will leave with a

conservation toolkit filled with supplies you can use

immediately to make your home more comfortable and

energy-efficient ($40 value).

Free with Gardens admission, but pre-registration is

required.

~~~~~~~~~~~

DOG DAYS AND DOG MEMBERSHIPS Dog Days of Summer is back this

year! Every Tuesday from May 1

to September 30, the Gardens

will open our gates to leashed

dogs for a small admission fee of

$3. This year, these furry visitors

now have the opportunity to

become our first four-legged

members! TBG’s human members

may now add dog family members

to their membership.

For $20 you’ll receive: Unlimited all-day Tuesday

admission for your dog during the summer months (May

through September) and a special canine membership card

with ring that can be attached to any collar or leash.

Additional dog members may be added for only $10 each.

Dog memberships can be purchased in the Gardens Gift

Shop or by calling 520/326-9686, ext. 13.

An Ear to the Ground

Massimo Boscolo

April 6, 2013

With the creosote bushes in flower and the Mesquite trees finally leafing out, the Sonoran spring is well under way at the Gardens.

A lot has happened in the last three weeks. Plants have begun to flower, at first almost tentatively, as if they were worried about winter striking back, but soon enough, one after another—the large Rosa Banksiae

growing on the arbor, the Cherry Plums and the fragrant Viburnum in the historical garden, and the Evening Primrose in the bed near the café, all bloomed abundantly, warming up the stage for the next act.

After a few days, a riotous succession of flowers spilling out onto each other took over the Gardens with

all the Justicia and Penstemon showing their vibrant colors, followed by the Mexican Buckeye, the Sophora, the Sage and all the annuals and mixed ornamentals decorating the sensory gardens.

The scent of the citrus blossoms has been guiding the many visitors along the gravel path (the long way)

toward the butterfly exhibit, inducing them to stop and hang around, sit in the dappled shade and take in all the fragrance before visiting the rest of the garden.

Being a newcomer myself to Tucson, and indeed to the New World, I am often amazed by plants that I

have never encountered in my gardening career. Right now, I am enamored with Salazaria mexicana. It is a shrub in the mint family native to Arizona and the Southwest. I have been observing its grey, bushy but

elegant and almost feathery stems all winter, waiting for something to happen. Then, small oval leaves, also grey-green, born without petioles appeared, immediately followed by the rich deep violet flowers. The

blooms are arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the branch and as they mature, produce a sort of small papery capsule, similar to a bag, from which it takes the common name of Paperbag bush. Peeking inside,

you can already see the tiny seed developing.

Wildlife has been very active too. A few morning ago, I had my first close encounter with Coop, our resident Cooper’s hawk. It glided effortlessly above the café and landed on the fencepost at the entrance of

the cactus garden, just twenty feet before me. I stopped still—and for the first time I could properly see the large head and shoulders and the distinctive banded tail. I then made the classic rookie mistake of trying to

get closer to take a picture. It just turned toward me with a look of mild annoyance before flapping away. I was obviously cramping its style.

Usually I see the hawk from a distance and recognize only the flap-flap-glide pattern of its flight; more often,

I have to deal with the messy and sometime gruesome remains of its prey, which we try to clean up before visitors arrive.

Leaf-cutter ants have also been busy and at times I come across long, colorful ribbons of blue or pink

fragments of petals and green leaves ending in a splash of color sinking into the dirt. They look like oversized paintbrush strokes left randomly on the ground until closer scrutiny reveals all the frenzied

movement of a complex harvesting project. The ants don’t actually eat the plants, but collect them down inside their nest as a growing medium for a fungus upon which they feed. I am always amazed at this sight

and at the idea that these ants are actually performing some sort of elaborate gardening procedure underground.

Of course, they stop being interesting as soon as they attack Emily’s potatoes or any other valuable plants,

in the same way that the cottontail stops being cute when it relentlessly mows down my corn seedlings.

With sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-eighties, visiting and working in the Gardens and indeed, living in Tucson, couldn’t be any more comfortable, and I am enjoying these days very much—preferring not

to think that soon enough, these balmy daytime temperatures will be our nightly lows...

6

—ITEMS WE NEED—

Please save small to medium-sized boxes for the June Weird Plant Sale. Boxes can be brought back to Sycamore

House. Thanks!

We can always use paper napkins, plates, cups, and plastic flatware in the Volunteer Office. If you are cleaning out

your cupboard for the season or see a great deal on these items and want to pick up an extra package, we would greatly

appreciate it. Please bring them to Christine in the Education Office. Thanks!

2150 North Alvernon Way

Tucson, Arizona 85712