This Edition:

Workshops

Caterpillar Quiz

Wednesday Evening Walks

The Secret Life of Lichens

Arboretum Auxiliary Plant Sale

Arboretum Booklets

Making a Donation

Facebook

What to See Currently at The

Arboretum

Answers to Quiz

Upcoming Events and Workshops

Wednesday, July 20
Wednesday Evening Walk
Dragons and Damsels

Wednesday, July 27
Wednesday Evening Walk
Pond Study: Investigations of an Aquatic Ecosystem

Wednesday, August 3
Wednesday Evening Walk
Lovely Lepidopterans: Discovering Ontario’s Butterflies and Moths

Wednesday, August 10
Wednesday Evening Walk
Arboretum Detectives: Investigating Animal Signs

Friday, August 12
Night and Low light Photography Workshop – Field Trip
registration deadline August 5

Wednesday, August 17
Wednesday Evening Walk
Discovering Ontario’s Native Trees

Wednesday, August 24
Wednesday Evening Walk
Spellbinding Spiders

Wednesday, August 31
Wednesday Evening Walk  
All About Frogs!
This is the final walk for this year.

Friday, September 9
Hawk Workshop
registration deadline September 2

Saturday, September 10
Arboretum Auxiliary Plant Sale

Monday, September 12
Medicinal Plants
registration deadline September 5

Sunday, September 18
Wall Custance Memorial Forest Dedication Service

Workshops

For both ecological and economic reasons we no longer print and mail a seasonal program listing our workshops and special events.  The information is now distributed via this e-newsletter and is always available on our website. We do appreciate your past and future support of our workshops, the income from which supports other Arboretum educational endeavours such as brochures, signs, booklets, tours and our website.

If you know of people who may be interested in our workshops or who have received our seasonal program in the past who do not receive this e-newsletter, we would appreciate if you could pass this information on to them.  To subscribe to the newsletter simply send an e-mail to arbor@uoguelph.ca with “subscribe to newsletter” in the subject line and include your e-mail address and first and last name in the text of the e-mail.

If you have a spot in your community or at your workplace where you can display our workshop posters, please contact Bev Healy at bhealy@uoguelph.ca and she will be happy to send them to you.

Below is a list of upcoming workshops at The Arboretum. Please forward this e-mail to your friends and colleagues! The more participants we have, the more programs we can offer.

To register please call 519-824-4120 ext. 52358.
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.

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Caterpillar Quiz

What is eating your plants?  There are many plant-eating animals in your yard and some of them are butterfly and moth caterpillars.  Are any of these immature insects your garden's chewers?  See below for caterpillar identification and some of its favourite foods.



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Wednesday Evening Walks

For the months of June, July and August 2011 we are having Wednesday Evening Walks that begin at 7 p.m. at the J.C. Taylor Centre.  These 1 ½ hour walks are on a different topic each week and are $2 / person. A schedule can be found on our website and will be updated with the rest of the walks as the summer progresses.   

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The Secret Life of Lichens

By Kerry Schutten

On Tuesday July 12, 2011, I had the opportunity to participate in the Secret Life of Lichens workshop, which took place here at The Arboretum.  The vast knowledge and experience of our guest instructor, Troy McMullin, coupled with the enthusiasm of the various participants, set the tone for an extremely informative and pleasant day spent searching The Arboretum grounds for these often overlooked species.  Troy led us through the basics of lichen anatomy and identification before we set out in search of some of the more unique lichen species found in this region. With over 60 species recorded in The Arboretum so far (and many more to be found, Troy assures us!), we had no problem immersing ourselves in this microscopic world as soon as we stepped outside. As a group, and under Troy’s patient guidance, we soon became experts in the “Big 6” – the 6 common lichens that make up roughly 80% of the lichens in this region.  Ranging from the striking bright orange of the Hooded Sunburst lichen (Xanthomendoza fallax), to the delicate grains and muted teal of the Mealy Rosette lichen (Physica millegrana), these “common” species still seemed out of the ordinary for most of us!   We were also able to find several rare (both for The Arboretum and for this part of North America!) species, and even discovered a lichen that was new to The Arboretum list! Along the way, Troy provided many helpful tips and tricks for finding and identifying lichens on our own.  If lichen identification has always seemed interesting but a little daunting to you, or even if you’ve never really given these micro-organisms a second thought, the Secret Life of Lichens workshop is for you.  It is guaranteed to leave you feeling well-informed and excited to break out your magnifying glass and get hunting on your own!

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Arboretum Auxiliary Plant Sale

Mark your calendar … The Arboretum Auxiliary Plant Sale is on Saturday, September 10, 2011.

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Catawbiense Rhododendron  
Photo by Chris Earley

Arboretum Booklets

Ever wonder who is visiting your feeder or what that dragonfly might be called? How about identifying that pretty flower in the woods or who left those tracks?  To increase awareness of local wildlife, The Arboretum has put together five booklets to help you and your family connect with nature. Spring Woodland Wildflowers of The Arboretum features the showy forest flowers of May. Mammals of the Arboretum not only shows what furry animals might be in your neighbourhood, but what tracks they leave. Feeder Birds of the Arboretum covers winter birds that you might find in your backyard and Summer Garden Birds covers summer birds that you might find in your backyard. Dragonflies of The Arboretum shows the diversity of these mosquito eaters and helps you learn how to identify many of the dragonflies listed above.  Further information is available on our website.  To purchase your copy ($8 each including tax), please contact Bev Healy at 519-824-4120 ext. 52358. We will announce new booklets in the series in future e-newsletters.  For anyone who enjoys sketching or if you want an interesting book for note-taking we still have copies of our Arboretum Nature Journal available as well.  These can also be obtained through Bev.

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Making a Donation

Be a part of the The BetterPlanet Project by donating on-line:
Your donation can be directed to The Arboretum online through the secure University of Guelph The BetterPlanet Project site! Follow these easy steps:
o       Follow this link http://www.thebetterplanetproject.ca/bpp_donate_2.html
o       Choose your type of gift “-One-time gift-“, -“Sustaining gift”- or “-Tribute Giving-“
o       On the drop down menu “-Choose an Area-” select “University Wide”
o       On the drop down menu “-Choose a Program-“ select “Arboretum” and fill in the amount of your donation
o       Click Calculate
o       Fill in your personal information

It’s that easy!
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: alumni@uoguelph.ca

Please identify The Arboretum as the focus of your donation.
                                                                                                              
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 rbutler@uoguelph.ca.

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Snapping Turtle
Photo by Chris Earley


Facebook

The Arboretum is on Facebook.  Check us out at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/The-Arboretum-University-of-Guelph/226671253176?ref=ts 

Click on the "Like" icon on our page and let all your friends know about us.

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What to See Currently at The Arboretum

The warm weather of July makes it a terrific time to study our six-legged friends.  With lots of blooms, there are lots of pollinators.  A quick hike in the Rose Garden revealed honey bees, carpenter bees and various species of bumblebees, halictid bees and andrenid bees.  There were quite a few hover fly and beetle species as well.

The birds are busy feeding their nestlings or fledged young.  A pair of Cooper's Hawks have been seen flying towards their nest carrying food much to the dismay of the local birds who voice their
distress every time the hawks are sighted.  On a sad note, one of our White-tailed Deer fawns was found dead recently of what appeared to be, once again, caused by a dog attack.  We would like to remind visitors that all dogs must be on a leash here as even well-behaved dogs have trouble not chasing, and sometimes killing, wildlife.

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Prairie Rose and Hover Fly
Photo by Chris Earley

Answers to Quiz

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The ARBORETUM
Ontario Agricultural College
University of Guelph
Guelph, ON
N1G 2W1
Phone: 519-824-4120 ext. 52113
Fax: 519-763-9598
e-mail: arbor@uoguelph.ca
www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum