Adkins Arboretum Programs and Events, May-August 2012

GUIDED WALKS
First Saturday Guided Walk
Saturday, May 5, 10 a.m.
Saturday, June 2, 10 a.m.
Saturday, July 7, 10 a.m.
Saturday, August 4, 10 a.m.
Explore the Arboretum’s diverse plant communities on a guided walk led by an Arboretum docent naturalist. Explore the bottomland forest and upland paths, meander through majestic beech trees, traverse the native meadows, and follow the narrow Tuckahoe Creekside path. Free for members, free with admission for the general public. 410.634.2847, ext. 0 for more information.
Second Saturday Guided Walk
Saturday, May 12, 1 p.m.
Saturday, June 9, 1 p.m.
Saturday, July 14, 1 p.m.
Saturday, August 11, 1 p.m.
Come on a unique journey toward understanding native plants and how they can become a greater part of your home garden. Horticulturalist Eric Wittman will lead a walk about gardening with ornamental native plants. Join this walk to learn about native plants and how they can become a greater part of your home gardening experience. Free for members, free with admission for the general public. Register at adkinsarboretum.org or call 410.634.2847, ext. 0.

FRIDAY, MAY 11 is National Public Gardens Day. Admission is free!

ART EXHIBITS
Well-known for his spare, elegant photographs of natural materials, George Holzer will exhibit Brought to Light: Forms from Nature. On view through June 1, this show will include works from two series. In Leaves and Seeds, he focuses on the unique beauty of leaves and seedpods as they decay. Stick Figures explores the anthropomorphic, often whimsical qualities of broken twigs and sections of branches. There will be a reception Saturday, April 28 from 3 to 5 p.m.

Depicting invasive plants that threaten Maryland’s native plant communities, botanical artists Lee Boulay D’Zmura and Tina Thieme Brown will collaborate with Dangerous Beauty, on view June 4 through July 27. An instructor at the Brookside Gardens School of Botanical Art and Illustration, D’Zmura works with a traditional botanical approach, capturing the plant at a point in time. Thieme Brown, whose illustrations appear in An Illustrated Guide to Eastern Woodland Wildflowers and Trees, focuses on the ways in which invasive plants move through the landscape and dominate native plant communities. There will be a reception Saturday, June 23 from 3 to 5 p.m.
The sixth biennial Outdoor Sculpture Invitational—Artists in Dialogue with Nature will be on view in the Arboretum’s forest and meadow June 1 through September 15. The artists will create work that directly responds to and resonates with the Arboretum’s landscapes. During May, there will be the opportunity to talk with the artists as they install their work on site. There will be a reception Saturday, June 23 from 3 to 5 p.m.

PROGRAMS

Registration is required for all programs. Register at adkinsarboretum.org or by calling 410.634.2847, ext. 0.

First Detector Training for Insect and Disease Pests of Plants
Wednesday, May 9, 1–3 p.m.
Free
Join the front line of defense against new pests and plant diseases. Adkins Arboretum is part of the Sentinel Plant Network, an association of botanical gardens that is on the lookout for emerald ash borer, Asian longhorn beetle, sudden oak death, and other pests and diseases that threaten forest health. This workshop offers training for volunteers who can help spot potential problems, collect samples, and submit them to insect and disease specialists in Maryland. Join Arboretum science advisor Dr. Sylvan Kaufman and educator Jenny Houghton for an introduction to the Sentinel Plant Network. Dr. Karen Rane, director of the University of Maryland Plant Diagnostic Lab, and Dr. Dave Clement, plant pathologist with University of Maryland Extension, will teach plant and pest identification indoors and on an outdoor walk, weather permitting. Training will also cover how to collect and submit samples. Please bring a hand lens and a digital camera if you have one. Register at adkinsarboretum.org or call 410.634.2847, ext. 0.

Becoming Bay Smart: Living Within Maryland’s Critical Area
Wednesday, May 16, 9 am–noon
Free
This half-day workshop is designed for citizens, new Critical Area property owners, realtors, and contractors who want to learn the basics of the Critical Area Program and how it applies to where they live, work, and play. Training will be presented by Critical Area Commission staff and will include a brief history of the program and how it is implemented as a partnership between state and local governments. Development within the Critical Area and the various requirements in each land classification—Resource Conservation Area (RCA), Limited Development Area (LDA), and Intensely Developed Area (IDA)—will be covered in some detail. Topics to be discussed include:
. Regulations for building in the RCA, LDA, and IDA
. The importance and functions of the Critical Area Buffer
. The types of Buffer Management Plans and how they are used
. The different types of shore erosion control measures and how the permit process is handled jointly by Maryland Department of the Environment, Corps of Engineers, and local governments.

Register at adkinsarboretum.org or call 410.634.2847, ext. 0.

Chasing Venus
Sunday, May 20, noon– 2 p.m.
Fee: $15 members, $20 general public
In Chasing Venus, New York Times Best Selling and award-winning author Andrea Wulf tells the extraordinary story of the first global scientific collaboration—set amid warring armies, savage weather, and bitter rivalries. On two days in 1761 and 1769, astronomers across the world cast their eyes to the sky to witness a rare sight: Venus travelling across the face of the sun. The two transits were to become the most significant astronomical events in scientific history, as by recording the path of Venus and comparing results, these men hoped to calculate the dimensions of our solar system—one of the most pressing questions of the Enlightenment.

Chasing Venus is told as a race across the world and features a cast of some of the most recognizable names in world history—Benjamin Franklin, James Cook, Mason and Dixon, and Catherine the Great, amongst others. It is a thrilling adventure story, a tale of personal tragedy and obsession, and an inspiring account of Enlightenment science and man’s quest to understand the universe. Register at adkinsarboretum.org or call 410.634.2847, ext. 0.

Rick Darke—On The High Line: Exploring America’s Most Unique New Urban Park
Presented at the Academy Art Museum in Easton
Thursday, May 24, 1–2:30 p.m.
Fee: $15 for Arboretum and Academy members, $20 general public
Inspired by the spontaneous wild garden that found habitat among its abandoned tracks, The High Line has become the most inspiring new urban park of our time. Each year, millions of visitors from around the world come to walk this magical mile in the sky, exploring New York City’s history, architecture, and culture while immersed in artful naturalism, all at a safe remove from speeding traffic on the streets below. The park is currently open from Gansevoort Street on Manhattan’s West Side north to 30th Street, and will eventually extend another half mile around the rail yards, offering spectacular views of the Hudson River. Rick Darke has been photographing The High Line for a decade, observing and documenting its transformation from a completely wild place to an intricately designed and managed landscape. This lecture will look at The High Line from birth to abandonment to reincarnation while seeking insights into the future of this and other post-industrial urban ecologies.

Rick Darke is an author, photographer, and consultant whose work blends art, ecology, and cultural geography in the design and management of livable landscapes. His work has been featured in New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and elsewhere. His many books include The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forest and The Wild Garden: Expanded Edition. Darke’s photography and writing are featured in Annik La Farge’s new book, On The High Line (Thames & Hudson, April 2012). For further information, visit: rickdarke.com. Register at adkinsarboretum.org or call 410.634.2847, ext. 0.

Rick will also join a bus trip to visit The High Line on October 24. Visit www.adkinsarboretum.org for information and to register.

Hypertufa Garden Planter or Bird Bath
Saturday, June 2, 10 a.m.–noon
Fee: $45 members, $65 general public
Discover how to enhance your garden landscape by making a hypertufa planter with Queen Anne’s County Master Gardener Coordinator Rachel Melvin and garden designer and Arboretum docent Nancy Beatty. Hypertufa is an artificial stone material that is made from several different aggregates to imitate natural tufa rock. It can easily be molded into different forms, is much lighter than concrete, and looks like weathered crumbly stone. All materials will be provided. Register at adkinsarboretum.org or call 410.634.2847, ext. 0.

This workshop will take place in the Nursery Greenhouse. Wear work clothes and shoes, and bring long rubber gloves and an adventurous spirit.

Landscape Photography: Getting the Big Picture
Saturday, June 2, 8 a.m.–noon
Fee: $45 members, $60 general public
Discover and photograph late spring at the Arboretum. Learn and apply landscape and close-up techniques for creating striking images while learning composition and photo enhancement. Emphasis will be on landscape photography with trees as the subject and capturing blooming flowers and insects. The workshop includes a classroom digital presentation, an illustrated handout, and shooting sessions with the instructor, Josh Taylor. Participants will also learn about stitching (panoramas), focus stacking, and combining multiple images for creative effects—techniques easily done in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. Participants unfamiliar with these software programs will have the opportunity to become familiar with some of their basic features. Program participants can e-mail the instructor two JPEG images from the workshop for written critique.

Bring ALL photo equipment, including a digital memory card, extra batteries, and camera manual. A tripod is optional but highly recommended. While point-and-shoot cameras are welcome, please be reminded that these cameras can work quite well but have limited options.

Backyard Hobby Farming Series
Fee: $15 members each program, $20 general public each program
Robyn Affron and her arborist husband have transformed their half-acre property in Chestertown into a sustainable, productive, and lively oasis. In these programs, she will share her journey and joy of backyard farming and gardening. Affron is a certified professional horticulturist and a Master Naturalist intern with 16 years of experience in horticulture.

Maintaining the Backyard Hobby Farm
Wednesday, June 6, 1–2:30 p.m.
In this session, learn how to maintain the hobby farm with sustainable land practices, such as bio-security measures to keep chickens and goats healthy, vermi-composting, and composting with all of that good organic matter left behind from chickens, goats, and rabbits. Create habitat with native plants for the bees and other pollinators, and learn how to implement less lawn and more garden.

Backyard Hobby Farm Field Trip
Saturday, September 22, 10–11:30 a.m.
Visit Robyn’s backyard hobby farm and lush chicken garden. See sustainable land practices in action, and meet the farm animals. Taste the difference of fresh free range chicken eggs by taking home a few fresh eggs to share with family and friends. Participants will meet at Robyn’s home in Chestertown.

Delmarva Dragonflies and Damselflies
Saturday, June 9, 10–11:30 a.m.
Free with admission
Join Professor Hal White for a walk in one of the most interesting counties for dragonflies and damselflies on the Delmarva Peninsula. A professor of biochemistry at the University of Delaware, Hal has been fascinated by insects, especially dragonflies, since high school. It is a serious hobby that has taken him from Canada to Mexico and across the United States. He has published articles on the dragonflies and damselflies of Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Acadia National Park in Maine, and has described the larval forms of two endangered species of dragonfly. His book, Natural History of Delmarva Dragonflies and Damselflies, was published last year by University of Delaware Press in collaboration with the Delaware Nature Society. The book will be available for purchase and signing.

Plants Gone Wild! Community Solutions to a Growing Problem
Wednesday, June 13, 1–2:30 p.m.
Fee: $15 members, $20 general public
What are invasive plants, and what can be done about them? People have profoundly influenced their environment, and invasive plants are both a consequence and a cause of change. Join ecologist Dr. Sylvan Kaufman to learn what’s being done in different communities and in Maryland to deter invasive plants. From public education to legislation to management plans and cooperative agreements, there are many possible ways of taming plants gone wild.

Forest Gardens: Productive Ecosystems
Saturday, June 16, 10–11:30 a.m.
Fee: $15 members, $20 general public
Learn how people can produce what they need in healthy ecosystems. In an era when people have strained the world’s ecosystems to meet their needs, a forest garden provides a critical combination of benefits for people and planet—cleaning water, building soil, and providing a bounty of food and supplies.

Lincoln Smith recently opened Forested, LLC (forested.us), a forest garden research and education company in Bowie, MD. He helps landowners and land managers throughout the eastern United States create successful production ecosystems through training at the Forested demonstration forest garden. Previously, Lincoln worked at Graham Landscape Architecture in Annapolis, where he helped clients meet their goals on the land as sustainably as possible. He holds a master’s degree in landscape design from the Conway School of Landscape Design.

Summer Soup ’n Walks
Nature, Nurture, and Nutrition
Saturdays, June 23 and July 21, 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Fee: $20 members, $25 general public
Take a walk in the glorious summer landscape! Following a guided walk with a docent naturalist, enjoy a delicious and nutritious lunch along with a brief lesson about the meal’s nutritional value. Copies of recipes are provided.

June 23—Cool Blooms and Summer Ferns
Escape to the quiet coolness of the forest in search of lush green ferns and the cool blooms of summer. Plants of interest include lady fern, cinnamon fern, New York fern, netted chain fern, Christmas fern, Indian cucumber, bluets, and blackberry, deerberry, and arrowwood blooms.

Menu
Asparagus, white bean, and red pepper soup
Green bean potato salad with mango dressing
Dill cottage cheese bread with blackberry jam
Angel cake

July 21—Welcome to the Wetland
Beauty and color abound in the summer wetland. Plants of interest include swamp milkweed, button bush, water hemlock, Joe-pye weed, marsh mallow, jewel weed, cardinal flower, duck potato, blue vervain, swamp rose, and sweetbay magnolia.

Menu
Cold strawberry soup
Gingered cantaloupe with kiwi
Ancient grain bread with elderberry jelly
Zucchini chocolate cake

Pastel Painting the Arboretum
Sunday, June 24, 1–3 p.m.
Fee: $35 members, $45 general public
Learn how to capture the beauty of Adkins Arboretum in pastels under the guidance of local art educator and artist Dawn Malosh. Participants will learn about composition, color, and basic pastel painting techniques while composing their own original rendition of the Arboretum in its summer splendor.

Season’s Bounty
Fridays, June 8 and September 7, 10 a.m.–noon
Fee: $15 members each program, $20 general public each program

Abundant Summer—June 8
Days lengthen, thermometers rise, and kitchens fill to overflowing with Mother Nature’s gifts. Now is the time to maximize the bounty of summer. Plan on succession plantings at home, and benefit from the burgeoning variety at farmers’ markets. Elizabeth Beggins will guide you in prolonging the home harvest and savoring and storing those available from local farmers. Enjoy the flavors of the season as you learn.

Fall Harvest—September 7
Just because we can stop worrying about what to do with yet another summer squash doesn’t mean the food season is over. Late summer is the time to plant a fall garden and the time you’ll find the widest variety of produce all year. Elizabeth Beggins will show you how a little preparation now can yield big returns as the weather turns cooler. Greens, garlic, and gorgeous local offerings available at markets and roadside stands are the focus of this program. As always, savory treats and tools to use at home are an added bonus.

Goats vs. Weeds: A Targeted Grazing Demonstration
Saturday, June 30, 10 a.m.–noon
Fee: $15 members, $20 general public
Invasive species crowd out native woodland plants and animals, and can strangle trees and bring down limbs. Machines often can’t get to problem areas, manual removal is very labor intensive, and herbicides can inflict collateral damage on water, plant, and animal resources. Nevin Dawson, Forest Stewardship Educator, University of Maryland Extension will present how targeted grazing with goats can be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method of controlling invasive species on your property. Goats graze in places that mowers can’t reach and humans don’t want to go, including thickets of both brambles and poison ivy. This demonstration is your chance to see goats in action at the Arboretum and learn how to implement this practice on your own land. Light refreshments, including goat cheese, will be served.

Pine Barrens of New Jersey—A globally unique ecosystem
Wednesday, June 27, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
Fee: $75 members, $95 general public
Transportation, tip, lunch, admission, and tour fees included
From pine plains to cedar swamps and tea-colored rivers flowing to the coastal estuaries, the Pine Barrens offers a mosaic of habitats home to unique and rare plants and animals. We will explore just a small portion of this more than one-million-acre oasis to learn about the unique ecosystems and rich history of the Pine Barrens. Our first stop to the Pinelands Preservation Alliance will provide an overview of one of America’s foremost efforts to control growth so that people and the rest of nature can live compatibly, preserving vast stretches of forest, rare species of plants and wildlife, and vulnerable freshwater aquifers. The Pinelands Preservation Alliance facilities will also provide a lovely venue for lunch.

From there, we will travel to Whitesbog Village to learn about its evolution from pinelands to iron production and then to cranberry production that thrived in the disturbed strip-mined conditions. It was at White’s Bog where Frederick Vernon Coville, botanist and founder of the U.S. National Arboretum, and enterprising Elizabeth White collaborated to cultivate blueberries, making them a valuable crop. Suningive, Elizabeth White’s historic home and garden with its unique plant collection and pond, will also be on the tour. There is a good chance we will have an opportunity to purchase local blueberries to bring home. For more information, visit pinelandsalliance.org/ecology and whitesbog.org.

Basketry
Thursday, July 12, 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Fee: $45 members, $60 general public
Learn the basic techniques of a traditional gathering basket, using natural rattan and indigenous materials such as grapevine, honeysuckle, and willow. Produce a functional, colorful, one-of-a-kind basket that will be both useful and beautiful, and apply your newfound skills to continue on your own.
Lee Zimmerman Nelson has exhibited her award-winning basketry for over 30 years, both nationally and abroad, and teaches regularly at Arrowmont (TN) and the John C. Campbell Folk School (NC), as well as in Maryland and Virginia. She integrates her knowledge of the craft and love of teaching in a relaxed and informative manner. Bring a lunch, a basin, clippers, awl, and jackknife and join the fun!

Travel and Nature Journaling
Wednesdays, July 18 and 25, 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Fee: $95 members, $120 general public
This two-day workshop by Lee D’Zmura presents the popular pastime of nature or travel journaling. Participants will learn techniques to quickly and spiritedly record plants, animals, places, and experiences as they happen. Emphasis will be placed on initial sketches, text, and color rendering. The class will include sketching outside and painting in the gallery. Dress for the weather, and bring your lunch. A materials list will be provided upon registration and/or request.

Nature Prints
Sunday, July 22, 1–3:30 p.m.
Fee: $20 members, $30 general public
Arboretum flora will be used as inspiration and printing tools in this printmaking class led by local art educator Dawn Malosh. Participants will learn about the basics of printmaking while exploring the principles of art and composition, and will have opportunities to create one-of-a-kind cards using clippings of the Arboretum’s botanical wonders. All materials will be provided.

Garden Bells and Chimes
Sundays, August 5 and 12, 1–3:30 p.m.
Fee: $50 members, $65 general public
Learn how to make your own unique garden bells and chimes with ceramic bell-maker Dawn Malosh. Dawn will demonstrate basic bell-building techniques, assemblage methods, and finishing methods. All bells will be fired at her studio in Sherwood at no extra cost. For more information about Dawn and her bells, visit gargoylebells.com.

Midsummer Nature Night
Wednesday, July 18, 7–8:30 p.m.
Fee: Members $5/child, $7/adult
General Public: $7/child, $10 adult
Summer evenings bring cooler temperatures and lingering light. Take advantage of both to join naturalist and Youth Program Coordinator Jenny Houghton in a midsummer nature program. The evening will feature a “creatures of the night” hike along the Arboretum’s scenic woodland paths, nature crafting for the young and young at heart, and a cooling dip of native raspberry sorbet.