January - Desert Botanical Garden

GATHERINGS
VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 2015
Volunteers In The Garden
PRESIDENT’S MUSINGS
Words Matter
To me, that exemplifies the difference between a
visitor and a guest. My friend was a visitor in the first
stores. She was a guest in the last one.
At the Garden, visitors can be made to feel important
by each of us, whatever our job. Something as simple
as a smile or a “thank you for coming” from any volunteer is an easy way of changing a visitor into a guest.
I think the change to Guest Services is a significant
one. It acknowledges that we have guests – people
who are truly important to us – rather than visitors.
And it demonstrates that words really do matter, that
even a simple change can mean a lot.
I
got an email from the Garden a while ago announcing what seemed at first to be a minor change: the
name of the Visitor Services department had been
changed to Guest Services. It didn’t seem like much
of a change, just one similar word for another, but the
difference of that one word was very significant.
ARCHER SHELTON
VIG PRESIDENT
The apparently small change in title hides a larger
meaning: the change of the status of those who visit
the garden from “visitor” to “guest”. And that is considerably different.
WEAR A
HAT!
The dictionary makes a distinction between the two.
A visitor is someone who visits a place, regardless of
whether they were invited. A guest is someone who
has been invited, someone whom we intentionally want
to be there. It’s the difference between a visit from the
mail carrier and your best friend.
IF HE COULD,
THEN WE CAN
- ARCHER
Guests are people who are truly important to us. With
these folks we’re expecting them. We prepare for
them; we clean the house and the bathrooms (and the
Garden does that!). We await their arrival and greet
them warmly when they arrive. We engage with them,
and hope they’ll stay instead of rushing off. When it’s
time to go we warmly say goodbye and thank them for
coming.
VOLUNTEERS IN THE GARDEN
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Recently a friend of mine went shopping. She was
looking for something very specific for an important
event. She visited several stores; sales people in the
first two stores were courteous, they asked if she needed help, told her to let them know if she had questions.
She left without buying.
In the final store she was greeted and offered a bottle
of water. The sales lady followed up the offer with a
question of what purpose my friend had for the item.
That started a conversation, leading to the sales lady
offering some options and ideas my friend didn’t know
existed. The result for the sales lady was a sale; the
result for my friend was the purchase of something she
hadn’t ever considered that fit her need better.
PRESIDENT
ARCHER SHELTON
VICE PRESIDENT
MARILYN WOLFE
SECRETARY
LEE ATONNA
TREASURER
JIM JOLING
A monthly newsletter for and by the
Volunteers of the Desert Botanical Garden
2
EDITOR/LAYOUT
KATHY WEBER
PROOFING EDITOR
ELAINE GRUBER
STAFF LIAISON
TINA WILSON
VOLUNTEER UPDATE
Reintroducing Marilyn Wolfe
Nominee for President
In keeping with Marilyn’s
tradition of asking the
speakers to tell her something
“unusual or different” about
themselves, I asked Marilyn if
she had a unique or strange
“story” about herself. She
relates an encounter she
had when she was “training” to be a new Envoy. She
was paired with Don Berg, an Envoy. The Garden
had just changed the name of memberships, one to
Senita. She asked Don “what is a senita?”. He stopped
his volunteering, walked her immediately thru the
amphitheater to show her a senita cactus. Marilyn
thought this was very touching and it proved that many
VIGs are just that nice!
M
arilyn has been active in VIG development,
serving on the VIG board in the positions of
Envoy Chair, Garden Outreach Chair, Secretary,
and Vice President. She has graciously agreed to the
nomination of President. Her love of museums drew
her to the Desert Botanical Garden those many years
ago on a trip to Arizona. She loves the energy of “Big
Cities” and enjoys traveling with her husband Vaughn.
Her favorite parts of the Garden are the Donor Wall
outside Exhibits (outside space) and the Herbarium
(inside space). (Ref. Gatherings March 2013 for more
background on Marilyn)
I asked Marilyn to tell me about her hopes and
aspirations for the Desert Botanical Garden.
For the Garden : “Continue to meet the Garden’s
Mission both internally as well as sharing our
knowledge with the community at large. In particular,
I would like the Garden’s conservation and research
efforts to be known more widely.”
I’m honored to nominate Marilyn Wolfe for President.
Marilyn’s election for President will be held at the VIG
meeting Feb. 9, 2015. In accordance with the VIG
bylaws, additional nominations from the floor may
be made at any election by submitting in writing to
the current President the name of a nominee with
the endorsement of five (5) VIG members and written
consent of the nominee to serve.
For the Volunteers: “Further the goals of the Garden
by continuing to add value to the many departments in
which we work.” Marilyn continues, “When I address
the new VIG trainees, I like to first thank them for
becoming DBG VIGs as I know there are other places
where they can spend one of their most precious
things, their free time.”
PAT FICKES
NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHAIR
Loyal Legacy Givers
N
ot only do DBG volunteers give the Garden
countless hours, energy and enthusiasm but
they also represent our most loyal legacy
givers. Over 30% of all current and past Sonoran Circle
members are or were active volunteers. If you look
around you, they are docents, board members, hort
aides, envoys and ad hoc committee members.
Legacy gifts allow the Garden to further its
mission,expanding programs to meet changing needs.
Many grow endowment to provide permanent income
when times are challenging. Some are designated to
continue support for beloved activities or enriching
volunteer experiences.
Your charitable planning for the future reflect your
Garden passions today. We thank you all for what
you do today. Your Garden involvement keeps us
prospering for today. Please consider how you might
leave a Garden legacy for tomorrow.
OUR SINCERE THANK YOU TO EACH OF YOU! These
legacy gifts reflect great commitment to the Garden’s
future. (Check the next Sonoran Quarterly for a list of
current and past Sonoran Circle Members.)
Contrary to the popular view that legacies are only
for the wealthy, DBG volunteers have made future
commitments both large and small. Each of them
represents a passion for the Garden and a desire to see
it flourish long into the future.
Contact me, for easy ways to create a legacy at
sshattuck@dbg.org or 480.941-3507.
SUSAN SHATUCK
GIFT PLANNING OFFICER
3
VOLUNTEER UPDATE
THE POETRY
OF INTERPRETATION
D
ocents have been back doing what we
love for three months now. As with
every year, we celebrated the return to
our traditional duties, accustomed ourselves to
changes in the Garden, and continued to work
on providing wonderful interpretive experiences
for our guests. As for traditional duties, we were
thrilled to once again be offering public, docentled tours every day. We shook off the rust from
not leading tours for almost a year and revved
up our creativity to bring new dimensions to
each tour we offer.
with guests – even when it means we continue
to adapt our interpretation.
The training class for new docents is under
way with 21 volunteers who will become fullfledged docents within a month or two. This
is one of the largest docent classes ever and
is full of talented, enthusiastic people who
are passionate about desert plants and the
Garden. One of the important lessons they are
taught, early on, is that interpretation (Public
Tours, Discovery Stations, Interpretive Talks,
greeting & chatting with guests on the trails) is
an art. In fact it is POETRY. Interpretation serves
a Purpose. It is Organized, Enjoyable, and
Thematic. Interpretation is Relevant, relating
directly to the experience of individuals. And
most important You, the docent, make the
difference*.
Changes in the Garden now have become
the norm, rather than infrequent blips on the
docent radar. The opening of the Desert Terrace
Garden and the Lewis Desert Portal presented
two “adaptations” for docents to make. First,
we were leading tour groups into the Garden by
winding behind the amphitheater and through
Stardust Plaza. We came up with creative plans
to keep guests actively engaged as we took
that walk. Then, we excitedly walked through
the newly opened Terrace Garden and Desert
Portal, coming up with other strategies for
leading a tour group into the Garden through
the new entry area. With the various projects of
The Saguaro Initiative on the horizon, we look
forward to the exciting changes we will share
You might want to consider observing some of
your fellow docents, looking at all the ways we
put interpretive POETRY into action. We never
know where we might pick up a new interpretive
“tool” for enhancing guest experiences.
LINDA HUBBARD
DOCENT CO-CHAIR
*From the National Association of Interpretation
VIG RANKS ARE DIMINISHED
Sally Anderson, a VIG with 2,055 hours and over 15 years of service,
passed away earlier this year. In her memory, the book “Agaves: Living
Sculptures for Landscapes and Containers” by Greg Starr, has been
purchased by the VIGs and is on display in the DBG Library. The book
contains a memorial bookplate in Sally’s name.
An active Garden participant, Sally served in many capacities. During
the 2007-2008 season she served as Vice President of the VIGs. She was
a longtime Envoy and Envoy Chair, volunteered as an IA, worked with
Children’s Programs, volunteered in the Butterfly pavilion and in Special
Events and worked as a Docent.
Sally’s positive demeanor and willingness to help out wherever needed
will be missed.
4
VOLUNTEER UPDATE
How Important Is The
VIG History?
A
t the November VIG meeting, some of the
scrapbooks were on display. The Board,
after a discussion about the reasons behind
documenting an organization’s history, suggested
that these lovely scrapbooks be brought out at future
VIG meetings. Which brings us to the question at
hand: how important is the VIG history? Usually these
documents of our Garden family history lie in their
repository at the Schilling Library, out of sight and
mind.
Calling All VIGs
H
ello all volunteers. So much is happening everywhere in the Garden...How about sharing what
you've learned, what you've heard with all of us?
Please consider writing an article on something you've
learned or know and think we'd all enjoy, submitting a
"heard in the Garden" blurb, or sharing with us a garden
you've visited and particularly liked.
How about a children's garden you've seen and enjoyed? Some of you are volunteering offsite as part of
the Conservation Alliance and we'd like to hear about
that...So many ideas...
Our Editor, Kathy Weber, would appreciate adding new
voices to the Gatherings. Your contributions, long or
short, and/or a picture accompanying an article or stand
alone would be very welcome.
The VIG has been without a Historian since Judy Bates’
retirement from that position in April, 2013. Judy
had given us the gift of her time and talents for seven
years and President Archer Shelton found it impossible
to replace her. That has created an opportunity for
discussion among the VIG officers and Board as to how
best to proceed in documenting the Volunteer history
or whether that endeavor, an annual print formatted
scrapbook, was a thing of the past.
The next deadline is February 2nd. Submissions should
be sent to kathy@4weber.com.
MARILYN WOLFE
VIG VP
In order to begin the discussions, Treasurer Jim
Joling has investigated possible digital solutions.
One thought was a cloud storage system (think
Flickr). Collecting pictures for any system requires
participation, so Jim has also explored other storage
systems wherein any volunteer could upload Garden
pictures. The disadvantage of just uploading and
storing pictures is the lack of identifying information.
DBG Marketing, in preparing the recent 75th
anniversary book, discovered that, while there may
be some photos with identifiable documentation, the
Garden also has a need for photos documented with
the “who, what, when and where.”
The DBG Community Garden held its first
community potluck and COOP harvest of the
season on November 8th. Pictured are (L to R)
VIGs Tawsha Trahan, Shirley Kafton, and Carol
Rothschild, with a sample of their crop yield.
Shirley is not only a gardener, but also a poet.
Judy Bates originally made the suggestion which has
been echoed by other knowledgeable scrapbooking
aficionados, that the VIG transition from a print
scrapbook to an online one. Which brings me to your
part in this decision making. The VIG Board would like
your input as to the direction which should be taken.
Our potluck was quite delicious.
We had many tasty dishes.
We talked and we joked and we ate.
It was great.
It was great.
It was great.
We have seven questions concerning VIG history
documentation as well as the methods for doing
this. Click here https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/
VIGHistory and you’ll be whisked away to our survey.
The results will be shared with you in a future issue of
The Gatherings.
We’re starting to harvest our produce
And take it home for our own use.
Some day we may be able to share.
But we’re not quite there
Not quite there
Not quite there.
LEE ATONNA,
MARILYN WOLFE
VIG SECRETARY
VIG VP
5
VOLUNTEER UPDATE
Still Growing...
Kristie Jenkin - Is a retired first grade teacher who is
interested in children’s exploratory learning. As a teacher,
she brought her classes to the Garden and now wants to
continue working with children to explore desert plants
and animals.
October was, as always, busy with kickoff
and refresher training classes. The Education
Department held a second three-part training
class for new volunteers; below is a quick intro
to them. Seek them out-you’ll be impressed
with their energy and the level of experience
they’re bringing.
Della Killeen - Is originally from Ireland where “it’s
very green, no deserts!.” She has been an electronic
engineering manager for 22 years, and is a Master
Gardener and a Desert Landscape School graduate. Her
goal is to help protect the Sonoran Desert and to learn
more about its plants. Della hopes to become a Hort Aide,
work at Ask a Gardener and the Plant Hotline, and work
with the Conservation Alliance.
MARILYN WOLFE
VIG VP
Marianne King - Is a Patient Service Rep at Mayo Clinic
and has also worked over 9 1/2 years in a middle school
library with 7th and 8th graders. She “enjoys helping
people and loves the Garden” and hopes to work in
Special Events, Lumi, and as an Envoy.
Ryan Bleam - Is pursuing a PhD in cultural anthropology
at ASU, with a focus on Museum Studies. He hopes that
his DBG experience will allow him “to learn more about
how outdoor museums function.” Ryan is interested
in the volunteer experience and interpretation. He will
work towards becoming a Docent and, in the meantime,
volunteer for Special Events.
Marti Hogan-Koehn - Is a recent retiree from Century Link
after 35+ years of service. She has chosen to become a
VIG to honor her Mom and learn new ways to “share how
great the Garden is.” Marti hopes to work Special Events,
Seedlings, and “wherever she is needed.”
Eda Clarkson - Recently completed the U of A Master
Gardener program which compliments her experience as
a florist and licensed general contractor. A mother of “four
beautiful daughters,” Eda says she “loves the history of the
Garden” and hopes to work in Special Events, as a Guest
Guide, and perhaps Docents and Hort Aides in the future.
Sharon Mattern - Describes her background as diverse,
as she’s been in media sales, commercial real estate,
and jewelry designing. She “loves to be in the Garden
environment. I love it here.” Sharon is looking forward to
developing relationships with VIGs and staff and “making a
difference to the DBG.” She also hopes to work as an IA.
Katie Coates - Brings her experience as a Children’s Program
volunteer at the Denver Botanical Garden. As a Phoenix
resident since 2007, she’s a Desert Landscape School grad, a
new Master Gardener and has much experience working with
volunteers. Katie wants to “share her love of the DBG and
desert plants with people visiting this beautiful place.” She
hopes to work as an Envoy, Guest Guide, Hort Aide and in
Children’s Programs.
Heidi Maxson - Brings her new Master Gardener
experience to our Garden. She loves the “beauty and
peace” here and particularly loves the “smell of the
creosote as she enters.” Heidi hopes to work Ask a
Gardener and Lumi, as well as in the Butterfly pavilion.
Rosemary Edwards - Arrived in Phoenix this year from North
Carolina. She is “fascinated by the beauty of the Southwest
landscape and wishes to expand her horizons and knowledge
of desert plants.” Rosemary plans on working in the Butterfly
Pavilion and with the Conservation Alliance.
Kennady Pevehouse - Has a full life working and being
a full time student. She’s joining us because she finds it a
“beautiful place to relieve stress.” Kennady is interested in
helping out the community, and teaching others while she
is doing something that is “irresistible to me.” She plans on
working at Butterflies and as an IA and perhaps a Docent in
the future.
Jeanne Fuhrmann - Is a retired K-6 grade physical education
teacher of 25 years. She is an outdoor woman, who loves
hiking, golfing and exploring the nature of Arizona. Jeanne is
looking forward to a new learning experience in the Garden
and hopes to become a Guest Guide, and a Butterfly and
Special Events volunteer.
Claudia Perez - Giandi-Is a landscape designer and had her
own landscape and gardening business in Lima, Peru. She
“knows about the humid desert” and want to learn about
the “dry desert.” Claudia is hoping that she’ll become part
of the volunteer community through a mutual love of nature.
She plans on volunteering for Special Events and Research.
Erica Guinn - A native Arizonan, Erica is a teacher and
student of medicinal uses for desert plants, having attended
the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts. She is “excited to
be a part of the DBG volunteer team” and hopes to share
her love of the desert with others. Erica will volunteer at
Butterflies, and flashlight tours, as a Guest Guide, and hopes
to eventually become a Docent.
Toby Roanhorse - Is a new ASU graduate with a masters
in Landscape Architecture. Now a Tempe resident, Toby,
a Navajo, comes from Window Rock, AZ where he
was a landscape designer. He is an active participant in
conservation and research of urban and rural ecological
6
(continued on page 10)
THE GARDEN CORNER
Skirts’ of Dead Leaves May
Protect Tree Aloes From Wildfire
purpose of retaining dead leaves by several species
of tree aloe. Bond proposed that dead-leaf retention
provided thick, corky, fire-resistant ‘bark’ in a fire-prone
habitat. He found that wild aloes with many dead
leaves had less mortality from
fires than those with fewer
leaves. His laboratory studies
confirmed the insulating
properties of dead leaves.
He also observed that barestemmed species of southern
African aloes were confined to
fire-free habitat, while ‘fullyclothed’ species occurred in
both fire-prone and fire-free
habitats. Natural selection
has apparently favored the
survival of shaggy aloes in
fire-prone areas. He cautioned
that harvesting leaves of Aloe
ferox for medicinal purposes
could increase their mortality
in fire-prone areas.
I
n nature, almost all form
has a function. You may
have noticed that the
trunks of some of the taller
aloes such as Aloe ferox
and Aloe marlothii, when
not intentionally pruned,
are clothed in a layer of
persistent, dead leaves,
almost making them look
like they are wearing a
shaggy skirt. I wondered
why. As a new horticulture
volunteer nine years ago, I
was instructed not to remove
these dead leaves and was
told that they likely protect
the trunk from sunburn.
Other researchers have
Aloe marlothii in a garden with the dead leaves removed from
suggested that perhaps they
the trunks.
Many of us prefer the natural
protect the trunks from the
look and keep the shaggy skirt
cold at night or maybe the thorny mass of dead leaves
of dead leaves on our tree aloes, so I’m not advocating
deter unwanted wildlife in search of water, nectar or
trimming them off. However, if you choose to remove
seeds. Hmm. These explanations seemed to make
the dead leaves from aloes (or from any plants growing
sense until I noticed that other species of tree aloes
in our hot sun), I would only do so in the late fall or
such as Aloe dichotoma and its hybrid Aloe ‘Hercules’
early winter to allow the trunks to acclimate to the
naturally shed their old leaves; yet their bare trunks
sunlight before the heat of summer arrives. Cathy
haven’t been damaged by the sun, cold or animals.
Babcock and Chad Davis observed some Aloe ferox
In fact, I noticed that Aloe ferox that have their dead
in southern California that were apparently trimmed at
leaves manually removed at some of the resorts
the wrong time of year and suffered sun damage in a
around town and even at the Boyce
particularly hot summer. Gay Hendricks
Thompson Arboretum appear to
and I also noticed another function that
have survived for several years with
these stiff, persistent dead leaves may
their protective ‘skirts’ removed. In
serve, at least in horticultural situations.
their natural habitat in southern Africa
Some young tree aloes often become
where the green leaves are harvested
top heavy and the dead leaves may
for their medicinal properties (mostly
serve as supports to prop them upright
as a laxative but also for arthritis),
until the trucks thicken up enough to
they also survive without the dead
support themselves.
leaves -at least until a wildfire passes
TOM GATZ
through the area. So, if the dead
VOLUNTEER
leaves aren’t needed to protect the
aloes from the sun, cold or wildlife,
Thanks to Cathy Babcock, Chad Davis, Gay
could they be protecting them from
Hendrick, John and Diana Crummey, Andrew
fire?
Salywon, Starr Urbatsch and Kenny Zelov for helping
I located a study that was published
in 1983 in the science journal
Oecologia by W. Bond on the
me with this article.
Aloe marlothii in its natural habitat with
thick, corky, persistent dead leaves
protecting the trunks from wildfires.
7
THE GARDEN CORNER
Unusual vegetables for
growing in an Arizona Summer
M
any of you are already enjoying the fruits of your autumn
veggie gardens but how about some new ideas for summer
edibles? Tracy Rhodes, who is in charge of The Center for
Desert Living, was trying some different edibles over the summer. The
goal was to have attractive edible plants that would survive a Phoenix
summer. The results are looking gorgeous now in November.
Malabar or creeping spinach was planted beside the metal posts of
the shade structure and has climbed up several to give a very handsome result. Tracy pointed out that she coaxed the plants onto wire
loops she wound around the poles. The plants have tendrils which
would attach to a trellis but not a metal post. This is not a true
spinach but an Asian vine (Basella rubra) with red stems and thick
semi- succulent heart shaped leaves. They have a mild flavor and a
mucilaginous texture and can be used in salads or stir-fries.
Malabar will reseed readily in the garden if you let the vines
go to seed.
The other plant which caught my eye is Hibiscus sabdariffa.
This has many common names, showing its popularity in
several warm climates, such as Roselle, Jamaican tea, Maple
leaf hibiscus, Florida cranberry, October hibiscus and Red
Sorrell. It is native to West Africa and is an annual herb growing to 8’. It makes a handsome plant with deeply indented
leaves. The unopened flowers are held close to the stem
within a large red calyx which opens to a papery pink flower
with a red eye. The flowers are very eye catching but short
lived. Hibiscus can be prone to iron deficiency (exhibited by
chlorosis on the newer leaves) if overwatered or in
super-poor soil. It can be easily corrected with a chelated
iron mix.
The calyx is used to make food coloring and syrup and is the
main ingredient in Red Zinger tea from Celestrial seasonings.
The leaves are eaten as a spicy spinach.
Seeds for both these plants can be obtained through Baker
Creek Heirloom Seeds. Johnny Seeds also carries seeds for Hibiscus
sabdariffa.
As far as cultivation – they both love heat and light! They want good
deep waterings with good drainage in between, like everything else
here…
Plants are frost sensitive and some shade cloth during the hottest
times is required.
JOAN MCDONNELL
HORT AIDE CHAIR
Thanks to Tracy Rhodes for her help with this article.
8
Above: Malaba
Left: Hibiscus sabdariffa
Below: Calyx
MYSTERY BIRD OF THE GARDEN - Abert’s Towhee
W
e all recognize the sparrow sized, black faced,
gray-brown bird that forages on the ground
under the shrubs and trees of the Garden.
Abert’s Towhee is an important, eagerly looked for bird
on the Monday bird walks and is a favorite of many
birders. They are a handsome bird with a male-cardinal
like black facemask. They get a lot of attention on
the bird walks because their range is almost totally
in Arizona on the northern Sonoran desert. They lop
over into very southwestern New Mexico and along the
southern border of Arizona and old Mexico. They also
range up the Colorado River basin almost to Nevada
and down into a bit of the Colorado River delta,
splashing over into very southeastern California. In
other words, for our out of town visitors who want to
add an Abert’s to their bird list the DBG is a great place
to do it.
Most of us know, from learning about plants in the
garden, that biological naming is the prerogative of the
person who scientifically describes the plant or animal
for the first time. In our case this was Spencer F. Baird
(1823-1887) of the Smithsonian Institution in 1852.
Baird, Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian, regularly
received bird skins from naturalists in the field, building
the collection at the Smithsonian and describing any
he determined were new species. Our towhee was
among a collection of skins received from James W.
Abert sometime around 1850. When Baird studied the
skins, he realized the towhee was a new species. He
described it and named it after Abert, who he believed
collected the skin.
Abert’s Towhees tend to be solitary or more commonly
in pairs, feeding by scratching at the ground to uncover
insects and seeds. They are wary birds populating
thickets and brush where they duck and take cover
when they sense an intruder. Their peep call can
frequently be heard in the dense vegetation of the
Wildflower Garden and in the cottonwoods along the
Plants and People Trail. Abert’s Towhees are nonmigratory, year-round residents of the Garden. Female
Abert’s Towhees do the nest building work. She is not
fussy about which shrub or tree she uses. She builds a
bulky cup-shaped nest located from 2 ft. above ground
to a little above eye level. The pair are monogamous,
breeding from March through mid-August, peaking
from mid-April to late May. If food is dependable
they will raise two broods a year,
fledging typically 3 young a little
less than two weeks after hatching.
And yes, Brown-headed Cowbirds
do parasitize their nests.
Here’s the mystery….. Abert was never within the range
of the towhee. Remember we said it was basically an
Arizona bird. Abert never made it to Arizona. How
could he have collected it?
Who is Abert? James William Abert
was a Topographical Engineer in the
US Army in the mid 1800’s, graduating
from West Point in 1841. During the
19th century it was not uncommon for
US Army Topographical engineers to
serve as naturalists on expeditions.
There is some thought that Abert’s
Towhee populations are declining
due to loss of riparian areas, their
favorite habitat. However the
Breeding Bird Atlas of Arizona
notes that Abert’s Towhee is one
of the few riparian species that has
adapted fairly well to the invasive
tamarisk environment growing
along Arizona’s desert waterways.
About this time some of you are
beginning to think - haven’t I heard
that name Abert somewhere else…
Isn’t there an Abert’s Squirrel? Right
on….but, that Abert is James’ father.
Colonel John J. Abert who was the
head of the US Army Topographical
Engineers. He had the squirrel named
for him by US Army surgeon and
naturalist Samuel W. Woodhouse.
That sounds like Abert’s Towhees
are reasonably well studied and
understood. So what’s the mystery
you ask?…The mystery is why they
are called “Abert’s” Towhees.
9
(Continued on page 10)
MYSTERY BIRD OF THE GARDEN - Abert’s Towhee (CONT.)
You guessed it….of Woodhouse’s Toad also found
in the Garden. In addition Col. Abert was a friend of
Audubon (These guys are all connected.)
collection of bird skins. Soon after his return, Abert’s
father wrote to Audubon about the small collection of
skins James had gathered, and in particular described
the Quail. With Audubon’s help they identified it as a
Scaled Quail, a species from Mexico that had already
been identified some years before. No mention was
made of the towhee. Baird published his description of
the towhee 5 years later describing it as being among
the skins he received from Col. Abert. Baird credited
them as being collected by Lt. J. Abert.
Back to our story…. In 1846, our young engineer/
naturalist was among a small group of engineers sent
westward to join General Kearney in the war against
Mexico. General Kearney was to lead an expedition
from Kansas to Santa Fe, establish US control, and
then cross Arizona to California to secure it for the US.
The expedition was also to survey a southern route
to California. Lt. W. Emory led the Topographical
Engineers on the expedition. As the expedition
crossed Colorado on the way to Santa Fe, Abert was
taken sick. He was left at Bent’s Fort in Colorado
to recuperate. After recovering he went to Santa
Fe in hopes of catching up with General Kearney’s
expedition. He didn’t make it in time. Lt. Emory had
left instructions for him not to follow the expedition,
but instead to survey the part of New Mexico that
General Kearney had claimed for the US. He was to go
south along the Rio Grande to Albuquerque and then
turn east and then go back north. During this survey
Abert kept a journal and collected natural history
specimens including a small collection of bird skins
Among these was the first Scaled Quail collected in
North America. Abert thought it was possibly a new
species and mentions collecting it in his journal. He
never mentions collecting the towhee. In 1847, James
Abert returned home to Washington D.C. with his small
The mystery is: where did the skin come from? From
his journal and expedition report, Abert never reached
the range of the towhee. There are a few possibilities
that have been explored by historians, but no answer
has ever been established. A probable scenario is that
Abert may have received additional bird skins from
Emory who did cross Arizona, accompanying Kearney.
He could have collected the towhee and later passed
it on to Abert to give to Baird. Emory wrote about his
botanical collections that he made on the expedition,
but he never wrote about any animals collected. Abert
could have included them with his skins when he
forwarded them to Baird. But this is just conjecture.
The mystery remains……How did Abert get his
Towhee?
JIM SCARLETT
VOLUNTEER
ppp
Still Growing... (continued from page 6)
Debbie Stevens - Is retired from the Hospitality
Industry. Her goal is to “give back, learn and interact
with people” at the Garden. Debbie wants to learn
more about desert plants. She hopes to become a Hort
Aide and in the interim will be a Groundskeeper.
sites. Toby hopes to become a Hort Aide and Special Events
volunteer.
Joy Rodina - Has retired from being a legal assistant
for 50 years. She calls herself an “amateur gardener”
and says that the Garden is one of her favorite places
in the Valley. Joy will work Special Events.
Carole Zeichick - Is a native of Scotland who moved to
the US in 1983. She is an outdoor woman who “loves
plants, animals, and meeting people” and chose our
Garden where she can experience those things. Carole
will work with Butterflies and Seedlings.
Norma Rosario - Carde-Is a transplanted Ohioan, here
since 2002. She is a full time Banner Del Webb Hospital
labor and delivery RN. She says she has a “love of the
Wonders of the Desert” and looks forward to learning
everything that the Garden has to offer to enhance her
knowledge of the desert. She will volunteer in Special
Events, Lumi, and with the Can Do Crew.
Cynthia Russell - Is a customer service rep who
gardens and hikes. She loves desert plants and wants
to learn more about them. She hopes to become a
Hort Aide.
Renita Ziman - Is an Interior Designer and an avid
amateur photographer. As an art and design lover,
Renita “ loves the beauty and serenity” of the Garden
and wants to learn more about plants. She hopes to
work as a Hort Aide, Groundskeeper and Guest Guide.
10
SPOTLIGHTING FOR FERRETS - A Conservative Adventure
W
hat’s the rarest thing you’ve ever found?
Maybe a steel penny or an unusual cactus?
Well, shortly before sunrise on October 13,
I found a black-footed ferret. She was born wild in
Arizona, and that makes her exceedingly rare.
Black-footed ferrets inhabited the American west for
millennia, but are now one of the most endangered
mammals in the world. Their predicament is due to their
extreme specialization: they eat almost nothing but
prairie dogs. Fully 90 percent of a ferret’s diet is prairie
dog, and they also live and raise their kits in prairie dog
burrows. To say that ferrets need prairie dogs is rather
an understatement.
to stay awake. At 2 am, we spotted our first ferret, but
couldn’t tell which burrow it had run into—a prerequisite
for trapping.
But in the early 1900s, the U.S. Forest Service
attempted to eradicate prairie dogs from western
grasslands because cattle ranchers complained that
the animals were eating the forage and leaving holes in
the ground. Millions of prairie dogs were killed in the
ensuing extermination campaign, and the ferrets were
destroyed as collateral damage. For many decades,
they were believed to be extinct. However, a small
colony was discovered in Wyoming in 1981. After
disease killed most of that population, the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Department trapped eighteen survivors and
began a captive breeding program at the Phoenix Zoo,
among other facilities. Hundreds of descendents of the
Wyoming colony have now been reintroduced at 21
sites from Mexico to Canada—sites where ranchers and
wildlife agencies have agreed to support prairie dogs in
order to support ferrets.
At 3:18 am, the other spotter called out “Ferret!”
This time I was able to get a clear sightline, and when
the ferret dove down a burrow, we set the trap. We
continued our patrol, but came back at 4:15 am to
check the trap—still empty. We kept driving—more
jackrabbits and a screech owl—and returned to the
trap shortly after 5 am. I peeked in, and this time a little
masked face was looking back at me.
The thing nobody ever tells you about endangered
species is how flat-out cute they can be. I held the
trap on my legs and felt wild feet scurry back and forth
across my lap as we drove to the mobile office where a
Game & Fish biologist scanned the ferret for an ID chip.
The scan was positive, so we hadn’t found a new animal,
but the biologist told us that our ferret was wild-born,
a native of the Aubrey Valley. She had been nicknamed
“Rosebud” when she was first caught in the spring of
2013, and she appeared to have nursed a litter of kits
this summer, doing her part to re-establish her species.
In total, volunteers trapped 34 individual ferrets during
the October spotlighting, confirming that the Aubrey
Valley population continues to be self-sustaining.
Arizona’s Aubrey Valley, west of Seligman, was selected
as a reintroduction site in 1996. The Arizona Game
& Fish Department manages the effort and recruits
volunteers to count ferrets in overnight “spotlighting”
events every spring and fall.
I had heard about spotlighting for years, and this fall,
I finally signed up. I arrived in Seligman at 8 pm on
October 12, and was teamed with
a pair of returning volunteers. We
were assigned to the northeast
corner of the ranch, and as we
rolled through the dark fields at
barely three miles an hour, I swept
the spotlight back and forth on
the left side of the truck, searching
for the distinctive green eye shine
that marks a ferret. We saw two
coyotes, jackrabbits by the dozen,
and six burrowing owls. The night
was cold and clear and we drank
hot chocolate and ate sandwiches
The sun was beginning to rise by the time we
returned Rosebud to her burrow. I set the trap
on the ground and opened the door. And then
a small ferret scrambled out of a cage and
ran back to where she belonged. It was a rare
pleasure.
If you are interested in volunteering for the
spring 2015 ferret count, e-mail azferret@azgfd.
gov and put “Spotlighting” in the subject line.
And if you meet Rosebud, tell her I said hello.
ANDREA GALYEAN
HORTICULTURE AIDE
11
Volunteer DATELINE
JANUARY
Tuesday, February 10
Garden Free Day, 8am-8pm
Monday, January 5
VIG Executive Board Meeting
Volunteer Headquarters, 9:00am
Friday, February 13
Music In The Garden, The Swingtips
Ullman Terrace, 7-9 pm.
Monday, January 12
VIG Meeting
Speaker: AZ Historian Marshall Trimble
Dorrance Hall, Social period 9:30, Meeting 10-11am
Hospitality provided by Docents
Wednesday, February 18
Garden closes at 5pm for ASU event
Friday, February 20
Music In The Garden, Phoenix Boys Choir All-Ages
Performance
Ullman Terrace, 7-9 pm.
Tuesday, January 13
Garden Free Day, 8am-8pm
Sunday, January 18
PF Chang’s Rock and Roll Marathon, road constraints
Saturday-Sunday February 21-22
Corks and Cactus, 1-5pm
Thursday, January 22
Lewis Desert Portal Opening Celebration, 5:30-9:00pm
Saturday, January 24
Dog’s Day in the Garden, 8am-2pm
Friday, February 27
Music In The Garden, Novo Mundo
Ullman Terrace, 7-9pm
FEBRUARY
MARCH
Sunday, February 1
Super Bowl
Monday, March 2
VIG Executive Board Meeting
Volunteer Headquarters, 9:00am
Monday, February 2
Gatherings Deadline
Friday, March 6
Music In The Garden, Pick and Holler
Ullman Terrace, 7-9pm
Monday, February 2
VIG Full Board Meeting
Volunteer Headquarters, 9:00am
Saturday, March 7
Butterfly Pavilion opens
Friday, February 6- Sunday, May 3
Monday, March 9
VIG Meeting
Speakers TBA
Dorrance Hall, Social period 9:30, Meeting 10-11am
Hospitality provided by Children’s Programs
and Instructor Aides
Philip and Matt Moulthrop Exhibit: Dynamic wood
turning. Ottosen Gallery
Friday, February 6
Music In The Garden, Domingo DeGrazia Spanish
Guitar Band
Ullman Terrace, 7-9pm
Tuesday, March 10
Garden Free Day, 8am-8pm
Monday, February 9
VIG Meeting
Speaker: Dr. Joe McAuliffe, Dir. Research, Conservation
& Collections. Topic: South African research trip
Dorrance Hall, Social period 9:30, Meeting 10-11am
Hospitality provided by Envoy, Guest Guides, Plant
Hotline, Ask A Gardener
12