Since the late 1930s, the Puget Sound region has been regarded by some as the best rhododendron growing region in the U.S.A., with documentation for over 2000 hybrid rhododendrons. Washington Park Arboretum has always been a leader in showcasing rhododendrons, including species and hybrids. The hybridization of rhododendrons was one of the legacies of both the former curator, Joe Witt, and the former director Brian O. 

The winner of the John A. Wott Endowed Student Award for 2016 is Kelsey Taylor, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences M.S. candidate.  Kelsey was selected earlier this year through the leadership of the late Dr. Sarah Reichard, Director UW Botanic Gardens.  Kelsey is a Washington native who has enjoyed an outdoor education since her formative years. Her interest in research began as an undergraduate, where she worked on stream-side restoration and renewal of salt water marshes in coastal Virginia. 

Growing Food, Building Community
AMI Fellowship Program: 2017 Applications Available

Allegheny Mountain Institute (AMI) is seeking inspiring individuals to participate in the sixth cohort of our AMI Fellowship program. The 18-month Fellowship prepares and empowers individuals to become teachers and ambassadors for a more vibrant and accessible local food system.  The Fellowship is a program of AMI, an educational non-profit organization with the mission to cultivate healthy communities through food and education. 

Opportunity to Teach in Prison!
Freedom Education Project Puget Sound is seeking volunteers to teach at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor, Washington. This volunteer would instruct a class of 15 – 20 students. We offer stipends to all of our volunteers to cover travel costs to the prison!
Winter Term 2017
Term will run from January 3rd to March 22th. 

1)   Arbutus unedo                    Strawberry Tree

Autumn brings bright white bell flowers and deep red-orange fruit, both of which are set off by the deep-green, leathery leaves.
Hidden under the foliage are attractive stems with shredding red-brown bark.

2)   Berberis (Mahonia) fortunei              Chinese Mahonia

Many evergreen Mahonias have excellent textural foliage, from large and bold to low and delicate.
Berberis fortunei can be found growing low to the ground on our Sino-Himalayan hillside. 

Despite the damp conditions, the UW community gathered on Sunday, October 16, with family, friends, and neighbors to celebrate the opening of the Yesler Swamp boardwalk. Construction of the ADA-accessible boardwalk began in 2010 and was completed this summer, allowing visitors to enjoy a peaceful and dry walk through the swamp. The 6.4-acre Yesler Swamp provides some of the last remaining swamp habitat on Lake Washington. 

Stroll through 330 years of fascinating history and rich culture, while getting an exclusive peek behind Savannah & Charleston’s garden gates

Behind The Garden Gate—Savannah & Charleston tour
March 19–26, 2017
3 nights in Savannah, 4 nights in Charleston
Experience southern charm and hospitality while exploring secret gardens, elegant homes, magnificent plantations, hidden alleys, and quaint, picturesque cobblestone streets with Eve Rickenbaker of the University of Washington Botanic Gardens and Susan McLeod Epstein of the Preservation Society of Charleston. 

The Udall Foundation offers a prestigious scholarship for undergraduate sophomores and juniors in any major seeking careers in environmental fields, and  American Indian and Alaska Native students seeking careers in Tribal Public Policy or Native Health Care.
The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship is a $7,000 scholarship awarded to 60 undergraduate sophomores and juniors pursuing careers related to the environment, or pursuing careers related to Tribal Public Policy or Native Health Care. 

1)   Araucaria araucana                Monkey Puzzle

Native to Chile and Argentina in the south central Andes mountains.
This long-lived tree is frequently described as a living fossil.
Large cones yield many edible nuts, similar to a pine nut.

2)   Berberis gagnepainii                                 Gagnepain’s Barberry

This evergreen shrub is native to China in the Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces.
Shrub is protected by many slender three-spined thorns.