By John A. Wott, Director Emeritus
Managing a large garden requires large equipment. Often tractors and trucks can be kept in great working order for many years, but eventually they too will need to be replaced. Shredders, mowers, and machinery with many working parts need to be replaced every few years. Machinery costs were once totally covered in state and city budgets. 

In Emma Relei’s extensive list of “favorite” plants, one of them is the simple crocus, meaningful for her because of its prominence in a much-loved children’s tale, The Runaway Bunny;  another is Ponderosa pine, because “it smells like vanilla!”
Emma’s energy and enthusiasm for all things extends in many directions, including her work with specimens at the Hyde Herbarium. There she helps sort the 23,000+ species, catalogs them on the database, mounts species for filing and makes greeting cards. 

1)  Acer mandshuricum                Manchurian Maple

The Manchurian Maple is native from Eastern Siberia into China and strongly resembles Acer griseum and Acer triflorum.
This species is located in the Asian Maples Collection.

2)  Distylium racemosum                Isu Tree

The flowers of Distylium racemosum are petalless, but have attractive red calyces (whorl of sepals) and purple stamens.
The Isu tree is native to southern Japan, but can be found in the Witt Winter Garden and in our Hamamelidaceae Collection, east of Arboretum Drive near the Pacific Connections gardens. 

Laura is an Information Specialist with the Elisabeth C. Miller Library. She works half-time, dividing her time between reference services, working on Leaflet newsletters, taking care of the library’s offerings for children and teachers (including monthly story programs), as well as choosing new curriculum and children’s books.
Laura is from Coeur d’Alene, ID. Her parents (retired from public library work with children, and teaching high school Latin and English) grew up in Seattle. 

Concerns about pollinator declines have grown in recent years, causing increased interest in pollinator conservation and research into improving bee community health. We seek part-time help to assist in a landscape ecology project that focuses on the impact of transitioning to small-scale diversified organic farming on wild/native bee communities in western Washington. The assistant filling this position will work with the project team of PhD students Elias Bloom and Rachel Olsson to understand the factors that influence the development of these communities. 

What a year this has turned out to be! Challenged by drought and record high temperatures, but sustained by an abundance of community support, we have accomplished a tremendous amount in 2015.
Thanks to a fabulous student staff, a great team of interns, and over 100 volunteers on the farm this year, we supplied 37 families, several campus restaurants, and community partners like the University District Food Bank, with an abundance of good food. 

Is that flowering kale still edible? UW farmers say “of course!”

Sasha McGuire is the Education Programs Assistant for Adult, Youth and Family Programs at the UW Botanic Gardens. Sasha enjoys reading, hiking, and video games; she also dabbles in cooking and homesteading activities like making cheese and sausage.
Sasha grew up in upstate New York and received a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Anthropology and Plant Science from SUNY-Geneseo. 

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) Customer Programs Division is seeking either an undergraduate or graduate intern to gain experience in community engagement programs within the Resource Conservation Section. This Section provides a wide range of conservation services to Seattle residents, businesses and community groups across SPU’s Solid Waste, Drinking Water, and Drainage and Wastewater utility lines of business. The selected intern will gain experience supporting education and community engagement programs focused on waste reduction, potentially including the following programs:
Residential food waste prevention: Help residents reduce the amount of edible food they throw away. 

Ever wanted to work with inner city, elementary school kids?  Do you want to teach kids the basic life skills of growing their own food?   Do you want to help kids connect more to their natural world?  If the answer is yes to all three questions, Leschi Elementary’s Peace Garden needs your excellent volunteer services!

Leschi Elementary is a Seattle Public School located in the Central District.