UW Botanic Gardens Director Sarah Reichard realizes she just might be a bird person after spending two weeks leading a tour in Costa Rica.

On Jan, 19, also known as the MLK Day of Service, a group of 7 volunteers helped remove ivy from cottonwood trees near the Union Bay Natural Area waterfront.
Just along the UBNA loop trail at the waterfront viewing area, many of the cottonwood trees have been suffocated by invasive English ivy. These trees may become a safety hazard for trail-users as ivy foliage weighs down branches. 

Farm Alumni Michelle Venetucci double majored in Community, Environment, and Planning (CEP) and Anthropology at the UW, graduating in 2011. During her time here she volunteered at a nascent UW Farm; read about her experience at the Farm during it’s early years and how it impacted her academically and professionally.
How you were involved in the farm?
I was involved with the farm from 2008 – 2011. 

After waiting 23 years to get a glimpse of a rare tropical bird UW Botanic Gardens Director Sarah Reichard finally met her quest.

Director Sarah Reichard is leading a tour group in Costa Rica. She discovered that swarming army ants provide an easy snack for jungle birds.

“Piercing, sucking and galling!”

1)  Mites (on Sasa Bamboo and Skimmia)

Stippling and yellowing of leaves are often indicative of the presence of mites.
Feed by piercing underside of leaves and sucking chlorophyll out decreasing photosynthesis, reducing plant vigor and compromising the appearance.
Mites are not insects; they are arachnids.

2)  Galls (on Willow and Rose)

Abnormal plant growths caused by various organisms (insects, mites, fungi, etc.)
Galls are formed by increased production of normal plant hormones as response to feeding, egg-laying or disease infiltration and are often not harmful to the plant. 

Director Sarah Reichard is leading a tour group in Costa Rica. In this dispatch she recounts concocting a custom chocolate drink and encounters odoriferous wildlife.

UW Botanic Garden Director Sarah Reichard is leading a tour in Costa Rica and blogging about the flora, fauna and river adventures.

The UW Farm is the student run farm at the University of Washington. With three locations across campus, specialized sustainable agricultural activities, and weekly events, we offer exciting opportunities to the student body and local community to get involved in urban agriculture.
We are in midst of a lot of activity and growth at the Farm, and need to fill several volunteer leadership positions for the 2014-2015 school year and beyond. 

A new and reliable hybrid Hellebore for the winter garden is planted throughout the Center for Urban Horticulture.