Annual United Way “Day of Caring” made a huge impact at the Washington Park Arboretum

Over 100 volunteers teamed up on September 19th on six projects that included spreading 218 yards of mulch, salvaging 150 sword ferns and grubbing out truckloads of invasive blackberry. Thank you to every one involved in the Day of Caring! 2014 United Way Day of Caring Debrief Sept 19, 2014 9a-1p Participating partners: Arboretum Foundation – volunteer recruitment and organizer UW Botanic Gardens – project management (5 projects), equipment and supplies Seattle Parks and Recreation (1 project), equipment and supplies   UWBG Projects Details: Pacific Connections Garden-New Zealand Forest Led by Kathleen DeMaria and Annie Bilotta 80 yards of mulch spread. 

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A Day in the Life

you are outside. The sun is shining, illuminating the new growth on the western red cedars. It’s been a great growing season and the plants at Washington Park Arboretum are thriving. The backdrop of evergreen trees is a lovely frame to all of the native and non-native plants in the collection. Now, if they would just get here! Just when you thought you couldn’t wait any longer, here comes the bus holding 60 scheduled school-aged children just bursting with energy and excitement to be out of school and outside on such a fine day as this. 

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UW Student Reflection

My experience as a volunteer at the UW Arboretum… It was the first quarter of my freshman year at the University of Washington. I was enrolled in an environmental studies class, and we, the students, were given an option between doing a book report and volunteering for “service learning.” Man, was I glad I chose to volunteer, because my time at the arboretum was great. 

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WPA guides always learning more

The WPA guides and education staff recently visited Seattle’s Dunn Garden on one of our enrichment tours. We visit local gardens regularly as part of our commitment to further education so that we, as guides, can provide WPA visitors a great tour experience. The Dunn Garden, like the arboretum, was designed by James Dawson of the Olmstead Brothers landscape design firm, While the WPA was designed in the 1930’s as a natural park to house the plant collection, the Dunn Garden is a private formal garden surrounding residences and predates our park by almost 30 years. 

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More Service Learning at the Arboretum

Posted on behalf of Will Pleskow, UW student and UWBG volunteer service learner   I never thought weeds would be so endless and time consuming but I certainly have a new perspective on weeding after many back-breaking hours digging out seemingly endless little green plants. All of the planting and weeding that I have done and will do take place right outside the greenhouse in a secluded part of the Arboretum used for plant propagation. 

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Service Learning at the ARB

Posted on behalf of Alyce Flanagan, UW student intern This spring one of my classes gave me the option of doing a service-learning project instead of writing a research paper. I jumped at the opportunity to gain some sort of real world experience instead of sitting in the library.  I ended up volunteering in the vegetable garden at the UWBG Arboretum, and it has been an enjoyable experience.  

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The value of getting kids outside

I had the pleasure of attending the NW Flower & Garden Show Preview Gala last night, hosted by the Arboretum Foundation in partnership with Seattle Audubon. It was a good time and I was given the honor or saying a few words to drum up donor support for the UWBG Education & Outreach Program here at the Arb. One of the questions that Dick, the emcee, fired my way had to do with the value of getting kids outside into places like the WPA. 

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