MENU

Sections

More

November 28, 2021

The Talbot Spy

The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community

Food and Garden Garden Notes

Adkins Arboretum, Shore Rivers Receive Grant to Partner on Environmental Education Initiative

by

Adkins Arboretum Assistant Director Jenny Houghton leads a program for a visiting school group on the Arboretum’s wetland boardwalk. Photo credit: Kellen McCluskey.

Adkins Arboretum and ShoreRivers have received a Chesapeake Bay Trust Environmental Education Planning grant to develop a sustainable partnership that will advance organizational capacity to provide meaningful watershed education experiences (MWEEs) for students in grades Pre-k through 12. The partnership will provide ShoreRivers with a beautiful site at which to facilitate programs while providing the Arboretum with additional environmental educators. As part of the planning process, the organizations will work together to delineate roles and responsibilities, engage county science supervisors and design a “Where Land and Water Meet” curriculum.

The new curriculum will consist of two programs each for elementary, middle and high school, with pre- and post-field trip activities and professional development. A portion of each program will highlight climate change science, problems and solutions. All programs will be aligned with Maryland Environmental Literacy Standards and will reflect the missions of both organizations.

Currently, Adkins Arboretum and ShoreRivers serve students in Queen Anne’s, Caroline, Kent, Talbot, Dorchester, and Anne Arundel counties. Funding from Chesapeake Bay Trust will allow the organizations to strengthen their relationships within these counties and beyond to serve a wider and more diverse audience. Schools will be able to participate in “Where Land and Water Meet” field experiences beginning in 2022; professional development opportunities for teachers will be available by the following summer.

Located in Caroline County, Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve that strives to engage all people in conservation, appreciation and enjoyment of the Chesapeake region’s native landscapes through education, recreation, art and community events. The Arboretum has facilitated school, preschool, homeschool, summer camp and scout programs for nearly twenty years, and youth program participation has grown from around 500 students in 2007 to approximately 1,800 in 2019.

ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration and education. With a central office in Easton, the organization has been an active provider of MWEE-based programming since 2013, including student action projects, professional development and outdoor field experiences on school campuses and at local nature centers.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Adkins Arboretum Announces Spring Native Plant Sale—Online!

by

Prepare for spring in the garden! Adkins Arboretum, offering the Chesapeake gardener the best selection of landscape-ready native plants for more than two decades, announces its Spring Native Plant Sale. All proceeds benefit the Arboretum’s rich variety of education programs, scheduled to resume later this year, that teach about the Delmarva’s native plants and their connection to a healthy Chesapeake Bay.

Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). Photo by Kellen McCluskey.

Due to ongoing recommendations regarding COVID-19, the spring sale will be conducted entirely online. Orders will be accepted through Thurs., April 8 at adkinsarboretum.org and will be fulfilled via timed pickup. There will be no in-person shopping at the Arboretum.

Plants for sale include a large variety of native perennials, ferns, vines, grasses and flowering trees and shrubs for spring planting. Native flowers and trees provide food and habitat for wildlife and make colorful additions to home landscapes, whether in a perennial border, a woodland garden or a restoration project. Native honeysuckle entices hummingbirds, while tall spikes of purplish flowers grace blue wild indigo. Milkweed provides critical energy for monarch butterflies on their winter migration to Mexico, and native azaleas present a veritable rainbow of colorful blooms.

As always, Arboretum members receive a generous discount on plants that varies according to membership level. To join, renew your membership or give an Arboretum membership as a gift, visit adkinsarboretum.org or contact Kellen McCluskey at kmccluskey@adkinsarboretum.org.

For more information on plants, purchasing or pickup procedures, visit adkinsarboretum.org, send email to nativeplants@adkinsarboretum.org or leave a message at 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org.

Yarnstorming Returns to Adkins Arboretum

by

2020 Yarnstorming. Credit: Kellen McCluskey.

Yarnstorming is back! For the second year running, Adkins Arboretum is partnering with local yarn artists and the Fiber Arts Center of the Eastern Shore (FACES) to create a whimsical and exciting visual experience in the trees around the Arboretum Visitor’s Center.

Also known as yarn bombing, guerrilla knitting, kniffiti, urban knitting and graffiti knitting, yarnstorming is an art form that employs knitted or crocheted yarn in place of paint or chalk. Fiber artists, both veterans and those new to yarn art, will adorn native trees with everything from pompoms to needle felted animals to branch and trunk wraps and hammocks for woodland creatures.

Yarnstorming creations will be on display March 6 through April 3 at the Arboretum, located near Tuckahoe State Park in Ridgely. The public is invited to view the exhibit daily from dawn to dusk. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Located in Denton, the Fiber Arts Center of the Eastern Shore is a destination for the area’s many quilt and fiber art enthusiasts, visitors, and residents to view historic and recent works by quilters and fiber artists from Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Delmarva Peninsula. For more information, visit fiberartscenter.com or call 410-479-0009.

Adkins Arboretum Receives Funding to Pursue Indigenous Peoples Perspective Program

by

Adkins Arboretum has been awarded a Maryland Humanities grant to develop an Indigenous Peoples Perspective program in partnership with Washington College’s Eastern Shore Food Lab (ESFL). The program will employ digital resources in the forms of web profiles, videos and self-guided activities to explore the importance of 21 native plants to the food, craftwork and medicinal traditions of indigenous peoples of the Chesapeake region.

Milkweed (Photo credit: Kellen McCluskey/Adkins Arboretum)

A native garden and plant preserve located in Caroline County, Adkins Arboretum is the only public garden that focuses solely on plants native to the mid-Atlantic coastal plain. Its 400 acres of diverse habitat support more than 600 species of native shrubs, trees, wildflowers, grasses, ferns and vines.

The ESFL at Washington College optimizes personal and community health by drawing upon the dietary past that built us as a species. The Food Lab works to strengthen the ties between environment, society, family and ourselves while addressing issues of sustainability, food access, and dietary and social health. The Arboretum and ESFL have partnered previously to offer foraging walks.

The project seeks to encourage a paradigm shift from land as capital to land as sacred teacher, healer and sustainer. The Arboretum is located in the traditional homeland of the Choptank People, Algonquin-speaking Woodland Indians who lived along the lower Choptank River basin. Before European settlers arrived in the early 1600s, there were approximately 20,000 Choptank living on the Eastern Shore. Less than 150 years later, these native people were driven to near-extinction by illness, fighting and forced migration.

According to the Chesapeake Bay Program, “Tens of thousands of people who identify as American Indian live in the Chesapeake region today. Some belong to state- or federally recognized tribes, others belong to groups with a shared heritage and many others celebrate their ancestry through their immediate family.”

Native American expert Daniel “Firehawk” Abbott will serve as a consultant on the project. A member of the Eastern Shore’s Nanticoke People, Abbott is the principal Native American prehistoric/historic interpreter at Historic Jamestowne Island. While serving on the Board of Directors of the Nanticoke Historic Preservation Alliance, he designed and guided the construction of the Chicone Village at Handsell in Dorchester County. He has partnered with the Arboretum at festivals and on foraging walks.

Through the Indigenous Peoples Perspective project, Adkins Arboretum and ESFL will strive to honor the wisdom of native peoples and their unique relationship with nature by sharing their ecological perspectives, history and traditions. Ultimately, the project seeks to inspire a collective responsibility to shape our future by caring for the land that supports us.

This project was made possible by a grant from Maryland Humanities, with funding received from the Maryland Historical Trust in the Maryland Department of Planning. Maryland Humanities’ Grant Programs is also supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and private funders. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Maryland Humanities, Maryland Historical Trust, Maryland Department of Planning or National Endowment for the Humanities.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Adkins Arboretum and the Fiber Arts Center of the Eastern Shore Present Yarnstorming!

by

Adkins Arboretum and the Fiber Arts Center of the Eastern Shore are partnering to offer a Yarnstorming exhibit from March 6th through April 3rd, 2021. Knitters and crocheters are invited to decorate an Arboretum tree with their creations.

Trees to be decorated are located behind the Visitor’s Center and marked with yarn. If you are unable to visit the Arboretum, you may email Jenny Houghton at jhoughton@adkinsarboretum for photos of available trees.

Photo courtesy of Adkins Arboretum

Yarn art will be installed by appointment only during the first week of March. You can schedule your appointment when you contact Jenny. Your email should include the following information:
Submitter’s Name
Phone #
Email
Address
Brief description of your yarn creation.

FACES hours: Thursday, 12-4:00pm, Friday, 12-4:00pm, Saturday, 12-4:00pm
Contact: Kathleen McCulloch Phone: 443-448-4611 Email: info@fiberartscenter.com

Adkins Arboretum Awarded Funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services

by

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded funding in the amount of $49,984 to Adkins Arboretum to expand the depth of information and streamline the management of its Living Collections Database. These funds were awarded through IMLS’s Inspire! Grants for Small Museums, a federal funding source that will cover 100% of the project costs. The Arboretum is considered a living museum due to its living plant and land preservation exhibits and its educational mission.

The Arboretum’s Living Collections Database is a robust database, geographic information system and web mapping platform designed to allow broader public access and to improve monitoring and management of the Arboretum’s living collections. The end result is a database that may be accessed online by all who are interested in learning more about the Arboretum’s flora. The Arboretum will expand the depth of information available about its living collections, specifically animal (insects, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians) interactions with the plants. Planned content additions will allow staff and volunteers to develop program content and serve as a greater resource to the public. The Arboretum will also improve its collection management procedures.

Adkins Arboretum Horticultural Consultant Leslie Hunter Cario, at left, and volunteer Laura Rocco identify plants for inclusion in the Arboretum’s Living Collections Database.

Adkins staff completing the project over the next two years include Executive Director Ginna Tiernan, Land Steward Kathy Thornton, Facilities Coordinator Michael Micriotti, local contractors Sylvan Kaufman of Sylvan Green Earth Consulting and Leslie Hunter Cario of Chesapeake Horticultural Services, and Arboretum volunteers.

Founded in 1980 as Maryland’s state arboretum, Adkins Arboretum has operated as a nonprofit since 1992. The Arboretum serves as a model for land management that strives to engage all people in the conversation, appreciation and enjoyment of the Chesapeake region’s native landscapes through education, recreation, art and community events. Located adjacent to Tuckahoe State Park, it operates and maintains a visitor’s center (currently closed due to COVID-19 concerns), 400 acres of meadows, woods, wetlands and five miles of trails under a 50-year lease with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The Arboretum’s diverse collection includes more than 600 species of trees, plants, grasses and wildflowers native to the Eastern Shore and the Mid-Atlantic coastal plain. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. IMLS advances, supports and empowers America’s museums, libraries and related organizations through grantmaking, research and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit imls.gov and follow IMLS on Facebook and Twitter.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Adkins Arboretum Field Trips Go Virtual

by

Adkins Arboretum has received funding from the Gray Charitable Trust to create a virtual “Birds, Bees, and Dandelion Seeds” field trip program. Nearly 1,000 second-graders in Queen Anne’s and Caroline County Public Schools will participate in the week-long program to learn about plants, pollinators, seed dispersal and Maryland bees.

As part of the virtual field trip, public school teachers will receive five days of interactive lesson plans to use online with their students. The lesson plans will include games, songs, experiments, suggestions for outdoor activities and daily video clips featuring the Arboretum’s native meadow, wetland, stream and forest habitats. Lessons are aligned with Next Generation Science Standards.

In 2019, the Gray Charitable Trust provided funding for bus transportation so that all second-graders in Caroline County Public Schools could participate in the “Birds, Bees, and Dandelion Seeds” field trip at the Arboretum. Positive feedback from students, parents and teachers prompted Arboretum educators to create a virtual version of the program for use while in-person field trips are on hold.

Kellen McCluskey, Adkins Arboretum’s staff photographer and membership coordinator, and volunteer Luke Adelman film Assistant Director Jenny Houghton for the Arboretum’s virtual field trip.

The “Birds, Bees, and Dandelion Seeds” lesson plans and video clips are available on the Arboretum website for use by homeschool families, private schools and the general public. The Arboretum hopes to resume in-person field trips in the fall of 2021.

Adkins Arboretum is a nonprofit organization located in scenic Caroline County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Although the Visitor’s Center is currently closed, the Arboretum’s 400 acres and five miles of paths are open daily from dawn to dusk. To learn more or to access the virtual field trip and other education resources, visit adkinsarboretum.org.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Adkins Arboretum Announces Fall Native Plant Sale—Online!

by

Prepare for fall in the garden! Adkins Arboretum, offering the Chesapeake gardener the best selection of landscape-ready native plants for more than 20 years, announces its Fall Native Plant Sale. All proceeds benefit the Arboretum’s rich variety of education programs, scheduled to resume in 2021, that teach about the Delmarva’s native plants and their connection to a healthy Chesapeake Bay.

Due to recommendations regarding COVID-19, the fall sale will be conducted entirely online. Orders will be accepted through Thurs., Aug. 27 at adkinsarboretum.org and will be fulfilled via timed pickup. There will be no in-person shopping at the Arboretum.

Fall is the best season for planting, and the Arboretum offers the Chesapeake region’s largest selection of ornamental native trees, shrubs, perennials, ferns and grasses for the fall landscape. Many native plants produce seeds, flowers and fruit in fall that attract migratory birds and butterflies. Brilliant orange butterfly weed and stunning red cardinal flower attract pollinators to the garden, while native asters add subtle shades of purple and blue. Redbud and dogwood dot the early-spring landscape with color, and shrubs such as chokeberry and beautyberry provide food and habitat for wildlife.

Native asters add color to the fall landscape and attract butterflies, bees and other pollinators to the garden. Photo by Kellen McCluskey.

For those not sure how to integrate native plants into their landscape, the Arboretum’s Native Landscape Design Center has launched a new service targeted to smaller areas. In a 90-minute smartphone or video call, professional landscape designer Christina Pax will meet with participants to help devise beautiful and sound ideas for an area targeted for design. The ideas will incorporate native plants, support practices that clean and reduce runoff, and bring colorful support for pollinators and birds to the landscape. At the end of the meeting, participants will have a plant shopping list and a sketch that shows where to plant the plants. The fee for this service is $240. To learn more or to sign up, send email to design@adkinsarboretum.org.

As always, Arboretum members receive a generous discount on plants that varies according to membership level. Leon Andrus, the Arboretum’s first benefactor, lived to the age of 101. In honor of his long and fulfilling life, the Arboretum is seeking 101 new members during 2020. To join, visit adkinsarboretum.org or contact Kellen McCluskey at kmccluskey@adkinsarboretum.org.

For more information on plants, purchasing or pickup procedures, visit adkinsarboretum.org, send email to nativeplants@adkinsarboretum.org or leave a message at 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here

Adkins Arboretum Releases Field Guide Series, Virtual Education Materials

by

Want to learn more about native trees and plants? Adkins Arboretum has released a series of family-friendly field guides as an introduction to some of the more than 600 species of native shrubs, trees, wildflowers, ferns, grasses and vines found on the Arboretum site.

While the Arboretum’s public education programs are on hold due to safer-at-home advisories, grounds are open daily for exploring. The new Adkins Field Guides provide a helpful starting point for exploring the natural world or introducing a young naturalist to the wonders of the wild.

Each guide includes a video and printable support activities with select points of identification and examples of each species’ ecological benefits and cultural significance. All allow ample opportunity for exploration. Currently, guides are available for American beech, paw paw, shining sumac and white oak.

The field guide series was produced by Schoolhouse Farmhouse of Cordova and was made possible through generous funding by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority and Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area. Music for the first four guides was performed by National Music Festival musicians during the Arboretum’s 2019 Forest Music program. The bassoon composition, titled “Arboretum,” was written by Brad Balliett specifically for this performance.

The Adkins Field Guides comprise just one of several initiatives to make outdoor education accessible, both to those who visit the grounds in person and those who visit online. Each Thursday, staff release a new, family-friendly “Take It With You!” activity that visitors can use to add an extra layer of fun and adventure to their walks at the Arboretum. Visitors can download a PDF or simply snap a photo of the activity with their phones. A paper copy is posted on the back door of the Visitor’s Center, along with other information to keep members and friends up to date.

Sylvan Kaufman, the Arboretum’s science advisor and the principal of Sylvan Green Earth Consulting, has developed a series of short education videos about the natural history of some of the plants on the Arboretum grounds. Each video is packed with information on identification, plant-animal interactions and some human uses for the plant. In addition, monthly “What’s in Bloom?” guides, information for birders, and the Arboretum’s recently revamped Native Plant Database provide valuable resources for exploring nature at Adkins and beyond.

The Adkins Field Guides and all other virtual resources are available at adkinsarboretum.org.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here

Adkins Arboretum’s Spring Membership Drive Now Through May 30

by

There’s never been a better time to become a member of Adkins Arboretum! Amid closures and stay-at-home orders, the Arboretum is committed to keeping its paths open for the many dog walkers, bikers, runners and nature enthusiasts who seek solace in fresh air, open space and the health benefits of spending time outside. Grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk.

These health benefits are numerous. Studies show that time in nature reduces stress, improves mood, lowers blood pressure, improves sleep, accelerates recovery from illness and boosts the immune system. Forests play a particularly important role in healthy immune systems—when we breathe in fresh air, we breathe in the same chemicals that plants release as protection against insects. These chemicals, in turn, help us fight disease.

Photo credit: Kellen McCluskey.

By joining the Arboretum, members support their health and the health of the greater community. In addition, members enjoy free admission throughout the year, as well as discounts on native plants, programs, events and gift store purchases. Although many 2020 programs and events have been canceled due to COVID-19, the Arboretum is re-envisioning its offerings to include creative, self-directed activities for visitors to enjoy on their own. These will be highlighted in a forthcoming calendar and on the Arboretum’s website.

Even as the Arboretum looks to the future with optimism, closures and cancellations are presenting financial challenges. This means that member support is more important than ever. To learn more about membership and all that the Arboretum has to offer, visit adkinsarboretum.org. New members will receive a $10 discount if they join by the end of May.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here