Be "Green" with Ease: The Gardener's Green Shed Shows You How!

There’s a lot of talk about living “green” and creating “sustainable” systems, but who has the time or resources to actually make these principles part of everyday life?

The newest demonstration area at The North Carolina Arboretum shows just how easy it is to make small changes that have a big impact. Located just outside of the Baker Exhibit Center, the Gardener’s Green Shed is designed to show how an existing shed or small building can be retrofitted with energy-efficient technology that can make outdoor activities easier, less expensive, and fun-filled.

The shed is equipped with two rain barrels that collect water from one side of the roof and have the capacity to store more than 100 gallons of rain water – great for watering ornamental container gardens. Rain water from the opposite side of the roof collects in a 365-gallon cistern that holds enough water to fill seven bathtubs.

A solar panel on the top of the shed provides sufficient energy to keep a large battery charged as well as power a light and a 12-volt outlet inside, which is enough to charge portable tools, lanterns, or even a laptop computer. No overhead or underground wiring is needed.

Visitors – especially children (and children at heart) – admire the shed’s down-home portable water feature. A large wheelbarrow is filled with water and submerged water plants. A small solar panel mounted to the handle runs a marine-grade pump that sends a jet of water up into the air. As long as the sun shines on the panel the fountain of water spurts out, causing giggles and laughter. Stand in front of the solar panel and block the sun – the fountain stops, a very real demonstration of the power of the sun.

The ideas that the shed represents are communicated in three different ways: by demonstrating how the technology works at the shed itself, through print brochures available for pick-up at the shed this summer, and through videos on the Arboretum’s Web site and its nonprofit YouTube channel. These two- to four-minute videos feature Arboretum staff showing off the Green Shed’s features.

Green Weddings Encourage Life-long Environmental Stewardship

He who plants a tree,--
He plants love,
Tents of coolness spreading out above
Wayfarers he may not live to see.
Gifts that grow are best;
Hands that bless are blest;
Plant! life does the rest!
Heaven and earth help him who plants a tree,
And his work its own reward shall be.

~ From “Plant a Tree,” by Lucy Larcom

A wedding is one of the most treasured moments in a person’s life. Last summer The North Carolina Arboretum launched a new Green Wedding Program, offering elegantly designed green buildings and sustainable landscapes as sites for ceremonies and receptions.

Events & Facilities Coordinator Cindy Blankenship manages the Green Wedding Program and sees it as a natural addition to the Arboretum’s rich 25-year history.

And she should know. Cindy has been with The North Carolina Arboretum since the beginning. Before the 434-acre site was developed, she was hired on as the first office assistant – even before the Arboretum hired on its first and current executive director, George Briggs.

In order to meet its mission to cultivate connections between people and plants, the Green Wedding Program requires couples to follow guidelines for using organically grown and natural products as part of their wedding and pledge to reduce consumable products as part of their activities.

Adam Grauer and Erin Mahaffey-Grauer were the first to participate in the program, and their July 18, 2009 wedding still influences environmental decisions they make every day.

To honor the Arboretum’s guidelines, Erin and Adam’s favors for their guests were tree seedlings which contained lines from Lucy Larcom’s poem, ‘Plant a Tree’.

Erin and Adam’s wedding ceremony also centered on ideas of recycling. “We incorporated sea glass into decorations and as a way to think about processes of life and personal relationships – the ways in which personal relations shape the contours of persons and how each and every person at our ceremony had led us to that very moment. It brought a sense of interconnection to the ceremony.”

“The green requirements at the Arboretum definitely carried over into aspects of our daily lives,” Erin said. One of the lasting changes the couple has made is to consider using live plants as opposed to cut flowers for their tables.

“Since our wedding and vows at the arboretum, our commitment to each other has found resonance with metaphors of nature, growth, and nurturance,” Erin said.

With more than 40 weddings booked since the program launched less than a year ago, Blankenship said she believes the credit for program’s popularity belongs to staff, gardens, building design and nature itself.

Erin and Adam agree.

“We chose the Arboretum because we wanted an outdoor wedding ceremony and an indoor reception that could hold at least 100 people comfortably,” Erin said. “The Arboretum is gorgeous with tons of beautiful plants and walkways. We had a cocktail hour in the gardens and our ceremony in the Greek-like amphitheater – perfectly suited to a ceremony outdoors.”

When choosing the Arboretum for their wedding ceremony, Erin and Adam also responded to the venue’s high ceilings, fireplace, wood beams, and ample windows which give it the feel of being outdoors while still providing a comfortable place for dinner and dancing.

“I am proud of all the hard work staff members have put into making the Arboretum what it is today and then having couples choose us as the site for their most important day – it warms my heart to see people in love as well as their love for nature,” Cindy said.

For more information, call Cindy Blankenship at 828.665.2492, ext. 216 or e-mail cblankenship@ncarboretum.org, or Katie Edwards at 828.665.2492
or e-mail kedwards@ncarboretum.org

Discovery is a Healthy Habit

“Time in nature is not leisure time; it’s an essential investment in our children’s health.”

~ Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods

As The North Carolina Arboretum celebrates 25 years as a natural treasure that helps people cultivate connections with plants, it also celebrates another important milestone: a new chapter in its premier Discovery Camp program with the launch of the Counselor-in-Training Program.

Prominent research shows that outdoor activity may enrich health by reducing stress, encouraging weight loss, and improving learning and social-emotional skills. For five years youths in grade K-8 have experienced the benefits of learning in a natural setting first-hand.

The popular Discovery Camp series is still going strong and many camps sell out in early spring. The new Counselor-in-Training program will expand the Arboretum’s camp experience by offering students in ninth- through twelfth-grade an opportunity to explore what it would be like to pursue an environmental-based career.

Developed by K-12 Academic Programs and Teacher Training Coordinator Jonathan Marchal, the program seeks to expand the camp experience beyond middle school by offering students a chance to be mentored and, in turn, mentor themselves.

“The hope is that we can continue to include those campers who have ‘outgrown’ our camps in our summer programs by training them to do what we do,” Marchal said.

The Counselor-in-Training program will introduce teens to skills such as working outdoors, teaching children, caring for reptiles and amphibians, and learning about the methods and techniques used in field ecology.

“It’s a good way to explore environmental education as a career path – plus it’s a great way to spend a week or more of your summer vacation outside!” said Marchal.

Candidates must write and submit a letter of intent as well as a letter of reference from a teacher, community leader, or other adult not related to the candidate. A brief interview will be required before the candidate can participate. Letters and references must be received by May 1, 2010, sent to Jonathan Marchal, The North Carolina Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC 28806-9315.

DON’T MISS OUT! SIGN UP FOR DISCOVERY CAMP NOW!

Thanks to our sponsors, Earth Fare, The Healthy Supermarket, for providing healthy snacks everyday for our campers and healthy meals for our canoeing and camping trips. Thanks also to Diamond Brand Outdoors for supplying equipment such as GPS units, staff uniforms, and more!

The NC Arboretum Launches New Web Site

Welcome to one of the most beautiful places on earth! You’ve entered the Web and social media portal of The North Carolina Arboretum, located in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest of the Pisgah National Forest. We’re pleased you’re here.

Whether you are a prospective visitor to our mountains, a student, a business person, regional resident, or member, you will find this avenue to Arboretum information designed to serve your curiosity, interests and needs. We hope that we can provide exemplary service to you, whether here or through a personal visit to the Arboretum.

As an affiliate of the 17-campus University of North Carolina system, the Arboretum offers an array of programs ranging from kid’s camps and formal education classes to major plant shows and 435 acres of exhibits, landscape features and natural areas. It’s a great place to simply reconnect with nature, spend time outdoors, and celebrate the views, water and majesty of our natural world in the Southern Appalachians.

We’re also focused on sustainable economic development pursuits that capitalize on our unique regional assets – extraordinary biodiversity and the national repository of weather data. The Arboretum is home to the Bent Creek Institute, a young organization that focuses on natural biotechnology and integrative medicine – bringing scientific validation to our mountain folk remedies and responding to a burgeoning market for high quality research in nutraseuticals and botanical medicines.

The Arboretum joins with many community and other partners in making Asheville a national center for climate change information and business development. Our interest, of course, at the Arboretum is the impact of climate change on our plants and ecology.

It’s all here – from enjoying nature to building business; from sunning to science. In a wide variety of ways, The North Carolina Arboretum is growing the future.

George Briggs

Executive Director

The NC Arboretum is Open and Enjoying Spring!

Hello:

The Arboretum is not closing, despite recent reports circulating in emails, blogs and the press that may state otherwise.

The Arboretum is an affiliate of the University System of North Carolina. No doubt, all state entities, just like many businesses and non-profit organizations, are facing unprecedented and historical budget pressures due to the current international economic crisis. The Arboretum has already cut its budget 7 percent this year, reducing programs and positions.

Despite these cuts, the Arboretum staff is working very hard to avoid any negative impact to the public’s access to the Arboretum this spring and we will continue to do so in our new fiscal year, which begins July 1. We are continuing to watch the economic front and our revenue performance very closely from week to week. We are getting great support from the NC university system and from our local legislative delegation as the General Assembly meets to deal with the state budget and many other issues.

The Arboretum is looking forward to a great spring ahead and we hope that you will continue to visit and support the Arboretum. Here is a list of how you can support the Arboretum and a list of activities coming up within the next few weeks:

Support The Arboretum:

• Make sure everyone on your social network is aware of this correct information

• Visit the Arboretum often and enjoy what it has to offer

• Consider making a contribution in the box at the entrance to the Education Center next time you’re there

• Consider becoming a member of the Arboretum For an affordable rate, you receive unlimited visiting opportunities, discounts on programs, discounts at the café and gift shop, discounts at other gardens and arboreta throughout the US, and opportunities to participate in special member events and social functions.

• Become a volunteer. A variety of skills are needed, from gardening and working in the greenhouse to data entry and other office work. See the list and obtain an application at www.ncarboretum.org. Contact Lynne Garrison, Volunteer Coordinator.

• Enjoy spring with us! Natural beauty comes in a kaleidoscope of colors this spring at The North Carolina Arboretum – a beautiful bargain at only $6 per vehicle. Vibrant spring colors bloom amid the Arboretum’s 434 acres. With 65 acres of cultivated gardens and 10 miles of hiking and biking trails, there are ample opportunities to explore how nature delights the senses at the Arboretum. Visitors can also explore a state-of-the-art production greenhouse, one of the finest, most unique bonsai collections in the United States, and the popular indoor exhibit, “Masters of the Night: The True Story of Bats,” through May 10.

Beginning With Roots

History Comes to Life

The North Carolina Arboretum began in 1986, but our roots go back to the late 1800s and a dream by the “Father of Landscape Architecture,” Frederick Law Olmsted. Olmsted was an internationally recognized landscape architect who brought his unique vision to life throughout the world. He died in 1898 after completing his last major project at the Biltmore Estate but before he could see his dream of establishing an arboretum on estate property realized.

His dream became the foundation for The North Carolina Arboretum. In the early 1980s The Western North Carolina Development Association supported the establishment of an arboretum to serve the mountain area, and The North Carolina Arboretum was established in 1984.

In 1986 The NC General Assembly established The Arboretum’s governance structure as an affiliated facility of the 16-campus University of North Carolina system. A site selection committee approved The Arboretum’s current location in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest of the Pisgah National Forest – comprised of land once owned by the Biltmore Estate. Olmsted’s dream was realized within a century of his passing and on the very land he dreamed about.

Since that time The NC Arboretum has enjoyed its popularity, growth, and expanded audience as evidenced by the more than 240,000 guests who explore our gardens, trails, and exhibits each year.

What can people do and see at The NC Arboretum?
The NC Arboretum invites guests to discover and enjoy the natural world, and:

• Visit The Baker Exhibit Center, where we welcome guests and host high-quality traveling exhibits year-round;
• Discover natural beauty through 65 acres of cultivated gardens, including one of the finest bonsai collections in Southeastern United States;
• Explore 10 miles of forested hiking and biking trails;
• Take a guided or self-guided garden tour, a self-guided Art Walk of garden sculpture, or enjoy a free Nature Discovery Day Pack for children;
• Glide through nature via Segway on a guided tour;
• Enjoy frequent plant shows and art exhibits throughout the year;
• Take an adult or youth program or class with our expert educators;
• Enjoy homemade soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts at the Savory Thyme Café;
• Find keepsakes and unique gifts for your loved ones or yourself at our gift shops;
• Return often; every season is beautiful!

For more information, visit www.ncarboretum.org.

Next Up

This entry serves as the beginning of an exciting year on the horizon for The NC Arboretum. Key staff will begin to contribute to this blog, providing fun and engaging insights and resource information about The NC Arboretum experience. Stay tuned in early 2009!