Friends of the Arboretum December Newsletter

Dear Friends,

At the end of December, my two-year term leading the Friends of the Arboretum Advisory Board comes to a close. As I step down as Chair of this wonderfully passionate group, I walk away with a smile as I recall all that has been accomplished, particularly this last year. To be sure, we had another activity-packed event lineup that included a number of sell-out events. We hosted the Spring Plant Sale, Enchanted Faire, Wine Tastings on the Terrace, and Biergarten Thursdays. We brought back the Botanical Brewfest, we fought the rain with Terra Luna, and enhanced our holiday light events to include a second night of Candlelight Stroll (adults-only) and a few nights of a new lighting concept called, Electric Glow. I also remain thankful to our member Friends and the thousands of event guests for their enthusiasm and attendance at our events. During our Grand Opening event and FOTA’s Annual Membership event I had an opportunity to talk with many of you; thank you for sharing your garden journeys with me.

We also celebrated the opening of LongHouse, our new visitors center after a multi-year journey. In the few months since its opening, LongHouse has become the new gateway to the gardens for thousands of guests and played host to several weddings and private events. If a family celebration is in your near future, I would encourage you to book early as the calendar appears to be filling fast!

As I hand the gavel over to the new leadership (more to come on that), a heartfelt thank you to the Advisory Board membership for your selfless service, commitment, and confidence. You continued to build on the work processes that we established the prior year, took on new assignments with already full plates, led events, chaired committees, managed your families, and tended to your paying jobs. A special thank you goes out to Jennifer Gerlach, Kristin Harrison, and Bob Shea as they step down from board. I thank you for your gift of time and talent. Your perspective, support, and passion for all things related to the Arboretum will be missed.

I am excited to share that Mike Hopson and Nancy Jernberg—current members of the advisory board—will partner up and take on the leadership of the Advisory Board as Co-chairs. They each bring to this partnership refreshingly unique perspectives, a breadth of leadership experience in previous Advisory Board roles, and a passion for our work with a desire to continue to build on our great legacy. To not steal their thunder, I will give Mike and Nancy the opportunity in next month’s message to share information on the newest members of the organization who all officially begin in January.

Volunteer with Us

There are numerous opportunities to share your time and talents at the Arboretum. If volunteering is on your “To Do” list, please contact Kim Alvarez at kim.alvarez@opkansas.org.

News From the Gardens

Have you liked our Facebook page? Are you following us on Instagram? Stay current on the latest Arboretum news by following us on our social media platforms. And don’t forget to share our content so your friends, family and neighbors can hear about ways to enjoy the many aspects of the Arboretum.

Let Me Know What’s On Your Mind

As always, I want to hear from you. Please send me an email at fotachair@artsandrec-op.org with your thoughts and ideas about our events and programing and let me know how we are doing.

I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and I look forward to seeing you in the gardens!

Carlos E. Corredor

Chair of the FOTA Advisory Board