Friends of the Arboretum April 2022 Newsletter

Dear Friends, 

“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit in.” While we don’t know the author, nor perhaps the true intent of these thoughtful words, I am reminded of the countless volunteers who give of their time and talents to support our mission. While their efforts may sometimes be immediate and quickly realized, often times their work goes unseen or unrealized for weeks, months and even years. In honor of National Volunteer Appreciation week, April 17-23, I celebrate our volunteer group of nearly 800 people strong!

While the list of ways that our volunteers give of their time is significant, I want to highlight a few examples to illustrate the magnitude of their contribution in 2021:

  • 23,000 volunteer hours
  • Event attendants scanned over 60,000 guest tickets
  • 327,000 light bulbs hung for Luminary
  • 600 gallons of cider served at Luminary
  • Over 11,000 feet of extension cords run for Luminary
  • Over 27,000 ounces of beer poured at 2021 Brewfest
  • Pallets (yes, that is plural) of bird seed used throughout the Arboretum
  • 78 birdhouses are managed as part of the Arboretum’s Bluebird Project. Each box is inspected, and eggs, babiesand fledglings are counted weekly.
  • Over 20,000 annuals planted, plus 800 mums and 1,000 bulbs
  • Almost 11,000 candles lit for the 11 nights of Luminary—that’s almost 1,000 candles each night!
  • Countless hours spent trimming, pruning, cutting, raking, deadheading, mulching and weeding
  • Untold hours arranging vendors, setting up and tearing down events and organizing supplies

Again, to all of our volunteers, I thank you!

Read on to learn how you can be involved and stay up to date on happenings at the Arboretum this spring and throughout the year!

 

Events and Programing

Check out our events page on our website for many more fun activities and start filing in your calendar. Coming soon:

· Spring Plant Sale. Our annual Plant Sale is open to the public beginning April 29 with our Friends of the Arboretum “Members Only Presale” on Thursday, April 28, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. Enjoy snacks and wine as you shop!

· Wine Tasting on the Terrace. Join us on May 12 for the first of 8 wine tasting events. Our first evening will feature wine from White Tail Run Winery and food from Terrace Catering.

· Biergarten Thursdays. For the beer enthusiasts, we have added Biergarten Thursdays to our events line up, our first program is May 19 with 3 other evenings to follow.

 

News From the Gardens

Stay current on the latest Arboretum news by following us on our social spaces. 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.

 

 

 

Volunteer

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

 

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.

 

Again, to all of our volunteers, thank you, and I look forward to seeing you in the gardens,

Carlos E. Corredor, Chair of the FOTA Advisory Board

 

*Photos courtesy of Mark Stuecheli