Building a Garden in the Sky

 
As the Urban Forestry intern, I recently had the opportunity to see the construction of the green roof atop the 11 story parking deck at the Cira Center South in Philadelphia. Jason Lubar, a Morris Arboretum Urban Forestry Consultant, was asked by the project’s green roof designer Roofmeadow, to assess the support systems for the planted trees.  As the green roof is 11 stories up, the wind dynamics are more intense than at street level, and the trees need a flexible, but sturdy support system to properly establish.

Green roofs have come a long way, and are no longer just moss and sedums. Roofmeadow created a beautiful design at Cira that includes:

• A grassy lawn with a small hill  
• A meadow with tall grass such as prairie dropseed, reed grass, big bluestem and perennials such as liatris, veronica, pinks, beards tongue and alliums
• Several trees including honey locusts, swamp white oaks and redbuds
• Walkways and plaza of permeable paving
• A rainwater storage system that will direct rainwater into the lawns and gardens and will mitigate the first couple of inches of rain.

The project will be completed soon, and will provide a beautiful garden and event space for the tenants of the adjacent 40 and 50-storied towers to visit and view from above.   Along with the aesthetic benefits, the garden will increase biodiversity, remove pollutants and mitigate stormwater discharge.  The green roof garden is a wonderful example of Philadelphia’s green infrastructure.

Article contributed by Trish Kemper, the Martha S. Miller Urban Forestry Intern

Counting the Birds: A Christmas Tradition

From December through January tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas take part in an annual mission: The Christmas Bird Count. For over one hundred years, the desire to both make a difference and to experience the beauty of nature has driven dedicated families and students, birders and scientists to brave the winter weather, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists , to count the birds!

Each of these citizen scientists make an enormous contribution to conservation. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations - and to help guide conservation action.

On December 21, 2013 several Morris Arboretum staff members participated in this annual tradition. Of the birds sighted, some of the most notable were:  

• A flock of 220 Snow Geese
• Cormorants, Mallards, and Wood Ducks
• Wood Thrush
• Brown Creepers
• Carolina wren
• Red-tailed hawk
• White-throated sparrow
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

And perhaps the most exciting sighting: A pair of Bald Eagles spotted at Bloomfield Farm!

Pictured left to right: Carolina Wren, Red-tailed Hawk, White-throated Sparrow (Photos by Susan Marshall).

Visit the National Audubon website for more information about the census and how you can participate in 2014.

The Philly Bees' Stake in Pollination

by Stephanie Wilson, Endowed Plant Protection Intern

This past fall, I have been running around Philadelphia with an insect net in hand, surveying the wild bees (non-honey bees) in Philadelphia. The very fact that you can grow many vegetables and flowers in the city is because wild bees are present and pollinating. But very little is known about these city slickers and how they survive such a rough habitat: pavement instead of bare ground (which they dig nests in), patches of flowers instead of rolling meadows, and competition from non-native bee species that are slipping in through our shipping ports. This is exactly what I am researching as part of a survey of the flora and fauna that the USGS is conducting.

Stephanie Wilson (L) and Bombus impatiens (Common Eastern Bumblebee) pollinating a gentian Gentiana sp. (R)

A Summer Adventure Like No Other

It may be winter now, but any experienced parent knows summer will be here before we know it. That means sunshine, warm weather, and the kids constantly asking "What are we doing today!?" Summer camp to the rescue!

We know there are many choices out there for parents to select from, but we've got a few good reasons why Morris Arboretum's Summer Adventure Camp is like no other:

1. We've got bugs... BIG BUGS! This summer 11 huge bug sculptures are invading our garden and we've got some pretty exciting activities planned around them that will keep campers hopping (grasshopping that is!).
    
2. An Elevated Experience! One of our most popular garden features, Out on a Limb Tree Adventure becomes a place for campers to take part in yoga, storytelling, and more all among the tree canopy.
    
3. Delightful Discounts! Register before March 1 and receive 10% off camp tuition. Discounts are also given to siblings.
    
4. Something for Everyone! Our camp provides a beautiful, natural setting with diverse programming that includes wetland discovery, arts & crafts, cooking, journal writing, critter collecting, and even treasure hunts!

Dates & Details:

Four Sessions to Chose from: June 24-28, July 8-12, July 15-19, and/or July 22-26
Time: Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 3:30 pm
Cost: $265 for Morris Arboretum members; $285 for non-members 
2013 Registration is now open, sign up today: http://bit.ly/MACamp2013

Longtime Botanist Retires From Morris Arboretum

Today, in a world that revolves around technology, one of Ann Rhoads’ greatest pleasures is taking her grandchildren for woodland walks. As someone whose career has involved spending a significant amount of time outdoors, Ann has always encouraged people of all ages to appreciate and take pleasure in the natural world. In January, Ann retired from a long and prolific career at the Morris Arboretum. Ann served as Director of Botany at the Arboretum from 1976 to 2000, at which time she stepped back to the position of Senior Botanist in order to allow now Director Tim Block to assume the position.

An expert in the flora of Pennsylvania, Ann and former Arboretum Director, Bill Klein, built on work initiated in the 1930s by Edgar T. Wherry by creating the Flora of PA database. Today the database holds approximately 400,000 specimen records from the major Pennsylvania herbaria. During her tenure, the botany department at the Morris Arboretum also produced several important books.  In 1993, The Vascular Flora of PA, Annotated Checklist and Atlas by Rhoads and Klein was published by the American Philosophical Society.  The Plants of Pennsylvania, An Illustrated Manual by Rhoads and Block, first published in 2000 by the University of Pennsylvania Press, has proven to be a valuable resource both within and outside the state. A second edition, incorporating recent taxonomic changes, was published in 2007. Trees of Pennsylvania appeared in 2005, and Aquatic Plants of Pennsylvania was released in 2011.

Ann has also taught and mentored students through the years both at the Morris Arboretum--supervising or co-supervising the Plant Protection and Pennsylvania flora interns, and as an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where she taught Plant Systematics and Field Botany.  An active spokesperson for environmental issues, Ann was instrumental in drawing attention to the issue of deer overabundance and its severe impact on the structure and composition of Pennsylvania’s forests and natural areas. She has served on statewide committees and developed reports to help educate the public about the importance of this issue.

Even though she is retiring from the Arboretum, Ann says she will continue to expand her knowledge of plants, and will still be involved at the Arboretum, helping out in botany and maybe even writing another book.  In the meantime, her message not only for her grandchildren, but for all of us is a simple one- “Get out into the woods!”

Urban Forestry and Philadelphia Navy Yard

by Rebekah Armstrong, Martha S. Miller Endowed Urban Forestry Intern

The Morris Arboretum Urban Forestry Consultants have been spending a lot of hours at the opposite end of Philadelphia recently. We’ve been inventorying, assessing, and mapping 2,000 trees in the Philadelphia Navy Yard (PNY), at the southernmost end of Broad Street. PNY was the first naval shipyard in the country and the U.S. Navy still operates some facilities there. Aker, a shipbuilding company, now manufactures commercial ships at PNY. Then there are companies like Urban Outfitters that have reused the old Navy buildings for their headquarters. Point being, it’s a very cool place to spend time in: giant old ships and abandoned structures next to an active shipyard, constant renovation, and new construction.

During our inventory and assessment, we saw beautiful examples of big healthy spreading trees in lawns and then some sad cases: new trees battered by construction equipment and rubbed to death by deer, e.g.

In general, when we do field work, the urban forestry consultants look for hazardous trees – trees with branches that might fall, trees that are splitting – and then look at the overall health of the trees. We also measure the trunk and canopy, records the species, and map the trees’ locations. We then make recommendations for our clients and provide them with a complete map and inventory of their trees to help them manage their portion of the urban forest. To learn more about the Morris Arboretum Urban Forestry Consultants visit: http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/arboretum/arboriculture.shtml