Articles of note in the Sterling Morton Library : October’s offerings

These are some recent articles that can be found within the journal collection of the Sterling Morton Library. Please visit the Library to discover the incredible botanical and horticultural resources that await you! If you are unable to visit the Library and interested in reviewing one of these articles, I would be delighted to help you at rhassert@mortonarb.org.

Alsop, Peter. Invasion of the longhorns. Smithsonian, v. 40, no. 8, p. 42-49.

Daum, Miriam C. Birding 101. Snowy Egret, v, 70, no. 2, p. 6-8.

Hu, Xin-Sheng, Fanliang He and Stephen P. Hubbell. Community differentiation on landscapes: drift, migration and speciation. Oikos, v. 118, no. 10, 1515-1523.

Krischan, Tom. A prairie home : return your lawn to its prairie roots with low-maintenance grasses and perennials. Northern Gardener, v. 137, no. 6, p. 32-35.

Loraine, Joan. Hunting the dog’s tooth : Erythroniums in the garden and in the wild. Hortus, no. 91, p. 26-36.

McGuire, A. David, et al. Sensitivity of the carbon cycle in the Arctic to climate change. Ecological Monographs, v. 79, no. 4, p. 523-555.

Mehtatalo, L. and J. Nyblom. Estimating forest attributes using observations of canopy heights: a model-based approach. Forest Science, v. 55, no. 5, p. 411-422.

Schreiber, Sebastian J. and James O. Lloyd-Smith. Invasion dynamics in spatially heterogeneous environments. The American Naturalist, v. 174, no. 4, p. 490-505.

There is still time to register for November's class on Darwin and his work with plants!

Charles Darwin, Botanist
November 11-18, 2009
Michael Stieber, Library Administrator and Reference Librarian, The Morton Arboretum

Delve deeper into Charles Darwin's life, his trip around the world, and his pioneering studies of flowering plants. After returning from his voyage on the Beagle (1831-1836), Charles Darwin renewed his childhood interest in plants. By his death in 1882, he had written seven major books on pollinators and pollinating mechanisms, insectivorous plants, the power of movement in plants, one specifically on climbing plants, and a pioneering work on orchid biology. Join Michael to explore the current library exhibit, discuss Darwin's family life and background, the voyage that led to his intense studies on the origin of so many species, and several of his significant contributions to the plant sciences.

Register for this class online or by phone (630) 719-2468.

Color My World, or, Leaves of Change!

Burnt sienna, raw umber and brick red might remind you of the crayons from your childhood Crayola box, but at The Morton Arboretum we’re starting to use these very words to describe our leaves! It’s autumn and as I walk and drive through the grounds, I’m beginning to see more and more leaves changing colors. With plants from 40 countries, it almost seems like there'll be no end to this beautiful season!

Interested in learning more about color on our grounds? Our very own Color Scout has previewed some colorful Arboretum destinations for you in his weekly color report. Curious why and how leaves change colors? Find out in Why Leaves Change Color.

Interested in reading and sharing some colorful stories? Visit the Sterling Morton Library to check out:
Leaf Man or Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
The Garden in Autumn by Allen Lacy
Autumn Leaves by Ron Lanner
Sketching Outdoors in Autumn by Jim Arnosky
Pumpkin Heads! By Wendell Minor
Songbird Journeys : four seasons in the lives of migratory birds by Miyoko Chu
On the Wing : American birds in migration by Carol Lerner
Living on the Wind : across the hemisphere with migratory birds by Scott Weidensaul
Autumn across America by Edwin Way Teale

Go for a walk, scramble through the fallen leaves and immerse yourself in an autumn world of burnt sienna, raw umber and brick red at The Morton Arboretum. Whether you’re looking for some information on plants to select for superb fall color, sharing an autumnal story with a wee one or wanting to read a little more in-depth about this vivid season, the Sterling Morton Library has a host of resources awaiting you!

The Heart of Winter : Morton Arboretum Chamber Concert Series 2009-2010

Each year, The Morton Arboretum presents a fascinating series of chamber concerts. Imagine the opportunity to view the beautiful winter landscapes at the Arboretum while listening to fine music! Enjoy this remarkable season and delve into a diverse melange of performers, instruments and composers. Join us for our 2009-2010 season and revel in the performances of:

Sunday, November 1, 2009 – 2:15 p.m.
Members of the Chicago Philharmonic

Sunday, December 6, 2009 – 2:15 p.m.
Patrick Ball - The Christmas Rose

Sunday, January 10, 2010 – 2:15 p.m.

Cavatina Duo

Sunday, February 7, 2010 – 2:15 p.m.

Millar Brass Quintet

Sunday, March 7, 2010 – 2:15 p.m.
Quintuplex Woodwind Quintet

Originally held in the Sterling Morton Library, all concerts are now presented in the Auditorium of the Thornhill Education Center. After each performance, a reception in the adjoining Founder's Room offers the opportunity to enjoy conversations with the artists and fellow audience members in the splendor of the original library of the Arboretum's founder, Joy Morton.

Tickets:
Individual ticket:

$23.00 for Arboretum members and $28.00 for non-members
5-concert series ticket:

$105.00 for Arboretum members and $130.00 for non-members
Tickets are available at:
On-line at: http://www.mortonarb.org/calendar/article/15504/chamber-concert-series.html

In-person at The Arboretum’s Visitor Center

By phone at 630-725-2066 (Monday through Friday from 9-5)

Via snail mail

Celebrate the heart of winter at the Arboretum and attend an upcoming concert!

Darwin's Flowers Online...

Our current exhibit, Darwin's Flowers: Unlocking Natural Selection, can now be viewed online. Be sure to save it in your favorites as in the coming months, we will be posting additional content and resources to enhance and expand our exhibit in the library.

Darwin Exhibit in the Daily Herald

Cathy Maloney has written an interesting article in Neighbor section of the Monday, September 21, Daily Herald. You can read the story here:

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=322113

Darwin's Flowers: Unlocking Natural Selection continues in the library through January 30, 2010.

On the Origins of Bird Species

This Thursday, September 24th, we'll be having the 4th lecture in our year-long series in evolutionary biology, "Trees of Life." Dr. Trevor Price from the University of Chicago will be joining us to present a talk called "On the Origins of Bird Species," focusing on his work on speciation of birds in the Himalayas.
How do new species of birds originate? Trevor will discuss Darwin's theory of the origin of species through natural selection, and explain how our understanding of speciation has progressed since Darwin's books were published. He will also share highlights from his own research on the gradient of bird species diversity in the Himalayas and insights from his recent book, Speciation in Birds. The talk will be from 7 - 8:30 p.m. in Cudahy Auditorium at The Morton Arboretum.

Registration details for this event can be found at: http://www.mortonarb.org/education.html

Hope to see you at the lecture!