Articles of note in the Sterling Morton Library : March’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.

Aguilar, O.M. and T.M. Waliczek, and J.M. Zajicek. Growing environmental stewards : the overall effect of a school gardening program on environmental attitudes and environmental locus of control of different demographic groups of elementary school children. HortTechnology, v. 18, no. 2, p. 243-249.

De Roy, Tui (photographs) and Mark Jones (text) Around their necks. Natural History, 117, no. 3, p. 36-41.
Albatrosses are diverse in form and range, but they share a common problems: people.

McFarland, A.L., T.M. Waliczek, and J.M. Zajicek. The relationship between student use of campus green spaces and perceptions of quality of life. HortTechnology, v. 18, no. 2, p. 232-238.

Rennicke, Jeff. Mary Jane Colter, architect. National Parks, v. 82, no. 2, p.30-35.
Called “the best-known unknown architect in the national parks,” Mary Jane Coulter left her mark on a profession and on our parks.

Richardson, B.A. et al. Influence of host resistance on the genetic structure of the white pine blister rust fungus in the western United States. Phytopathology, v. 98, no. 4, p. 413-420.

Tanley, Laura. Lessons of the flowers. National Wildlife, v. 46, no. 3, p. 24-30.
A pioneering experiment in the Colorado Rockies suggests that climate change models underestimate how fast the world is heating up.

Verrier, Suzanne. No muss, no fuss : rugosa roses. Fine Gardening, no. 121, p. 52-57.
These fragrant, cold-hardy shrubs are the most carefree members of the family.

Wein, Bibi. America’s romance with the oak. Wildflower : the magazine of The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, v. 24, no. 3, p. 12-19.

Earth Hour

According to an article in Time Magazine, “The average American produces about 20 tons of the major greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) every year.” Whew! In a little over 24 hours, we’ll be able to do something on a grand scale to change this number. Several weeks ago, I ran across a panel discussion about Earth Hour and I’ve been continuing to learn more details about it.

What is Earth Hour?
“Earth Hour, run by WWF, the conservation organisation, is a global climate change initiative which calls on individuals and businesses around the world, to turn off their lights for one hour on Saturday March 29 2008 between 8 pm and 9pm.
The aim of the campaign is to express that individual action on a mass scale can help change our planet for the better.
The event itself will clearly demonstrate in participating cities, the connection between energy usage and climate change, showing that we as broader community can address the biggest threat our planet has ever faced.”

What’s the origin of this event?
“It started with a question: How can we inspire people to take action on climate change?
The answer: Ask the people of Sydney to turn off their lights for one hour.
On 31 March 2007, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour. If the greenhouse reduction achieved in the Sydney CBD during Earth Hour was sustained for a year, it would be equivalent to taking 48,616 cars off the road for a year.
With Sydney icons like the Harbour Bridge and Opera House turning their lights off, and unique events such as weddings by candlelight, the world took notice. Inspired by the collective effort of millions of Sydneysiders, many major global cities are joining Earth Hour in 2008, turning a symbolic event into a global movement.”

The benefit?
“Last year we measured how much energy saved during Earth Hour in Sydney and achieved a reduction of 10.2% (more than doubled our target of 5%). But the main aim of the campaign is to continue to be energy efficient beyond Earth Hour, making small actions everyday to achieve our goal in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions in 2008.”
Source: http://www.earthhour.org

What can we do?
Turn off our lights on Saturday, March 29th between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m! Let’s work together to raise awareness about the need to reduce greenhouse gases and consider changes that we can make that will result in reduced energy conservation throughout the year!

Skunk Cabbage with a side of Sandhill Cranes

Last Friday as I headed out for a walk, I was giddily hopeful that I would see skunk cabbage in FGB*. One of our earliest springtime flowering plants, I was confident that I would be able to spot it peeping out of the ground near Lake Marmo at the Arboretum. Alas, skunk cabbage, otherwise known as Symplocarpus foetidus was not to be found on Friday morning, but during my walk I was rewarded by flocks of Sandhill cranes swirling through the skies overhead. I had heard rumblings in the avian world that the cranes were beginning to migrate through the area and was delighted to see/hear them!

Wondering about the meaning of the scientific name of Symplocarpus foetidus, I decided to do a little detective work. According to Stearn’s Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners** (published in 1992), I discovered: Symplocarpus is from the Greek, symploke meaning combination, connection, embrace; and karpos meaning fruit. (According to Stearn: "The ovaries of this swamp-loving perennial herb grow together to make one fruit.") Foetidus does sound a bit more sinister and according to Stearn’s book means the plant is bad-smelling. Some believe the plant’s unusual odor aids in attracting certain pollinators. Another highly unusual and remarkable aspect of this plant is its ability to create its own heat (take that ComEd/Nicor!) and melt its way through frozen ground. As the weather moderates, more unusual plants and creatures will begin to make their grand appearances at the Arboretum. Before you head out for a walk, stop by the Sterling Morton Library to pick up a wildflower or bird identifucation guide today!

* = full glorious bloom
** = The Sterling Morton Library has a number of fascinating resources on the meaning of plant names.

(The First Flowers of Spring by May T. Watts from the Arboretum's Bulletin of Popular Information, v. 20, no. 2, February 1945.)