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Spring 2016 Page 1 Botanic Garden News The Botanic Garden Volume 19, No. 1 of Smith College Spring 2016 Reflections on Being Director (2000–2016) Michael Marcotrigiano f you haven’t yet heard, I’ve decided to retire this yearI and will be finishing up at Smith on June 30. Just in case you think my tenure at Smith seems brief, it turns out that I will be a month shy of 16 years at Smith after a 17-year career as a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts. I’ve worked with three Smith presidents and an equal number of Facilities managers. Of all the directors of the Botanic Garden only the first two, William Ganong and Bill Campbell, spent more time at Smith. That being said, it seems like I just got here. It has been difficult to start clearing my office, discarding so much of what was once thought to be critical and now is either completed, never finished, or irrelevant. It brings back so many memories and makes me realize how fast time flies when you are having fun. That’s the paradox. Watch TV reruns all day for 16 years and it must seem like you’ve lived centuries — be the director of the Botanic Garden at Michael and the Geologic Timeline on display with Plant Life Through the Ages, Smith and you can’t believe how fast your life went by! when the plant evolution mural opened to the public in December I think I’ve always had a job of one sort or another since high school, so I don’t It has been said, “Try to leave the know how to retire (or relax!). It is a bit more daunting thinking of no job than Earth a better place than when you trying to find a new one. My plans are to do some landscape consulting and arrived.” I’m pretty convinced that, at garden design, write some popular articles, and put my therapy dog to work, least with regard to the Botanic Garden, I bringing him to children’s hospitals and nursing homes — payback for the 6 years have. The list of accomplishments for our he got away doing very little because we were too busy to take him to work. I’m team is long — creating many exciting, hoping that the weeds in my garden will finally have something to worry about well-produced exhibits, performing and that, even with more time, I can keep my now 48-aquarium fish breeding several garden renovations, improving an hobby to a 48-aquarium fish breeding hobby! It’s so tempting to add on another already well-respected plant collection, room. And there are so many gardens I’ve wanted to visit but never had the time. creating better policies, inventing more Travel time I never took. Now I will. I have probably spent more time with my creative flower shows, hiring very staff than with my patient and supporting wife. Another peculiar fact of life that I qualified staff, beautifying campus, want to begin to reverse. bringing in prominent speakers, making Over the years, the more I learned about the legacy of the Botanic Garden, the lots of happy donors, gaining a Level III more I realized what an honor it has been to be its director. What better than to Arboretum accreditation, etc. I believe work with plants and students in an institution as unique and endearing as Smith. we now have a well-respected living Of course there were challenges. More than you can imagine. If I never see a museum, not just a pretty place, although large piece of construction equipment near a big tree or a snow storm cracking a it is that too. I am confident that we have tree limb in early October, I will die happy. But what’s a job without challenges? (Continued on page 2) Page 2 Botanic Garden News Spring 2016 Reflections continued the most integrated and relevant college botanic garden in the country because we are so comprehensive. With a broadly trained staff and lots of imagination, we have been able to interpret our collections for a liberal arts Botanic Garden News is published twice a year audience, engaging students from fields as different as dance, engineering, by the Friends of the Botanic Garden art, and of course life sciences. of Smith College. The most rewarding moments for me have been watching the influence we The Botanic Garden of Smith College have on students and visitors. The classes we teach (Horticulture, Landscape Northampton, Massachusetts 01063 Plants, and Economic Botany) generate an interest in plants even from those 413-585-2740 who did not know they had one. Being here for 16 years has allowed me to www.smith.edu/garden watch the career paths of many students. Nothing is more rewarding than getting a letter from a student (see inset below) who is in a career that resulted Director Michael Marcotrigiano from her experiences at the Botanic Garden. Our students have gone on to Manager of Education Madelaine Zadik professions that range from landscape historians to molecular biologists. and Outreach Manager of Living Elaine Chittenden What we are is who we are, and I cannot be thankful enough for the Collections collaboration, hard work, and competence of my staff. I have an “A” team Conservatory Manager Rob Nicholson here, each with a unique set of talents (and personalities!) that, when Landscape Manager Jay Girard combined, create magic. To all our supporters I thank you. Without your Administrative Coordinator Sheri Lyn Peabody morale-boosting compliments and financial gifts, we would never have Office Assistant and Pamela Dods AC ’08 developed such impressive plant collections or educational programs. I hope Tour Coordinator Summer Internship Gaby Immerman that you will give the new director (still to be determined) just as much Coordinator support. Special Projects Coordinator Polly Ryan-Lane I want to especially thank President Kathleen McCartney and Provost Curricular Enhancement Nancy Rich Katherine Rowe for supporting us in so many ways since they arrived at Consultant Smith. They understand what we are and realize that our living museum is Greenhouse Assistants Dan Babineau something the college should support and be proud of. I am confident that Steve Sojkowski Chief Arborist John Berryhill moving forward the Botanic Garden will continue to enrich the lives of Chief Gardener Nathan Saxe students, alums, and Asst. Curator & Gardener Jeff Rankin the entire local Capen Gardener Monica Messer community. This would be a good Friends of the Botanic Garden of time to be starting Smith College Advisory Committee out as director. Lisa Morrison Baird ’76 I could write more Susan Goodall ’83 about my tenure here Marjorie M. Holland MA ’74 Shirley Mah Kooyman ’73 but I might get Kim Taylor Kruse ’97 weepy. I have to get Ilana Moir ’03 back to work. I have Diana Xochitl Munn ’95 little time to finish Constance Ann Parks ’83, Chair up a list of Dee Flannery Phillips ’73 unfinished projects. I Sue Ann Schiff ’69 Shavaun Towers ’71 just can’t help it. I Michael in spring 2013, next to the Lyman Plant House and like what I do! Conservatory after the renovation and restoration of the pond Ex Officio: Kathleen McCartney, President, Smith College Susan Komroff Cohen ’62 Paula Deitz ’59 Thank you so much for waking me up to the botanical world! The way you and Lynden Breed Miller ’60 Gaby taught the Horticulture classes helped me really notice, see, and Cornelia Hahn Oberlander ’44 understand a whole universe that I had no idea about before. That knowledge has enriched my life in so many ways since then. Without that close look at the Botanic Garden News environment, I don’t think I would have continued in urban planning, © 2016 The Botanic Garden of Smith College architecture, and now land use law. Plus, I am still doing landscaping on the Editor and Designer Madelaine Zadik side and have really decked out my little house. … I’d also really like to thank Editorial Assistant Constance Parks you for taking an interest in my achievements and being so supportive during Botanic Garden Logo designed by my time at Smith. Your support was really invaluable and I haven’t experienced that kind of sincere involvement in higher education before or since. Thank you! Margaret P. Holden, copyright 1999 Rachael Cain ’08 www.smith.edu/garden/publications/newsletter Spring 2016 Botanic Garden News Page 3 Madelaine Zadik T he renovation of Cutter-Ziskind, completed in 2014, included a landscape plan that called for a row of trees along the front of the complex along Elm Street. Triumph™ elms, Ulmus ‘Morton Glossy,’ were planted on Smith property behind a row of linden trees, Tilia cordata, currently serving as street trees on city property. Since the lindens are located under power lines, they are severely misshapen from pruning to keep the power lines clear, and many have structural issues that will likely be problematic in the future. We planted the elms in anticipation of a time when the lindens will need to be removed. By that time, the elms should be large enough to provide shade for the sidewalk and will be able to fill in as street trees along their namesake roadway. At the Botanic Garden we have been having ongoing discussions about replanting street trees along Elm Street from College Hall to An early postcard view of an elm-lined Elm Street Kensington Avenue. The area has been suffering from the loss of many trees over the years. New trees would showcase Smith better, and as the trees get bigger over time, they would have a traffic calming effect (see Naderi, J.R., permission to plant there.