Core Newsletter

Number 22 (2017) Zach Fowler, WVU Core Arboretum Director, Editor phone: (304) 293-0387

WVU Department of Biology PO Box 6057, Morgantown, WV 26506 http://arboretum.wvu.edu email: [email protected]

No Bridge over the Arboretum Volunteering Citizen Science at the Arboretum! The Arboretum has a new weekly Arboretum The Morgantown Monongalia Metro- volunteer program called Work Day Citizen science is a branch of science politan Planning Organization Wednesday. Volunteers show up that harnesses the data collecting (MMMPO) has released the final every Wednesday from 4-7 pm (1-4 abilities of members of the general report of its I-79 Access Study. The during winter) to help with general public and engages anyone with recommended alternative for a new Arboretum maintenance. During these science. Our new citizen science pro- bridge over the Work Day Wednesday events and gram here at the Arboretum, the WVU does not include a bridge over the other service events, 224+ volunteers Core Arboretum Phenology Walk, Arboretum! This is great news for the worked a combined total of over 672 involves phenology and monitoring Arboretum, because two of the alter- hours for the Arboretum last year! the phenophases of individual plants. natives under consideration included These volunteers participated in all Phenology refers to the timing of key an extension of Patteson Drive and a sorts of Arboretum maintenance tasks. seasonal changes in plants and animals bridge over the Arboretum and the Our partnership with WVU Center for that happen each year. In plants, river to connect to the new University Service and Learning and the iServe phenology involves events or Town Center Exit on I-79. The website have been a valuable com- phenophases such as budbreak, decision not to recommend a bridge ponent of our volunteer efforts. Other expanding leaves, blooming flowers, over the Arboretum was helped by partner organizations in volunteer leaf fall, etc. A phenology walk is a over 300 letters written to the events have been the Monongahela mapped trail with a series of marked MMMPO against building a bridge Master Naturalists, the WVU Tri-Beta plants that citizen scientists observe over the Arboretum! These letters biology honor society, and the WVU regularly to record the phenophase. included a wonderful letter from the Sierra Student Coalition. Thanks to We are interested in how the annual administration at WVU, which all of our volunteers! phenology of our trees changes over strongly supports the Arboretum and Arboretum Programming time due to climate change and other opposed any bridge project that would Local and regional experts on a factors. We use the Nature’s Notebook impact the Arboretum. The final variety of nature-related subjects will website, which is administered by the report of the I-79 Access Study pro- give public talks at the Arboretum as USA National Phenology Network, as ject, including details about all of the part of the new WVU Core Arboretum the web interface for our phenology alternatives, is available at the I-79 Nature Connection Series. These talks walk. Nature’s Notebook is a website Access Study website: will happen every Tuesday evening at that anyone can join and record http://www.i79accessstudywv.com. observations of phenology. 6:00 at the Arboretum Amphitheater, Arboretum Online starting in early June. Our website has Ultimately, we would like to have a more information and a calendar of kiosk at the Arboretum where anyone Check out the Arboretum online at who visits can learn about phenology, http://arboretum.wvu.edu. We can also speakers and talk titles! We are also starting a new collaboration this how to monitor it, and how to join the be found on Facebook as WVU Core citizen science program. At this time, Arboretum, and on Twitter and summer with The Shack Neigh- borhood House Festival of Fun youth however, we are in the “soft opening” Instagram as wvuarboretum. phase of the project. We have the trees summer camp. A group of kids from Support the Arboretum The Shack will visit the Arboretum selected and tagged and a map of the The Arboretum website makes it easy every week for nature-based edu- phenology walk made, and we have to give online! Support from our cational programming. We will trained participants on how to observe donors is fundamentally important to continue our long-standing tradition of phenophases and enter the data. There our future growth and development, as WVU Department of Biology spring will be more training sessions in late we work to fulfill our mission at the ephemeral wildflower walks and winter or early spring. If you would Arboretum. Mountaineer Audubon spring bird like to volunteer to join the program, walks and our more recent and or if you have any questions, please delicious tradition of fall Pawpaw email Zach Fowler, WVU Core Parties! Arboretum Director, at [email protected].

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