The Margaret C. Ferguson Greenhouses Winter 2010
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WINTER 2010 THE BOOKS THAT BIND CENTERS FOR WOMEN 35TH ANNIVERSARY SMALL CHANGE, BIG CHANGES WHERE SCIENCE TAKES ROOT THE MARGARET C. FERGUSON GREENHOUSES WINTER 2010 ‘I think of [the Margaret C. 22 Where Science Takes Root by Jennifer McFarland Flint. Ferguson Greenhouses] as a With a lush and expansive collection ranging from the 130-year-old Durant low-hurdle introduction to Camellia to the pungent Brazilian Dutchman’s Pipe, the Margaret C. Ferguson science. You come in here Greenhouses aim to draw students into science and promote scientific and and get curious about these environmental literacy. cool plants, and that curiosity by Francie Latour. With its core is what will propel you to 32 Small Change, Big Changes principles of service, global engagement, and women’s empowerment, the next step, to start asking the microfinance industry has drawn scores of Wellesley alumnae questions.’ to its ranks. Here’s how dozens of alumnae are hoping to change —Kristina Jones, director of the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens the world, one small loan at a time. by Jenny Nash ’86. Cover photograph of bird of paradise and 38 The Books that Bind Alumnae reading tree frog and photograph above of the together in Wellesley book clubs find all kinds of connections—to the texts Mabel A. Stone Cryptogam House shot in the Margaret C. Ferguson Greenhouses and authors, to one another, and to their past selves as students and scholars. by Richard Howard 2 From the Editor 22 3 Letters to the Editor 4 From the President by H. Kim Bottomly 5 Window on Wellesley by Alice Hummer, Lisa Scanlon ’99, Francie Latour, and Jennifer McFarland Flint RICHARD HOWARD 18 Shelf Life Jean Mulvey Friedmann ’49, editor 32 38 20 First Person—Reading Nabokov in Wellesley by Alex Pistey ’10 44 Your Alumnae Association 46 Class Notes 76 In Memoriam—Nancy Longley Agnew ’50, Alice Turner Schafer, Linda K. Vaughan * by Marcy Barack Black ’71 84 Endnote—The (Un)Empty Nest, MERCEDES BENAVIDES ’83 Winter 2010 Wellesley 1 Elephant ear Colocasia esculenta WITH A LUSH AND EXPANSIVE COLLECTION RANGING FROM THE 130YEAROLD DURANT CAMELLIA TO THE PUNGENT BRAZILIAN DUTCHMAN’S PIPE, THE MARGARET C. FERGUSON GREENHOUSES AIM TO DRAW STUDENTS INTO SCIENCE AND PROMOTE SCIENTIFIC ANDWHERE ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY. SCIENCE TAKES ROOT 22 Wellesley Winter 2010 The vegetation of the Tropical House transports visitors to the humid zones of the tropics. TEXT BY JENNIFER MCFARLAND FLINT PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICHARD HOWARD Winter 2010 Wellesley 23 ucked up under the northeast side of the Science Center, the Margaret C. Ferguson Greenhouses function, in some ways, as an offshoot of their towering neighboroffering an opportunity to explore a science based understanding of the world. But it’s a gentler introduction than, T say, organic chemistry: “I think of this as a lowhurdle introduction to science,” explains Kristina Jones, the director of the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens. “You come in here and get curious about these cool plants, and that curiosity is what will propel you to the next step, to start asking questions.” Wellesley’s greenhouses 22 acres of the campus for use as contain the most diverse collection a botanic garden, and the green- of plants under glass in the Boston houses were completed in 1925. area—and are a standout collection Margaret C. Ferguson, a faculty among other colleges and univer- member for several decades who sities. Given the richness of opportu- designed the greenhouses (and nities here, academic departments who became the first woman from math to arts, anthropology to president of the Botanical Society languages, have used the living of America in 1930), spelled out collections as a teaching tool. So the vision: “It is our purpose that much so, says Jones, that the the department shall stand, pri- greenhouses serve the campus as marily, in the future as in the a “parallel resource to the Davis past, for the dignity and educa- Museum.” It’s a fitting description, tional value of its scientific work. because the sights inside are every At the same time we shall not bit as moving as a work of art. fail to emphasize the humanistic The greenhouses’ roots, if aspects of our subject; and we you will, can be traced back to shall endeavor to form a center Henry Durant’s personal passion that shall be of interest to all.” for botany: The founder of the That vision, translated into College had an impressive collec- today’s mission, is to increase tion of his own, which he made participation in science and available to student use. In 1920, promote scientific and environ- the College Trustees designated mental literacy. Kristina Jones, left, director of the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens, which includes the greenhouses (Top left) Goldfish in the Hydrophyte House swim amid the salvinia (Salvinia Shrimp plant minima, also known as Beloperone guttata water spangles). 24 Wellesley Winter 2010 VISITOR CENTER DESERT HOUSE ANNEX TROPIC HOUSE STUDENT HOUSE MABEL A. STONE CRYPTOGAM HOUSE PROPOGATION HOUSE BEGONIA HOUSE 7,490 WARM TEMPERATE HOUSE SQUARE FEET UNDER GLASS COLDFRAMES 600 ROUGH NUMBER OF COLLECTIONS SUPPORT HOUSE SPECIES REPRESENTED HYDROPHYTE HOUSE RESEARCH HOUSE 3 NUMBER OF RESIDENT TREE FROGS THE MARGARET C. FERGUSON GREENHOUSES At least 130 years old, the Durant Camellia BOTANY (above and right) was a gift from 101 Wellesley’s founder himself, one of four camellias he gave to the College from his personal collection. Two went up in flames inside College Hall in 1914, and the third was removed from the greenhouses at some point. This last known survivor has struggled with various dis- eases over time and has been “very difficult to propa- gate,” according to Jones. (The staff tried repeatedly, but without success, to grow a cutting for former President Diana Chapman Walsh ’66 upon her retire- ment.) No one knows the origin of the cultivar; the variegation of these flowers is caused by a virus, making each one unique. The virus affects the expression of pigment: The affected cells don’t produce Durant Camellia pigment, while the unaffected cells remain red. Camellia japonica Winter 2010 Wellesley 25 THE GREENHOUSES SERVE THE CAMPUS AS A ‘PARALLEL RESOURCE TO Beyond a seasonal display space lies a THE DAVIS MUSEUM.’ closed area for student research and plant Kristina Jones, director, Wellesley College Botanic Gardens cultivation. IN AN ATTEMPT to entice stu- bench where students can practice been cultivating a new focus on the dents early on, the greenhouses taking leaf or stem cuttings; two role of plants as food—for humans, invite first-years to pay a visit and research houses are closed to the insects, birds, and other animals. take plants (propagated in the public and set aside for student and As a collections priority, this trans- greenhouses, of course) back to faculty research and experimenta- lates to growing specimens that are their dorm rooms as souvenirs. tion. Courses in the physical and fairly forgiving of an occasional “We’re trying to get them to ex- natural sciences make use of the munch, rather than horticulturally plore what’s here and hopefully collections’ diversity; those studying perfect specimens that demand come back,” says Jones. book arts harvest the greenhouses’ more human attention and the use When they do, they can papyrus and make paper from it; of pesticides. The greenhouses now engage with the greenhouses’ and the environmental-studies feature plants that are used for both resources in a variety of ways: first program has teamed up with the nutrition and medicine all over the and foremost with its diverse plant greenhouses and botanic gardens world, creating opportunities to collection, but also with the on- to explore mutual interests in study human cultures, agriculture, line collections database and the botany and sustainable agriculture. related sciences, and their inter- extensive historical archives. The In addition, the botanic sections with botany. propagation house has a sand-filled gardens and greenhouses have This new focus also provides 26 Wellesley Winter 2010 400 NUMBER OF PLANTS GIVEN AWAY TO FIRSTYEAR10 STUDENTS EACH YEAR NUMBER OF INDOOR HOSES USED62 FOR WATERING NUMBER OF GROUP TOURS GIVEN LAST YEAR Coleus cultivars on a propagation bench will be used in a horticulture class. an opportunity to lure students in for study breaks. The last such event was a light show called “The Spice of Life,” where the When Charles Darwin saw this BOTANY species of orchid, native to greenhouses were theatrically lit 101 Madagascar, with its spur with spotlights calling attention measuring up to 12 or 13 to a variety of spice plants. The inches, he predicted that there must be a moth with a proboscis long staff provided cool facts about enough to reach the nectar at the tip of the plants, samples to smell and the spur, thereby pollinating the flower. His hypothesis was scorned. But 21 years touch, and spiced cookies and after Darwin’s death, the hawk moth rice to taste. With no disrespect (Xanthopan morganii praedicta), with its to students, there is perhaps no bizarrely long tongue, was discovered— and the theory confirmed. The species better way to lower the hurdle is now commonly known as Darwin’s to science than to create theater Orchid (Angraecum sesquipedale). out of botany and offer students Darwin’s Orchid a chance to fill their bellies— Angraecum sesquipedale and their minds. Winter 2010 Wellesley 27 SPOTLIGHT THE DESERT HOUSE WALKING THROUGH the green- houses’ permanent collections is like globe-trotting, writ small: The main houses mimic various climate zones—the desert, tropics, and sub- tropics—each with its own array of color, texture, scale, and pattern. Visi- tors first enter the Desert House, with its collection of plants from different families, all of which have adapted to surviving in desert conditions.