Volume 36 Number 10 June 2018 Oak Newsletter of the Rancho Notes Santa Ana Botanic Garden Volunteers President: Cindy Walkenbach Vice President: Linda Clement Treasurer: Ingrid Spiteri Secretary: Patricia Brooks FROM THE PRESIDENT Goals and Evaluations: Cindy Walkenbach, Volunteer President Linda Prendergast Volunteer Personnel: “Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, Win Aldrich but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to Volunteer Library: live in.” Gene Baumann —Author Unknown Enrichment: Sherry Hogue Hospitality: Betty Butler The Quarterly Meeting and Potluck Luncheon is set for Friday, June 8 and I hope to see all of you there. We’ll be voting for next year’s Executive Board, so please Horticulture & Research: Richard Davis watch your email for the slate of officers. Kathleen will be sharing information Visitor Education: about Volgistics, the new software program for recording our volunteer hours; Yvonne Wilson and we’ll have an opportunity to sign up to help with some fun summer Garden Public Relations: activities. Betty Butler and her crew are planning a lovely potluck, so please bring Dorcia Bradley (co-Chair) anything you wish to share. No need to sign up. Beverly Jack (co-Chair) OAK NOTES Recently I had an opportunity to volunteer in the Butterfly Pavilion and it is heartwarming to see so many young families introducing their children to the Editor: Louise Gish wonders of nature. Seeing butterflies is a joyous, entrancing experience for our Contributing Editor: David Gish youngest Garden visitors; their excitement is palpable. As adults we delight in Publisher: Carole Aldrich the butterfly’s emergence from its chrysalis into a creature of delicate, ethereal beauty, and its metamorphosis reminds us how perfect nature can be in an often Web Publisher: David Bryant chaotic world. This is the last issue of Oak Notes until September, so let me leave you with this lovely monarch-inspired “Advice from a BUTTERFLY” written by storyteller The deadline for articles to be submitted Ilan Shamir, founder of Your True Nature: for the September Let your true colors show; get out of your cocoon; take yourself lightly; look for the 2018 issue of OAK NOTES is Wednesday, sweetness in life; take time to smell the flowers; catch a breeze…. August 15. Thank you for your prompt Happy summer to each of you! submission!! House. Volunteers, of course, are involved in all of these programs and events; thanks as always for all FROM THE that you do. DIRECTOR Because so many of you are involved in events here Lucinda McDade, RSABG at RSABG and because a few of these events feature Executive Director alcoholic beverages—even built around them as Forever California, Summer at in the case of Brew Wild to take place in June—I RSABG and What’s This about thought it might be useful to share my perspectives Native Plant Cocktails? on the place of such events at RSABG. Among other things, you may be asked about such events, and I Hello RSABG volunteers: would like for you to be able to answer in a way that First, hats off to all of you who helped make is most informed. Forever California (at our Garden with a View) However, it is important to back up to note that our such a wonderful event. Of course, this starts with programming continues to be dominated by family- the Native Designs team who put in dozens and friendly events at which no alcoholic beverages of dozens of person hours to achieve the spectacularly any sort are offered. Volunteers who help with Bump, gorgeous arrangements for the tables—all of the Acorn Fest, Bird Fest, Luminaria, etc. etc. know this tables—as well as for certain other locations that better than anyone! In fact, we have added to these need beautifying – like the women’s restroom. The over recent years—many of us remember the pre- arrangements were at once simple and elegant, and Luminaria days and then we began celebrating Bird above all beautiful. Thanks also to those of you who Day LA just last year. purchased auction items and who helped get the sales price up to a highly beneficial level for RSABG At the same time, it is vital for the future well-being during the live auction! Fortunately for everyone, this of our Garden that we constantly recruit new Garden year we did not have to put out a call for “all hands friends. Thus, we have diversified — and will continue on deck” as we did last year when we needed to move to diversify — our programming. This is all part of **everything** over to the Doubletree. our effort to find new avenues to connect people to the beauty and value of California native plants, This is my last Oak Notes column for a few months. beginning with making them aware of RSABG and Oak Notes is quite the traditionalist in that it takes having them visit the Garden. the summer off! You already know that RSABG staff—and many volunteers—will definitely not be We began to experiment with after-hours events at taking the summer off. Hort staff will be busy on which we offer alcoholic beverages a few years ago the grounds trying their best to keep everything as with Butterflies and Brews. No one needs to remind shipshape as possible through the summer months. volunteers that the Butterfly Pavilion is open for For Research staff it is mostly business as usual dozens of hours over the course of the week during although many students and research scientists will normal hours. For BFs & Brews, we open it for just be off in the field for sizable chunks of the summer months. Conservation and nursery staff have lots upon lots of plants to care for—if anything, these need quite a bit more care over the summer months. Staff involved in events for members and the public will be busy and busier all through May (Butterfly Pavilion), June (Butterfly Pavilion, Butterflies & Brews, Brew Wild), and July (Butterfly Pavilion + Garden Groove). By August, Education staff will be looking Photos: Butterfly Pavilion RSABG 2018, Debbie Woo, photographer. toward gearing up again with the Teachers’ Open L: monarch; R: anise swallowtail, 2 2.5 hours on one night a week during one of the RSABG will never become a brewpub or a bar, three months that the Pavilion is in operation. but we will continue our efforts to bring in new audiences who are interested in our programs and Back in March, we showcased the Grove of Thorns in would like to share them with other adults with the early evening hours (when the thorns look best) an adult beverage in hand (e.g., BFs & Brews). We and featured drinks that incorporated native plants. also want to welcome those who are intrigued This was an unabashed effort to form a connection to — and build appreciation for — native plants among attendees. It is our hope that once guests experience a cocktail with native cactus juice, they will become plugged into the larger world of California native plants and their importance far beyond incorporation in a beverage or dish. In short, we hope that they will acquire the knowledge and appreciation that leads them to embrace RSABG’s mission. In much the same vein, we will be doing Brew Wild in June, featuring beers of local, independent A Very Happy June Birthday to: brewers that incorporate a native plant ingredient. Alan Melgoza Hugh Menton The craft beer movement that started in California Calderon Barbara Nakaoka has emphasized the art of brewing and promoted a Tracy Cheung Polly O’Keefe culture of culinary appreciation rather than one of Ann Dodds Joan Oyler over-consumption or drunkenness. We are excited Paul Donatelli Ernie Pianalto to infuse the local craft beer movement with a Wanda Ewing Jack Rosenbrock healthy dose of native plants! Again, and quite Terry Givens Cacky Rowlee unapologetically, we intend to reach a lot of people Lisa Hahn Marion Swick who have never been here before — and who may well Bruce Hines Judy Whale not know our native fan palm from the Mexican fan Sherry Hogue June Teitsworth palm — with the wonder of California native plants. Stella Li Once they experience a beer created with Torrey pine, A Very Happy July Birthday to: they will see the light! Emilie Ballard Bill Gendron Of course, these and all other events at which alcohol Gene Baumann Joaquina Hernandez is on offer take place following all laws regarding the Jean Beckner Robert Koukol provision and consumption of alcoholic beverages. John Biddle Anne Moreau In most cases, the event venue is “adults only” for Chris Caenepeel Mary Perera the duration of the event. We also monitor alcohol Nan Davidson Harry Steendam consumption by our guests. For example, in the case Enid Eckert Marla White of BFs & Brews, we limit consumption to two drinks. Albert Finnerty A Very Happy August Birthday to: Stephen H. Bryant Ray Owens Mary Chamberlain Carol Petty Shaunna Gygli Sara Simon Cliff Hutson Kelly Swift Sharon Kaatmann Linda Troyer Elene Kallimanis Rudi Volti Bob Loncar Cindy Walkenbach Photos: Butterfly Pavilion RSABG 2018, Debbie Woo, photographer. Eduardo Martinez Susan Winderman L: pipevine swallowtail; R: giant swallowtail 3 by the intersection between native plants and our audiences, reaching farther in the hopes that we food and drink. It is my conviction that it would can promote newfound and greater appreciation for be irresponsible of me—insufficiently forward California plants and this Garden that celebrates looking—to fail to try such experiments. Even if them.