A Volunteer's Story by Kate Greer

The Adkins volunteer training often reinforced my recent Master Gardener training, was a huge plus but the Adkins sessions themselves had a particular importance to me. These past weeks have given me a relationship with the Arboretum that I could not have imagined yet so hoped for.


[The] response sheet didn't quite give me the room to say more than the basics. But there was so much more to be said: The magic was with the place, with your direction, and with the group that was so passionately involved.

I remember after session 2 with Nick Carter, I was so impressed with his material but also with his presentation (he spoke so wisely and in paragraphs--ya gotta love that). The following session morning, I remember mentioning that how could anything top that. [I was assured] that it wasn't a need to top it but to keep us way up there in being excited about the information coming our way. So right. Session after session, one could never even consider being absent. It was always important.


As you move forward to further training, I don't know that you will ever have a group as passionate about the subject and as enthused about sharing questions, ideas and experiences as this one was. The group dynamic matters a lot, I suspect.

But over all, my impression was that the "training" so essentially represented the place. Maybe it was because it was on site and we had regular outings into the woods and meadows, or because the Arboretum staff and experienced volunteers were there with us, or maybe because you reinforced our concerns for the environment and taught us how we can share this with others.

I am so grateful for the information, the bonding, and the direction [the] training provided.

Soup & Walk-10/18 by Julianna Pax

By the time we started our walk today, it was sunny and cool. The light rain during the night had stopped. Such a beautiful autumn day with colors to match. A lovely red tupelo was visible from the back patio as we started out. Along the edge of the forest, we saw black cherry trees in shades of red along with sweet gum, sassafras, dogwood and yes, some poison ivy. One of the sweet gum trees had exotic deep purple leaves. At the entrance to the woods was a young hickory displaying green leaves changing to a golden color.

My conversation turned to the mystery of the fall colors with green chlorophyll giving way to yellow carotenes and the appearance of red colors when the genes, soil and weather are favorable. All of this comes about when the scar tissue forms at the base of the leaf and transportation of sugar out and water and minerals into the leaf stops. Our eyes are the beneficiaries of this yearly colorful natural process which just really got started in this area this weekend.

Continuing along the Blockston Branch trail, we followed the golden trail of paw paw, tulip tree, and summersweet leaves. Some guests were interested in the varieties of green fern by the second bridge. Since they were mostly still a deep green color, they contrasted nicely with the reds and yellows. Later we went past a large patch of Christmas fern which will remain green all winter. The devil’s walking stick was resplendent in shades of green gold and red at the next bridge.

We passed some winterberry hollies (red berries) and wound our way to the Overlook trail and someone noticed our American chestnut sprouts by the side of the trail. We found a strawberry bush with red berries and purple caps. Coming out of the woods we saw a pokeberry (with dark berries) right next to a lovely winged sumac in its intense red color. When the sun shines on the winged sumac, it seems to glow from within, hence its other name, the shining sumac. Its lovely red berries gave me a chance to mention that these berries were a source of vitamin C to the early settlers.

Returning along the south meadow, there was a lot of color visible at this edge of the forest. We returned to the visitor’s center and amidst the colorful leaf decorations provided by Mickey B, we enjoyed our colorful lunch. Orange sweet potato soup, roasted red beet salad, zucchini herb bread with green basil and apple pie with red cranberries were served and recipes handed out. We discussed the recipes and why we should eat our colors. Having a soup making day with friends or family was suggested.