Friends of the Arboretum Newsletter
Vol. 5, No. 4
Director's Letter
Silver Hat Tric
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By Bob Lyons, Director
Welcome to the 25th anniversary issue of the JCRA Newsletter! At time of writing, details of this special edition are under wraps by our Editor, Chris Glenn, who is busy piecing together its components in an atmosphere of anticipation. That aside, we all wish you a Happy New Year.
Twenty-five years is often considered a milestone for just about anything, from weddings to graduations. The existence of the JCRA is no exception. Without a doubt, we got here through the initial and infectious passion, enthusiasm, knowledge, and vision of J. C. Raulston who founded our Arboretum in 1976. His students fanned out in all directions, coming from his own classes here at NCSU, the nursery industry, and the general public. Their commitment is envied by many of our peer institutions, and their allegiance has fueled the numerous success stories we count ourselves lucky to document. Our plant collections are a testament to a legacy of concern for landscape plant diversity and the spirit of sharing first instilled 25 years ago. I hope you enjoy the historical review provided throughout these pages and join me in looking forward to what our future holds.
By the time you read this, I will have been here for about 3 years. Not much of a significant number by itself, I guess, but its timing with this anniversary issue encourages me to recount and summarize the nature of this period; a period characterized by much continuation, change, and strengthening of our own mission and basic fabric of the JCRA itself. And, while I'm not purposely searching for some alliterative phrasing, so much of the past three years can be summed up by our people, plants, publications, programs, planning, and properties.
Although my staff and volunteers may argue that it is the plants which form our foundation, I must override their opinion and claim it is them. Simply put, we would be nowhere without their talents, innovative spirit, and dedication. The past three years have witnessed significant hiring of new staff to blend with the veterans, as well as the continued diversification and expansion of those who give so generously of their free time, our volunteers. There has been continued integration of students into our daily activities, hiring of student assistants, and creation of a unique, temporary position specifically crafted to help with our on-site work. We have been exceptionally fortunate to add an interpretive specialist and assistant director to our staff ranks, both of which are hard-funded and a testimony to the confidence placed in the JCRA by the administration of our department and college. New volunteer activities in the areas of garden curation, label engraving, and annual trials assistance, to highlight but a few, complement the already diverse and strong volunteering efforts which have characterized the JCRA for years. Mammoth tasks orchestrated by staff have also punctuated our recent past, the likes of which still amaze me. Try looking at hundreds of plants of all sizes, knowing full well that they were in the footprint of an impending, but not yet funded, 6,000+ square foot building; well, that was the west JCRA three years ago. Bottom line, the money was raised, a favorable state bond referendum passed, and most plants were either moved or propagated prior to construction of the Ruby C. McSwain Education Center. The complete renovation of the Perennial Border in 1999 was another huge benchmark, and again illustrates the quintessential spirit of the JCRA. Through the key cooperation and involvement of staff, faculty, and students, as well as JCRA volunteers and the industry, the border was taken down, distributed to Friends, redesigned, re-installed, mapped, and maintained so that it looked incredible in just one year's time. Of course there are other examples, and more to come....like acquiring a new computer mapping system (yikes!), but you get the idea! Finally, staff are encouraged to participate in professional development opportunities, with funding coming from the JCRA. Many have already traveled to national meetings, seminars, and organized tours of similar facilities.
Our plant collections are strong, growing, diverse, unique, and always under review, with great potential for even further expansion following our construction. Their relevance is being "interpreted" better and better via new printed literature, labeling, maps, tours, new outside media contacts, and a new Web site <www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum>, all of which have been built on the strengths of the past. It is especially helpful to point to our updated, Web site based, searchable database of our plant accessions when someone simply wants to know what our collections hold....incredibly convenient even from a long distance. With regard to an overall media presence, our records show us cited about once a week in a variety of media forms. Our message is getting out, and the new faces showing up at our Friends programs prove that well. A new statewide network of plant evaluation sites is now in place to examine the landscape potential of selected species/cultivars. This network stretches the reaches of our borders and altitudes and will provide a clearer picture of selected plant performance throughout the state. Probably most importantly, we continue to provide an "open sharing" policy with certified nurseries and fellow arboreta, and we are pleased that our recent trips throughout the world have enlarged and solidified this relationship in the most mutual of ways. In cooperation with other faculty, we are formally publishing new genera and cultivar releases within refereed journals, e.g., x Sinocalycalycanthus raulstonii 'Hartlage Wine', 'Emerald Pagoda' Japanese snowbell, and 'Spring Glow' Cornelian cherry. We have also cooperated in exclusive patenting and release of four new ornamental sweet potato cultivars in the "Sweet Caroline" series. Finally, we have integrated the process of evaluating annuals into our practice and philosophy, and two reports are produced each year which document the best and worst of these important landscape plants. Yet no discussion of our plants would be complete without mention of our national and international travels in search of new species, cultivars, and horticultural contacts. Japan, California, the nation of Georgia, and the Pacific Northwest were on our recent itineraries and may never be the same after we left!
Publications? Well, I am so pleased with their quality, substance, and timeliness. The newsletters and brochures are excellent. Our partnership with "Successful Gardener" has the JCRA on the front-page of this highly awarded publication which is distributed throughout the state.
Our programs have taken on great importance for our membership, benefactors, and other sectors of the general public. In fact, I sometimes get concerned that my staff has taken on too much too soon, but they always prove me wrong! The Friends of the Arboretum Annual Plant Distribution is the most exciting benefit for our members and brings in new faces each year. Our workshops have expanded to include topics in photography (now being taken on the road, recently to Ashe County in cooperation with their Arts Council). Monthly "Plantsmen's Tours" never seem to exhaust the possible topics within our reach or satisfy the quest for plant knowledge by our members. We have partnered with national publications to bring in significant speakers (e.g., Horticulture Magazine). The new "Moonlight" in the Garden event was met with rave reviews and set the JCRA's grounds ablaze with tasteful lighting accents. "2001: A Plant Odyssey" - a symposium celebrating our 25th anniversary - brought in recognized, national experts for our own audience's education and enjoyment. We also hosted the Latino community through our El Festival del Jardin. And all this is not an exhaustive list! Hardly any of these events happen without vital input from our interpretive and computer systems staff.
Our planning efforts have given rise to a workable, feasible, and implementable long range plan, thanks in large part to the leadership within our Board of Advisors. This Board, by the way, also initiated and spearheaded our first press lunch and an infrastructure review. Many of our structures are aging, a less desirable but concomitant consequence of our 25 year history, unfortunately, and this review will help us set some priorities for repair, renovation, or replacement. The long range plan will be a road map to plan future activities and reach targeted goals, and we are making good progress already. You can read an abbreviated version of this plan in a future mailing and catch the entire text on our Web site in the near future. Planning also extends to our financial profile. The JCRA has a working annual budget in the vicinity of $150,000.00, with about two-thirds of that locked up in salaries. Each staff member now tracks his/her expenditures and receives an annual budget accordingly, which they personally administer, in addition to providing quarterly progress updates. Gala accounting is now published in entirety for our membership, and Gala revenues now directly benefit our general operations and have enabled us to kick off a new overall endowment for the JCRA totaling $10,000.00+ upon initiation.
In terms of properties, perhaps our greatest achievement in this arena has been the initiation of construction of the Ruby C. McSwain Education Center complex.....more than two-thirds done at the time of this writing! This $4.3 million project holds nothing but great promise for the JCRA, providing much needed modern office space for staff and volunteers, classrooms for formal and informal educational programs, new opportunities for revenue generation, and new spaces for new plants! Ruby McSwain's enormous donation, along with the generosity of each and every financial sponsor for selected structures and gardens, including our popular bricks, are responsible for making this project happen. We have also acquired two additional, contiguous acres directly to our east.....as-of-yet unplanned, but nonetheless secure, thanks to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Our appreciation goes to our own development staff who are helped by the college office.
I suppose I could continue but fear the wrath of our Editor, Chris Glenn, who will need every bit of space possible in this newsletter to bring his vision to life! These past 3 years have been incredibly eventful for the JCRA and a real privilege for me to guide. Our agenda has been ambitious but our accomplishments have echoed that agenda closely. Our long history has identified us as a place of learning and one of personal solace, perhaps no better realized than during the recent tragedy of September 11, 2001, for which we all shared in the grief of this nation. Our thoughts are with all who suffered through this horrible event. If this at all makes literary sense, we are traveling rapidly in pursuit of our goals, and yet, stand poised on the launching pad for more incredible milestones to come. And watch out, for if you think 25 years is a long time, how many of you can vividly remember mirror balls, chic polyester clothing, the Bee Gees, the Ford Pinto, and macramé plant hangers? Then imagine the possibilities in this new age of plants and technology in the next quarter century! It's not that far away.
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by Christopher Todd Glenn
Programs & Education Coordinator
JC Raulston Arboretum
Department of Horticultural Science
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-7609
© The JC Raulston Arboretum, January 2002