Friends of the Arboretum Newsletter
Vol. 6, No. 2
Director's Letter
On the Cusp of Our Future
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By Bob Lyons, Director
It is early August at this writing and I'm driving Chris Glenn nuts having missed another deadline for my letter; I'm probably the last contributor to get my information to him! This time it wasn't writer's block; in fact, it rarely is. There is plenty to write about in each issue, the challenge is what not to write about.....after all, Chris won't give me the entire newsletter! This time I have started many times, stopped, and started again, "crumpling" up the computer file and discarding it because it just didn't read right. Then it dawned on me: it's time for a little reflection.
I literally found myself amidst an unexaggerated, noisy whirlwind of activity and transition at the JCRA today. Within a 24-hour period, furniture was arriving, patios and engraved bricks were being installed and re-installed, dinosaur-like claws were ripping through absolutely the worst soils I'd ever seen, old buildings were being demolished, telephones were on the brink of installation, the York Auditorium was being changed to accommodate an incoming group, visitors were deciphering new and temporary pathways to the east JCRA, and volunteers were seemingly undaunted by it all as they crisscrossed through the new spaces in the west. I actually stood motionless in the new parking lot to take it all in; it was almost paralyzing as I pondered the scope of this construction project and the potentially fabulous impact it will have. All I needed was a backdrop of the "Rudy" soundtrack or a cut from a Tim Janis album to accompany and complete the experience. As a kid I used to purposely spin like a dervish, then fall to the ground to alleviate my dizziness, laughing hysterically...you know you've done that before! Well, standing in that parking lot that day was not too different.
My habitual Wednesday morning construction meetings were ending after 1.5 years! Met a lot of good people but happy to get that time back. I became very familiar with "change orders" and the various interpretations of blueprints; and learned that one person's substitution may not be what the other person has in mind.
Now we start planning for the future....the fun part! If I can get one point across, it would be echoed in that adage that Rome was not built in a day, and that's okay. It took us 25 years to get to where we were just before construction, packed to the gills with plants, with little space to spare. We now have the luxury of brand new open beds, new complimentary hardscapes, and plenty of plants in our nursery with plans for new ones to arrive from future expeditions. Simply put, we should enjoy the years ahead as we grow gradually and sensibly into our new spaces with little regard for a "completion date." We want to savor our newfound fortune of "empty beds" and approach our future installations with a deliberate pace, coupled with rich experiences for our staff, students, members, volunteers, and visitors! We are not abandoning the unwritten philosophy that few plants have a permanent place at the JCRA, we'll just have much more room to practice it.
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Onward to the events and development of the past few months. One of the most significant was the donation of a Ford F-150 pickup truck to replace the one that was stolen (see last newsletter)......can you say guardian angel? Thanks to the commitment of our Board of Advisors and the generosity of David Ciener of Ciener-Woods Ford in Kernersville, we are now "picking-up" where we left off before the theft.......thank you very much from all of us at the JCRA! This vehicle is crucial to so much of what we do....travel internally, transporting people and plants, and embarking on road trips for staff development.
We continue to be assisted ably by the professionals in the College's Office of Advancement. Through the efforts of Keith Oakley, we were thrilled by the $100,000.00 pledge announcement at our Gala by the A. E. Finley Foundation; these monies will sponsor the entire rooftop of the Ruby C. McSwain Education Center. We were also fortunate to receive all of the rooftop garden media as a gift from the Stalite Company, represented by Chuck Friedrich. This donation is worth thousands of dollars to us and consists of a proven medium for the stressful gardens that sit exposed and shallow! Chuck has been a great friend through the ages, donating a seemingly endless supply of another product, Permatill, to increase the drainage of our problem areas throughout the JCRA. I remember meeting Chuck well before I came here and he is as generous now as he was then....thanks!
On July 20, I had the privilege of mixing with our volunteers at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. Nearly 100 people showed up to enjoy a catered lunch in the new Ruby C. McSwain Education Center/York Auditorium, and they were the first group to be hosted in the new facility....very fitting! Following the meal, tons of door prizes and plants were distributed and the JCRA staff hosted tours of the entire Center. Our volunteers will move into a marvelous new space which will certainly enhance their contributions to the Arboretum as well as their own personal comfort in doing so.
This past July also saw the wildly successful return of another group of JCRA associated travelers. Todd Lasseigne and Anne Calta guided the group through the wonderfully intricate web of nurseries, botanical gardens, and arboreta of the Pacific Northwest. With pre-trip assistance from Jon Roethling, this excursion was virtually assured of success, given the itinerary and guides. You'll read more about their experience in this newsletter issue! And, mark your calendars if you haven't been lucky enough to go on either this trip or the earlier one to the Los Angeles area. We're planning Part II of the California Coast experience for March 9-15, 2003, this time to the San Francisco Bay Area. More details to follow, but we're looking at Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, Filoli Center, Quarryhill Botanical Garden, Muir Woods National Monument, the Napa Region, and then up to Mendocino to catch a neat botanical garden.
To close my remarks, a few words about our educational efforts. Two excellent students, Tim Ketchie and Jennifer Eshellman, were on board this summer. Tim worked primarily in the Annuals Trials area where he did a superb job, leaving the attendees of the Landscape Bedding Plant Field Day in awe. Jennifer completed an Internal Learning Experience under the guidance of our Interpretive Specialist, Nancy Doubrava. Her projects focused on a creative map and identity key for our Entry Bed of tender perennials and a key for our reception desk.
We were very fortunate to be included in the final wishes of another supporter, Isabel Cannon. The first woman mayor of Raleigh, Isabel Cannon lived a very rich life and loved the JCRA, bequeathing a $25,000.00 internship to mature over time for us......a very thoughtful gesture. We are looking forward to initiating the internship. Such vision is both touching and invaluable!
Please join us as we embark on a great new future. Encourage your friends and acquaintances to become members; such support remains the lifeblood of our Arboretum and the foundation for our mission.
On a final note, here's the financial breakdown from Gala 2002. I might add that all members will be receiving a separate mailing which outlines the results of this past Gala, so watch your mailboxes in the near future. Here goes, total income came in at $81,021.00 and total expenses were $35,282.00. This give us net revenues of $45,745.00, better than last year, by about $5,000.00! These dollars were distributed by allocating $20,000.00 to continue our development efforts (same as in 2001), $15,000.00 went to general operations of the JCRA ($5,000.00 more than allocated in 2001), and, like last year, $10,000.00 went into the overall JCRA Endowment which was initiated following the 2001 Gala. Incidentally, this brings the Endowment total to over $20,000.00. By all measures, the 2002 Gala was a resounding success, financially, meteorologically, logistically, aesthetically, and socially! See you again in May 2003!
Above: Anne Calta and Lee Davis picking up our new Ford F-150 from Ciener-Woods Ford in Kernersville, NC. Thank you, Ciener-Woods Ford, the Paul Ciener Botanical Garden, and the Ciener family!
Director's Letter | Arboretum Trip | Horticulture | Development | Volunteering
Formatted into HTML
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, October 2002