Chair's Corner... 
By Karen Haake
Recently, part of every day has been spent at the Arboretum, giving tours, meeting with a donor or just taking a walk with a friend. During this time, Christie Cochran, one of the Master Gardeners working in the Monet Garden, shared the following story.
A few weeks ago, when the Master Gardeners from Des Moines came to tour the Monet Garden, I was here working and stayed to help greet. The visitors were overwhelmed with the beauty of our garden and appreciated how much time and effort it takes to keep a garden so strikingly beautiful. Also in the garden that day were an older couple in their 80s ( I'll call them the Smiths), taking pictures with a small disposable camera. They quietly waited for people to move on to take their photos. While Mr. Smith continued to take photos, Mrs. Smith and I stood in the shade and she told me a story.
The Smiths and Browns had been friends for years--the men, old war buddies who had traveled together and visited back and forth for years. In April of 2008 the Smiths brought the Browns to the Arboretum and stayed a long time, despite the misty morning. Mr. Brown thought the Monet garden was one of the most beautiful places he had seen. Today, Mr. and Mrs. Smith were taking pictures for Mr. Brown, as he was dying of cancer and couldn't travel anymore. They wanted to send him pictures of his favorite place, to make him happy. They had one picture left on their camera so I took a picture of them, in the Woodland, on the bench by Nancy's beautiful pot.
It is appropriate to say that the Arboretum touches people in so many different ways. That day it was to make a dying man happy.
Come, take a walk, explore the Arboretum and be touched by its beauty.
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'Stems: A Garden Soiree' Returns
June 27, 6:00-10:00 p.m.
$75 General Admission
$250 Patron
Call 913-895-6200 for information or visit www.stemssoiree.org
Join us for Stems as we pour on new experiences this year in the Overland Park Arboretum including the popular R&B band Atlantic Express. Our gardens will blossom with 15 food and entertainment destinations. Your ticket will help raise funds for the Arts and Recreation Foundation, which includes Friends of the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, Friends of Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead and Friends of Overland Park Arts.
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Outdoor Classroom Appreciation
Thank you so much for taking us on a
tour of the arboretum! We loved all the plants, flowers, turtles, and
bugs.
We had fun planting sunflowers, green beans, and marigolds. You
did an awesome job of teaching us about plants, and we had so much fun.
You are a great teacher, and we will definitely tell all of our friends
about the arboretum. Thanks again!
Mrs. Oligschlaeger's Kindergarten Class
Olathe Christian School
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FOTA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Karen Haake, Chair
Teri Shields, Vice Chair
Kathy Alspaugh, Secretary
Larry Engelkemier, Treasurer
Barbara Brand
John Kalal
Stacey Gilman
Dick Cromwell
Jim Holland
Margaret Maher-Williams
Shannon Corley & Nancy Yates,
ARFOP Liaisons to the Board
FOTA ADMINISTRATOR
Suzie Swyden
fotacoordinator@yahoo.com
FOTA VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS
Arts for Kids, Stacey Gilman & Gail Keller
Bird Committee, Sue Davidson
Bird Feeders, Bob Buehler
Eagle Scout Projects, Hugh McCreery
Garden Shows, Karen Haake
Greenhouse, Ken O'Dell
Greeters, Phyllis Merrick
Holiday Luminary Walk, Margaret Kalal
Membership, Barbara Brand
Photography, Carol Fowler
Plant Sale, Phyllis Merrick & Don Tetzlaff
Prairie Restoration, Chuck Garrett
Safety, Don Tetzlaff
Volunteer Tour Guides, Karin Winn
Weddings, Phyllis Merrick
FOTA eNEWSLETTER
Judy Moser, Editor
judy@springvalleynursery.com
ARBORETUM STAFF
Karen Kerkhoff, Supervisor
Kerry Williams, Horticulturist
Dianna Mahaney, Park Attendant
Jon Beuthin, Park Attendant
Phyllis Merrick & Cathy Lovetere,
Volunteer Coordinators
For additional information, call
the Arboretum 913-685-3604
Website: www.opabg.org
To rent an area of the Environmental
Education and Visitors Center,
Pavilion or Garden Areas, call
Leisure Services at 913-895-6390
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Save
10%
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Friends of the Arboretum (FOTA) members receive a 10% discount on class fees, plant sale purchases, and FOTA merchandise, along with invitations to special Friends events and other benefits of membership.
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'Summer Sounds' Coming in July
New Concert Series at the Arboretum
 As if the eye-popping gardens, rustling leaves and twittering birds (yes, they thought of it first) are not enough to dazzle visitors, we're adding a five-week concert series throughout the month of July. Each Thursday evening from 6 to 7 pm a local ensemble will perform in the beautiful Arboretum Amphitheater. The concerts are free.
The birds will be competing with the following:
July 2: Panapolli Trio, a professional group consisting of violin, cello and flute (www.panapolli.com/index.shtml).
July 9: Kansas City String Quartet Program (www.kcstringquarter.org).
July 16: Kansas City Flute Choir (www.kcfluteassociation.org).
July 23: "String Theory"-celtic harp.dulcimer/guitar,
and another group of Kansas City String Quartet Program performers. This one's a double feature.
July 30: Popular music from the 20s and 30s-a sing-along with acoustic guitar, bass and vocals.
Whether you've pulled weeds
all day in your garden, chased after the kids, or put in eight hours at
the office, plan to swing by the Arboretum at the end of your day's
work each Thursday in July. Sit, relax, and enjoy a variety of musical
groups, or stroll about, as these refreshing summer sounds waft through
the trees and gardens.
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 Reminder: 2009 Photo
Contest Ends June 30
Only a few days left to get your best photos ready to submit for this year's Photo Contest.
Photo by Diana Aubuchon
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Annual FOTA Meeting July 12
 The annual FOTA Meeting will be held Sunday, July 12, at 5 pm in the Visitors Center. A light dinner will be served followed by a short report on FOTA activities and the presentation of special awards.
A variety of FOTA clothing items will be for sale, 25% off.
Please RSVP to:
fotacoordinator@yahoo.com
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Why We Monitor the Bluebird Trail
Article and Photo by Milt Noelken
The purpose of the
Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens bluebird trail is to
increase its bluebird population. To ensure success, the nest boxes
must be monitored. Our current monitors are Dan Johnson, Judy Moecker,
Milt Noelken and Trent Reed.
Monitoring comprises several activities. We remove wasps and their
nests, and house sparrow nests and eggs in order to keep the nest boxes
free for use by bluebirds.
Although we describe the trail as a bluebird trail, other kinds of
birds use the boxes for nesting. A number of birds, like bluebirds, are
native species and are protected by federal law. We are required to let
them use the nest boxes and thus far black-capped chickadees, tree
swallows, titmice and house wrens have done so. The monitors are able
to identify these birds, their nests and their eggs. In addition,
monitors keep extensive nesting records. With this information we can
relocate nest boxes that bluebirds have not used.
In addition, the nesting information is sent to Cornell Lab of
Ornithology, which runs an annual survey called Nestwatch, which tracks
26 bird species found in rural, suburban and urban areas in North
America. The major purpose of the survey is to obtain information
concerning effects of changes in surroundings and climate on bird
populations.
Keeping a
beady eye on the monitors. Two of the parent bluebirds stood out
because they monitored the monitors. These "helicopter" parents (photo at right) would swoop down on monitors in an attempt to distract them from
the nest boxes. No harm was done to the monitors or the bluebirds.
The May bluebird article was incorrectly credited. It was also written by Milt Noelken.
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Great Classes Now thru August
Learn, Listen & Identify the Birds
Saturday, June 27, 8:00 am
Bird Walks for families with children will begin at 10:30 am.
Herbs For Beautiful Skin....The Recipes
Wednesday, July 8, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Learn to make bath oils, to keep skin soft and flexible; salt glows, to exfoliate skin; seaweed bath elixirs to re-mineralize skin. Everyone wants the fountain of youth, so take advantage of this wonderful class led by Lenora Wuattoux-Ray. Class fee $20 per person.
Learn, Listen & Identify the Birds
Saturday, July 25, 8:00 am
Bird Walks for families with children will begin at 10:30 am
Learn, Listen & Identify the Birds
Saturday, August 22, 8:00 am
Bird Walks for families with children will begin at 10:30 am
Open House On The Prairie
Saturday, August 22, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Watch for more information on this event in August, or check the 2009 Class Schedule link below.
Attracting and Nurturing Butterflies in Your Garden
Saturday, August 29, 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Learn how to recognize, attract, and protect these wonderful creatures in your own garden. Michelle Crozier's interest in herbs accidentally led her to a 6 or 8 year study of butterflies. Her curious and analytical nature allowed her to capture the magnificent transformations of caterpillars to butterflies and moths on film and video. Michelle has an MBA and has been a gardener and nature lover since childhood. Class fee $10 per person.
Reservations are required. Contact Phyllis Merrick at 913-685-3604 or at volunteercoordinator@opkansas.org. 10% discount for FOTA members. Download and print the complete 2009 Class Schedule.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND CLASSES:
JUNE
27 Bird Walk 8 am
27 STEMS-A Garden Soiree*
30 2009 Photo Contest Ends
JULY
8 Herbs for Beautiful Skin...The Recipes 10-1*
12 FOTA Annual Meeting
25 Bird Walk 8 am
AUGUST
22 Bird Walk 8 am
Open House on the Prairie 11-2
29 Attracting Butterflies to Your Garden 10-11:30*
30 Photo Contest Awards Event 3-5
* There is a fee for these events/classes
Learn more about upcoming events at the Arboretum website.
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New Board Member
By Karen Haake
James Holland II, an attorney with Fisher & Phillips LLP, never knows for whom or when his donation of blood platelets will be used. However, he does know that he will be donating platelets every two weeks as he just makes this a routine part of his life. Last year, after making his 100th donation he was inducted into the Community Blood Centers "Century Club" for the remarkable achievement.
 Born in Shreveport, LA, Jim is a die-hard LSU tiger and received both his undergraduate and law degrees from LSU. He currently practices in the areas of arbitration, collective bargaining, harassment and employment discrimination and gives seminars on a variety of employment topics.
He and his wife Nancy have two sons and they all share a passion for baseball. When not working, volunteering or following LSU sports, he and the boys can be found on a field playing baseball.
We welcome Jim to the FOTA board.
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Step Right Up: The Children's Garden
By Margaret Kalal
Stepping stones lead to learning in
the Children's Area at the OP Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. The
prairie grass maze in the Children's Garden now has brightly decorated
and educational stepping stones throughout its many paths.Each letter of the alphabet is represented by twig-like letters in both upper and lower case. Birds, lizards, dragonflies, and earthworms on each of the stones lead kids of all ages through a labyrinth of letters.
Numbers 1 through 10 are not only
displayed in bright colors of orange, green, yellow, blue, and red, but
have corresponding stones representing animals, insects, or other
nature found in the Arboretum. If you wind your way to the middle of
this grass extravaganza, you will find stones pointing North, South,
East, and West. Critter paws on the stones give our young learners a
chance to place their feet over the paws, facing each direction.
So if you and your young family members need some brushing up on your educational essentials, step up to the prairie grass maze and step on our fun stones. A special thank you to FOTA volunteers Karen McNerney, Sue Bolan and Teri Shields for their artistic talents in painting the stones and placing them in the maze.
Photos by Teri Shields
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