Chair's Corner...
 I am honored to serve as Chair of The Friends of the Arboretum (FOTA) for 2010. This will be my third year on the Executive Committee. I am the past chair of the Holiday Luminary Walk and have been an active volunteer for many years with various committees and events at the Arboretum. The plant sale, weddings, luminary, arts for kids, greenhouse, tours, golf tournament, donor board and sponsors are all areas where I have participated. I enjoy my activities at the Arboretum particularly because of all of the wonderful friends I make at these events. I invite all of you to come join the fun at the Arboretum during every season of the year!
It is going to be an exciting 2010 at the Arboretum. A few of the new events and activities include a Spring Celebration showcasing the stunning display of tulips, narcissus, hyacinths and alliums planted by Karen Kerkhoff and her staff. Themed birthday parties and geocaching (a sort of hide-and-seek with a GPS) will give families even more reasons to come see us at the Arboretum. Our new Winter Concert Series will be a great way to spend Sunday afternoons in February.
We were very lucky to have had Karen Haake as Chair for the last two years. She brought strong leadership to FOTA and led us wisely through many changes. There isn't space in this newsletter to share with you all the hours and valuable service that Karen has given to FOTA and the Arboretum. Hers will be very big shoes to fill. I am glad Karen has another year to serve on the Executive Committee as I will have lots of questions for her.--Teri Shields
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Watch for more information on the Arboretum's upcoming winter concert series. Every Sunday in February, well-known area musicians will perform from 2 to 3 pm in the Visitors Center. Limited seating, tickets $5.00. Order online or call 816-820-7499.
February 7
Stan Kessler, Jazz Trumpet
February 14
Jerry Uppman and Bill Pitts,
Rhythm Room Duo
February 21
Roger Wilder and Davie Chael,
Keyboard and Saxophone
February 28
Stephanie Laws,
Piano and Vocal Duo
Proceeds will be used by the Bird Committee to purchase food for the Arboretum's wild birds.
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FOTA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Teri Shields, Chair
Jim Holland, Vice Chair
Kathy Alspaugh, Secretary
John Kalal, Treasurer
Larry Engelkemier
Stacey Gilman
Margaret Maher-Williams
Georgia Erickson & Russell Simmons, ARFOP Liaisons
Karen Haake, Past Chair
FOTA ADMINISTRATOR
Suzie Swyden
fotacoordinator@yahoo.com
FOTA VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS
Arts for Kids, Stacey Gilman &
Stephanie Battison
Bird Committee, Sue Davidson
Bird Feeders, Bob Buehler
Celebrate Spring, Teri Shields
Eagle Scouts, Hugh McCreery
Fit To Be Tied, Kari Wood & Karen Haake
Garden Shows, Karen Haake
Golf Tournament, Margaret Maher-Williams & Carol Martin Tracey
Greeters, Phyllis Merrick
Luminary Walk, Margaret Kalal
Membership, Suzie Swyden
Music Series, Russell Simmons & Suzie Swyden
Photography, Margaret Maher-Williams
Plant Sale, Phyllis Merrick & Don Tetzlaff
Prairie Restoration, Chuck Garrett
Safety, Don Tetzlaff
Tours, Cathy Lovetere
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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Volunteers Are Gearing Up for 2010
Join the fun at the Sign-Up Meeting!
The Volunteer Sign-Up Meeting will be held on February 6 in the Visitors Center. Come any time
between 10 and 2 and sign up to help with the committees and/or events
of your choice in 2010.
Volunteer Coordinator Phyllis Merrick will hold another new volunteer orientation session February 20 from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Visitors Center, covering volunteer opportunities such as
gardening, greeting, prairie restoration, greenhouse operations,
weddings, photography, birds, special events and plant sales.
Pre-register by calling 913-685-3604 or by e-mail:
volunteercoordinator@opkansas.org
 Consider spending part of your leisure time volunteering at our 300-acre Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. The Arboretum is a great place for people to get back in touch with nature, admire the beauty of numerous flower and water gardens and become a part of a wonderful volunteer experience. The volunteer requirement is 30 hours per calendar year. We will put you to work, but it will feel more like FUN!
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Two More Ways to Help
Even if you are not an "official" Arboretum volunteer, you can help:
We always need good photos of Arboretum events for use in the eNews and event promotions. Plant sales, Arts for Kids, the Holiday Luminary Walk -- we know you are taking candid shots of Arboretum events, and we want to see your best work. So, for an excellent chance of seeing your photos in use and gaining instant fame, email your best event shots to Suzie Swyden at fotacoordinator@yahoo.com.
For the new Father's Day event (June 19) called "Fit to Be Tied," we need your no-longer-worn men's neckties. This parent-child event will be a combination walk and fun obstacle course for the whole family. There is a collection box for ties in the Visitors Center. Watch for future announcements and mark your calendars now for this fun Father's Day weekend activity.
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 CALENDAR
OF
EVENTS
JANUARY
20 Annual Flowers for Your Gardens 10-11:30 am*
30 Enhancing Our Local Bluebird Population 10-11:30 am*
FEBRUARY
Winter concerts every Sunday afternoon at 2
in the Visitors Center*
6 Volunteer Sign-Up Day 10-2 pm
10 Gardens in Flight 1-2:30 pm*
17 Monet Gardening, Kansas Style 10-11:30 am*
20 New Volunteer Orientation 9-11 am
27 Learn to Play the Native American Flute 10-noon*
* There is a fee for these events/classes.
Friends of the Arboretum receive a 10% discount on educational programs.
Learn more about upcoming events at the Arboretum website.
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New Class Schedule for 2010
Classes are held in the EEVC building at the Aboretum. Proceeds go to support FOTA. There is a 10% discount on class fees for FOTA members. Cash or checks only. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. To confirm reservations contact Phyllis Merrick at 913-685-3604 or at volunteercoordinator@opkansas.org. Complete class schedule at opagb.org.
Enhancing Our Local Bluebird Population
Saturday, January 30
10:00 am to 11:30 am $10.00 per person
Milt Noelken will talk about recent efforts to attract bluebirds to the Arboretum during the past three years. This program will cover the installation of 27 nest boxes designed especially for bluebirds with guards to prevent several kinds of predators from invading the nests, as well as the OPABG bluebird monitoring program. Hugh McCreery and Bob Buehler will discuss the building and designing of bluebird houses. This year's bluebird program produced 30 nests, 70 hatches, and 69 fledged bluebirds-amazing results.
FEBRUARY
Gardens in Flight
Wednesday, February 10
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
$10.00 per person
Doc and Diane Gover, owners of two Wild Birds Unlimited nature shops, will discuss the importance of continuing to feed songbirds in the spring. They will also discuss problem solving solutions, including raccoon, squirrel and grackle avoidance, and clean feeding alternatives. Diane and Doc will suggest various natural habitat, feeding stations, and nest boxes for attracting various birds to your yard and various food choices for specific birds and predator solutions. There will be time for questions during the class. Handouts provided. Join us for this wonderful and informative class.
Monet Gardening
Kansas Style
Wednesday, February 17
10:00 am to 11:30 am $10.00 per person
 Claude Monet, the famous French impressionist artist, was also a masterful gardener. He planted his garden to paint, and painted what he planted. The Monet Garden at the Arboretum is a one-acre replica of the Monet Garden in Giverny, France, done in the Kansas style of gardening. Learn about the hundreds of bulbs, perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs and wildflowers featured in the Arboretum's Monet garden. Hear about adapting the Monet concepts of plants, themes and colors to thrive in a Kansas growing environment. With tips from one of the Master Gardeners who help create and maintain this wonderfully colorful garden, think about designing your own personal Monet garden. Susan Berlinski, a Johnson County Extension Master Gardener and staff person at the Arboretum, is our own Monet specialist hosting this in-depth class.
Pictured above, the Arboterum's Monet Garden, interesting even in winter.
Learn to Play the Native American Flute
Saturday, February 27
10:00 am to 12:00 noon $25.00 per person
The Native American flute is a very inventive, simplistic and often meditative sound. Because it is so easy to play-much easier than traditional Western instruments such as guitars, French horns, clarinets, pianos and silver flutes-it lends itself easily as a meditative tool. Many people find it earthy and grounding. Others find it transporting and ethereal. The beautiful haunting sound is great for facilitating an inward experience. In this experimental workshop, you will learn the basics of the native scale and how to create native style music from the heart. Everyone will have a flute to play with a plastic tube (for sanitary reasons). This class is facilitated by a music therapist and is very non-threatening. No prior musical training needed! Many have taken this class who thought they have no musical talent and have left joyful at having discovered their inner musician! We will also cover some of the therapeutic aspects of this wonderful instrument.
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If you are having any technical difficulties with this newsletter, or if you have comments or suggestions, please contact Suzie Swyden at fotacoordinator@yahoo.com.
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