Chair's Corner...


Sonya Wright
Chair

FOTA Executive
Committee


     If you attended this month's FOTA meeting, you heard a volunteer ask why she should be a FOTA member. She already gets free admission because of her volunteer service - why should she pay the money to belong to FOTA?
     Simply put - if you love the Arboretum, you should be a member. The existence of FOTA is critical to the success of the Arboretum!
     The Arboretum is an example of a public-private partnership. While it's owned and staffed by the city of Overland Park and funded partially by tax dollars, money brought in through admission fees and the Garden Caf� go back into the city's general fund and are not earmarked for the Arboretum. By contrast, every penny raised by FOTA in the form of memberships, donations and event/class fees goes directly to benefit the Arboretum.
     FOTA dollars are funding the following projects currently underway:
    * One staff position - the Special Events Coordinator
    * Deer fencing around the botanical gardens
    * Restrooms in the children's garden/train garden area
    * Final phase of the train garden, to include a freight house (workshop and storage) and completion of a third train display
    FOTA exists to "preserve, enhance and promote" the Arboretum. The next 5-10 years will be exciting, and we need you! The January meeting was a great example of the passion and dedication of our FOTA members. You love the Arboretum, and are committed to its success. We can't fulfill our mission without your commitment of time, energy and resources. If you're not currently a FOTA member or have let your membership lapse, please join or renew today by clicking here.
     And here's what else I would ask of you - the Arboretum is sometimes known as "the hidden jewel of Overland Park." Let's make 2015 the year that jewel comes out of hiding! Bring your family, friends and neighbors out to attend an event, hike the trails, or to enjoy the gardens. Our marketing campaigns can only do so much - people act on referrals and suggestions from those that they trust. We have a great story to tell - let's tell it!!
 
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Friends of the Arboretum 
Executive Committee meetings are held every month but December on the second Monday at 4 p.m. in the Visitors Center and are open to the public.

Contact Information: 

 

Sonya Wright, FOTA Chair

 [email protected]   

 

Volunteer Coordinators

Breanne Wasinger and Kim Alvarez 

[email protected] 

 

Suzie Swyden, FOTA Coordinator and Membership Inquiries

[email protected]  

 

Send news and photos to

 [email protected] 

 

Katharine Garrison,

Special Events & Education Coordinator

[email protected]  

 

Commemorative Gift and

Donation Opportunities 

can be accessed online    

 

News from FOTA 
January 2015
Overland Park Arboretum
& Botanical Gardens
1/2 mile west of Hwy. 69
on 179th Street

913-685-3604 
 
Visitors and Friends of the Arboretum members come from near and far!

    A tally of 2013-2014 visitors who signed our guest book (near the greeters desk in the Visitors Center) shows that visitors represented every U.S. state with the exception of Idaho, Connecticut, West Virginia and Wyoming. In total, visitors represented more than 290 cities in the U.S. and 14 countries around the globe. A visitor from Uzbekistan came from the greatest distance, 6420 miles. 
    You may assume that Friends of the Arboretum members are all from the KC metro area. Wrong! FOTA members come from nearly a quarter of the states in the U.S. and enjoy the benefits of membership from afar. In total, FOTA members are from 95 different zip codes in this country. 

Volunteers Aly Swyden and Ryan Burnett tabulated these statistics.
Photo by Ken O'Dell


Easy Trees to I.D. in Winter 
    If all trees, with their green and leafy branches, look more or less alike to you, take a leisurely stroll through the Arboretum some winter day and notice their incredible variety. School children learn to identify trees by the shape of their leaves. But in winter, you can identify many trees by their distinctive bark alone. Some examples:
    A few steps outside the Visitors Center a weeping willow dominates the shadier part of the Monet Garden. To the south of the Monet bridge, the willow's slender, weeping branches are already turning yellow. The willow appreciates the moisture from the pond.
    As you cross the dam that separates Margaret's Pond from the woods below, look to your left and notice the mottled white trunk and branches of a mature sycamore tree. We are near the western edge of this native tree's range.
    Continue clockwise around the pond to Byrd's Grove and there you will see the peeling bark of six small paperbark maples. These trees also have spectacular autumn foliage, so you'll want to visit often in order to enjoy the Arboretum's seasonal changes.
    As you learn to identify the trees by name, you will find that you enjoy them more.

Photos by FOTA Volunteer Ken O'Dell



Volunteer in the Spotlight 
    One of our volunteer photographers stands out as especially talented at capturing pictures of the Arboretum's wildlife. A gentle soul, Kevin Keltner has been shooting everything from butterflies to deer in a most benign way since early 2008. Lucky for us, he shares his beautiful work with the Arboretum.
    Not every photographer has the patience to do what Kevin does. The trees and flowers hold still and "pose" for the camera, but the birds and bees do not. Kevin's photos frequently appear in this newsletter, and there's one at the very top of this issue.
    For those of us who know him only through his Arboretum photography, it's interesting to note that he is also involved with community theater in the KC area. Originally from Ohio (he's a proud Ohio State fan), Kevin lives in Gardner, KS.
    By the way, 99.9% of the photos used in FOTA promotions were taken at the Arboretum, most of them by FOTA volunteers. If you see Kevin, tell him how much you appreciate his work. We certainly do!

Photo by Judy Moser 
Thank you, Dennis Patton
     We can't move into the new year without giving a special thank you to Dennis Patton. People all around our community know Dennis from his work as the Johnson County Horticultural Extension Agent, which is a full time job and more. Even so, Dennis has contributed his valuable time to serve as the FOTA Executive Committee Chair for the past three years and continues on the Executive Committee this year.
    This was actually Dennis's second term as Chair, having served another term about 10 years ago. His love for the Arboretum and commitment to the mission of FOTA brought him back once again, and we have all benefited enormously.
    During his most recent tenure as Chair, Dennis launched a new vision and direction for FOTA intended to better position us for moving forward with building out the Arboretum's master plan. He leaves a valuable legacy, and we are all grateful. If you see Dennis around, please offer your heartfelt thanks to him for his steadfast commitment to the Arboretum!