Arboretum Anecdotes
    "What do you tell Dad? In the early days of the Arboretum the back 10 acres of prairie had not been refined yet and teenage hot rodders liked to race through the fields at night. One such venture ended with the driver's car being impaled on a tree stump and catching fire as he attempted to race the motor to get it free. Imagine the surprise of the staff to find a burned out car on a tree stump in the prairie. And what do you think the young man told his folks happened to the car?"
Georgia Erickson
 
    Tell us your Arboretum story from years ago or just last week. Anything that has been important, inspiring, humorous, or just plain interesting to you. Email your story (photographs are also welcome) to [email protected].
Kickin' Back
in an Adirondack:
Hurry! Bid Online
This Week

     The Adirondack chairs remain on display through Sunday, June 28. Stop by the Arboretum to see the chairs in the gardens, cast your vote for your favorite, and then imagine that favorite chair sitting on your own porch, patio or deck -- or even out in the garden among the black-eyed Susans and zinnias.

    There are just a few days left during which you can place your bid for one of these charming examples of functional art. Bidding ends at 10 p.m. on June 28. Click here to view all the chairs and place your online bid.
CHAIR PHOTOS BY MARK HIGGINS
 

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Sonya Wright, FOTA Chair

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

913-685-3604 
Chair's Corner...
Sonya Wright, FOTA Executive Committee Chair

    The Arboretum is 25 years old this month! Hopefully you had the opportunity to participate in one of our public or private celebrations in early June. Many thanks to Suzie Swyden, our FOTA Coordinator, who pulled together all the arrangements in a very short period of time. Katharine Garrison, the Arboretum's Special Events Coordinator, along with Bre Wasinger, one of our Volunteer Coordinators, researched and created a visual history of the Arboretum and the surrounding area back to the 1800s, with help from volunteer graphic designer Judy Moser. If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to visit the Visitor Center Sunroom and check it out!  A PDF version will be coming this week on the Friends of the Arboretum website, homepage, opabg.org

     At the private celebration, we enjoyed hearing from Mayor Carl Gerlach, Parks Director Greg Ruether, and Georgia Erickson, the Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening. Georgia shared some colorful stories about the early days of the Arboretum, and that inspired us so much we've added a new feature to our FOTA newsletter called "Arboretum Anecdotes."
    We invite you to send us your anecdote. Maybe you found love, got engaged or married at the Arboretum. Maybe you had an interesting encounter with nature while walking the trails. Or maybe you had an entertaining experience while volunteering - dealing with the public is always an adventure! Whatever it is, we'd like to hear about it. Email Suzie at [email protected]
and you might see your story in a future edition of this newsletter.

     We'll be continuing to celebrate our 25th anniversary over the next few months, so stay tuned for additional ways to join us. A new "Celebrate 25 by Giving 25" campaign is a fundraiser in which donors can contribute in increments of $25 to benefit the expansion of our Children's Garden. Donations may be made at Click to donate or you may send a check payable to Friends of the Arboretum, P.O. Box 26147, Shawnee Mission, KS  66225. Mark your check "25th Anniversary."
    In addition, in observance of the 25th anniversary, there is a 25 percent discount on an 18"x18" Celebration Terrace paver. Previously priced at $800, this paver is now $600. Click for info and to purchase
     Whatever you do, be sure to come out and enjoy the gardens this summer. With all the rain, everything is green and growing. Bring your friends, neighbors and family out for a stroll - we're open until 7:30 p.m. every evening. Or join us for one of our many events listed at www.opabg.org.
     Happy Birthday, Arboretum!
New Landscaping, New Names
    Landscaping has been added to the Haake Celebration Terrace, which is located in the Stous Promenade (formerly called the Learning Arboretum). And just so you know, the tongue-twisting Environmental Education Visitors Center is now known simply as the Visitor Center. If someone slips and calls it the "EEVC," it's a good indication they have been around awhile.
PHOTO BY KEN O'DELL
There's So Much for the Kids to See and Do!
    Summer is a great time for kids to enjoy the Arboretum. There's a GeoKids session for kids age 7 to 11 on Thursday, June 25, 10 a.m. to noon, and another popular Hot Summer Days event at which the whole family can get cool and wet on Friday, July 10, 10 a.m. to noon. And of course the Train Garden is enjoyed by children of all ages every day.

CENTER PHOTO BY JOHN BREHM, LEFT AND RIGHT PHOTOS BY KATHARINE GARRISON