Last week, Hoyt Arboretum’s Curator, Martin Nicholson took a rare Friday off. Naturally, that was when a package containing live animals arrived at the Visitor Center. It had been hand-delivered to the front desk, labeled “PERISHABLE”. Luckily, PP&R Horticulturist Vinny was around the corner to recognize the situation for what it was: not a surprise … Read more
If you were to sneak a peek into Hoyt Arboretum’s maintenance yard, the first things you’d notice might be the practical signs of a working natural area: tightly packed work trucks, shelving stacked floor-to-ceiling with shovels, rakes, pruners, and handsaws, bins of organized work gloves, and everything necessary for everyday stewardship. But—past the tools and … Read more
Every Tuesday is a lively one at Hoyt Arboretum—boots clomping and the comforting chatter of people gathering for our weekly stewardship crew. But, the week before Thanksgiving, Tuesday Crew felt special. When I arrived that morning and saw just how many people were packed into the classroom listening to Martin share the plan for the … Read more
The next time you wind your way along the sunny switchbacks of the Overlook Trail, you may spy some conspicuously non-tree additions to our living plant collections. On one exposed patch of soil, knee-high starts of milkweed and coneflower sway bravely in the summer sun. These small plants, often valued for their pollinator impact, are … Read more
How many animals do you know that live in trees? The classics like squirrels, birds, and maybe even raccoons might come to mind. But have you ever given any thought to beetle galleries? These are the patterns created by bark beetles as they eat away at old, decaying trees and were one of many habitat … Read more