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An E-Newsletter for Selby Gardens Volunteers MARCH 2015

Volunteers are encouraged to provide “news tips” and stories for The Inside Dirt. If you have something to share, please contact Phyllis Kirtley at (941) 366-5731 x 227 or e-mail pkirtley@selby.org. or contact Diana Schultz at terra06@embarqmail.com. (please specify subject as “selby.”)

Volunteer Recognition Dinner Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 5:30 pm

JOIN US FOR THE PARTY OF THE YEAR! Sponsored by MICHAEL’S ON EAST

More details will be arriving soon so watch your email!

All volunteers who worked 25 or more hours at Selby Gardens in 2014 will receive an email invitation from Evite.

You Must RSVP through Evite so we have an accurate count for the caterers. There will be charge of $40 for guests and for volunteers who did not work the minimum number of hours in 2014.

Orioles “Go Green” Day to Benefit Selby Gardens

Tuesday, March 17, 2015 at 1:05 pm

Selby Gardens has embarked on a new community partnership with the Baltimore Orioles. Sarasota is the team’s hometown for Spring Training. They selected the Gardens as the beneficiary for “Go Green” Day, which falls on St. Patrick’s Day this year.

The team uses the occasion to tout their own environmental initiatives and encourage fans to take strides of their own. During the game, the Orioles players wear custom designed

Volunteer Newsletter

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green ball caps. After the game, they sign them and auction them off. Selby Gardens will reap the proceeds from this year’s auction, which ends March 24.

As part of our partnership, we will be offering a members-only discount admission to the game and, of course, promoting the auction to members and guests using social media and email channels. The number of tickets available at this special price is limited, so get yours today by visiting http://www.orioles.com/tix/selbygardens.

Volunteer Opportunities

If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact Phyllis Kirtley at 366-5731 x 227 or pkirtley@selby.org.

Garden Music Series We need volunteers on Sunday afternoons in April and May, both in the Gardens and in the Welcome Center. Positions include cashiers, membership sales, survey takers, and greeters. So please let Phyllis know if you’re available.

Mothers’ Day – May 10 We are hosting four brunch seatings this year instead of three. Volunteers are needed for check-in and to help seat our guests. We will be running two shifts, 8:30-11:30 and 11:30-3:00.

Welcome Center Register positions are available Saturday afternoons.

Plant Shop There are openings Friday and Saturday mornings and Saturday afternoons.

Horticulture We have openings in the gardening crew on Thursdays and Fridays.

Administrative Help in Education We are looking for one or two volunteers to organize and schedule the volunteers who work in the Conservatory and on the Ask Me Cart.

Calligraphy Volunteers The Events Department is looking for Calligraphy artists to address development and community formal invitations.

A call to our existing Walk & Talk Tour Guides

Our Adult Tour Guide team is seeking new guides. You will begin by shadowing one of

our experienced Adult Guides. These tours are generally between 1 to 1.5 hours. We

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also have a full Gardens' "talking

points" document to share with those

interested. Please contact

mshelley@selby.org for more

information and to schedule a

shadowing session.

Ask me Cart and Conservatory

Guide Openings

We have six open slots for Ask Me

Cart and three open slots for

Conservatory guides - contact

cron@selby.org for times and

details.

YFP (Youth & Family Programs)

Our Little Sprouts preschool program is growing! Engaging volunteers are needed

once a month to help set-up and facilitate engaging, nature-inspired crafts and sensory

activities for our littlest garden guests. Don't miss this opportunity, it's a positively

delightful experience! Email dferguson@selby.org for more information.

Also we are in need of volunteers for family & school programs.

Kids' Corner/Children's Rainforest Garden We still need volunteers Saturday mornings in the Kids' Corner. The greatest need is on "Selby Saturdays" mornings once monthly. Contact is dferguson@selby.org or x 273.

School tour guides

Shifts vary. Contact dferguson@selby.org for more information.

With the onset of season, combined with an increase in family and school visitors, I'd like to remind all volunteers to welcome families & students with the same enthusiasm as we welcome all guests. Selby Gardens has invested significant resources in attracting a family audience, and we want to be sure that they feel comfortable from the moment they arrive to the moment they depart. We know that Walk n Talk tours, for example, can be quite full during these months, but please keep your groups to one side of the sidewalk so that other guests can get through - including school groups and families with or without strollers. Thank you.

- Jeannie Perales

A Note from Education Director Jeannie Perales

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News from TOSCANO by Antonio Toscano de Brito

A Happy Man Surrounded by Orchids

Photos by Wade Collier

Dr. Antonio Toscano de Brito and his collaborators in Brazil have been awarded a prestigious grant from the Brazilian government which will support the continuation of Selby’s orchid research in Brazil. In recognition of his contribution to the project, Toscano has been named “Special Visiting Researcher” at Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), which is located in Curitiba.

The three-year grant aims to attract senior foreign researchers with recognized international leadership in Brazil’s priority scientific areas in order to promote international exchange and collaboration between Brazilian and foreign scientific institutions. The grant will cover nine international trips to Brazil, provide funds for the molecular laboratory at UFPR and cover most field expenses and domestic travel within Brazil.

The grant will also provide funds for three postdoctoral positions at the University in Curitiba. The post doc candidates, who will work under Drs. Eric Smidt’s and Toscano’s supervision, are expected to develop their research at UFPR and Selby. The official title of the project is: Phylogenetic, biogeographic and taxonomic studies in Pleurothallidinae and Oncidiinae – Ornithocephallus clade (ORCHIDACEAE).

Earlier days cooking in his restaurant, the Orchidarium,

while doing orchid research part-time. Photo by

Toscano

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Garden Music Series 2015 Sunday Afternoons, April 5 – May 10, 1:00pm – 3:00pm

Spring is in the air! As the weather begins to warm and new plants begin to bloom, you can look forward to afternoons outdoors with Selby Gardens Spring Music Series. The festivities will take place from 1-3 pm every Sunday from April 5 – May 10.

From classically catchy and uplifting soul music to contemporary and original dancing, the whole family is sure to enjoy these Sunday afternoon treats. Snag a spot under the shade of the beautiful banyans, grab some refreshments from Local Catering, and sit back to enjoy Sarasota’s

finest entertainers!

April 5th – Kim Betts & Gamble Creek Band April 12th – Mincey & Dehart April 19th – Paisley Craze April 26th – Jazz Ed May 3rd – SoulRcoaster May 10th – Sarasota Concert Band

Upcoming Volunteer Gatherings

Pot Luck Luncheon May 21st, 12:00 Noon in the Great Room by the Bay for

Volunteers and Staff

Participants will be asked to bring specific types of food/beverages to share. Please

remember to bring serving utensils!

What’s New with the Associates? by Carmen Baskind

Congratulations to Joan Irwin, who volunteers at Selby Gardens in the Conservatory, winner of The Art of Plants drawing on February 22 during the Plant and Garden Festival. She is the lucky recipient of an entertainment package valued at over $1,200.00.

Bruce Segal, who started Project Rainforest in 1991 as the educational arm of the Delaware Valley Rainforest Action Group, will be the guest speaker at the Associates luncheon on March 16 in the Great Room by the Bay. Bruce will discuss the importance of tropical rainforests in the areas of medicine, climate control, products, and endangered species. He will describe the dazzling beauty and devastating loss of the world’s rainforests.

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The luncheon will be catered by Milan Catering. Associates, their guests, members of the Gardens, and Garden volunteers are welcome. Contact Carmen Baskind at 941.724.1854 for additional information.

Celebrating March birthdays are: Marcia Dove, Kathy Ewing, Mary Heins, Kathryn Johnson, Cornelia Matson, Jane Potter, Sharon Rivera, Sue Scully, and Barbara Stafford.

Get Into the Great Outdoors!

Non-stop Spring Break Family Adventures March 7 – 15 and March 20 – April 5, Gardens-wide

There’s something new to experience every day during Spring Break at Selby Gardens—Sarasota’s ultimate family destination for endless thrills, hands-on activities and live musical performances, plus a special kid’s menu (so be sure to come hungry)!

Take a look at all the daily FUN going on in the Children’s Rainforest & Kids’ Corner (10:00am to 4:30pm)

• Make your own Rainforest Mask (visit the Rainforest Mask exhibit in the Mansion first) • Go on a Plant Hunt and WIN a Prize • Nature-based Games, Arts & Crafts • Jungle Jenga, Drums, Scarves • Suspended Rope Bridges, Exploring Caves, Misting Waterfall

Little Sprouts Club

Little Sprouts is a fun, interactive program for preschoolers and their caregivers. Hundreds of families participate in this delightful program designed to stimulate young imaginations, engage curiosity, and encourage early development of a lifelong love and respect for nature. The Little Sprouts program is a family-friendly way to enjoy the beauty of the Gardens. Free for Members and preschoolers • Adult non-members pay regular admission UPCOMING PROGRAMS:

Coastal Sand Dunes and Seashore: April 7, 8, and 11 @ 10:30 am

Muddy Day: May 5, 6, and 9 @ 10:30 am

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In the Tropical Conservatory

Pura Vida- a Botanical Expedition to Costa Rica March 27 to April 10 in the Tropical Conservatory

A new horticulture display that highlights Selby Gardens’ extensive botanical field work in Costa Rica and other New World Tropics rainforest habitats opens in March in the Tropical Conservatory. Plants on display will include some specimens from Selby’s living collection of approximately 500 species that derive from Costa Rica, including the country’s national flower, Guarianthe skinneri, (if it’s in bloom at that time).

Like the fall display, “Colors of the Tropics,” this exhibition will contain artistic and interpretive elements to enhance visitors’ experience and understanding of the value of these fragile ecosystems. Guests will also gain an appreciation for what botanical researchers look for during expeditions and how they gather notes and samples from the field.

Because the timing for the display synchronizes with the annual rainforest mask exhibit in the Museum of Botany & the Arts, ethno-geographic information will be on display as well as some of the fine craftsmanship of the indigenous people of Boruca who create the masks.

A highlight of the exhibit will be the display of some two dozen animal forms, painted by the artisans from Boruca for permanent display in the Ann Goldstein Children’s Rainforest Garden. The rainforest animals project is made possible by a grant from the Woman’s Exchange of Sarasota.

In the Museum of Botany & the Arts

Rainforest Masks of Costa Rica from March 6 – April 17

March 12 from 10:00 am – Noon is a Mask painting class Celebrate the mask making traditions of the Borucan Indians of Costa Rica while painting along with one of the visiting artists. Learn design techniques while painting an authentic rainforest-inspired mask of your own.

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Instructor: Marilynn Shelley Member, $40; Non-member, $55 Materials Fee: $25 – $40 per mask

March 14-15 from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm is a Meet the Artists in the Museum of Botany & the Arts. RSVP is not required. Fantastic, wild and impressively detailed, Rainforest Masks of Costa Rica, is a beloved traditional exhibit at Selby Gardens. Each year visitors are captivated by the incredible new imagery and brilliant colors depicted in the meticulously hand-carved, painted masks inspired by Costa Rican flora and fauna.

Guests may purchase a mask of their own to take home when the exhibit ends. Proceeds benefit the Borucan artists and Selby Gardens’ mission of conservation, research, education and horticulture.

Free and Discounted Classes

Please note: To secure the special prices listed below; active volunteers must

register and pay in advance of class at the Welcome Center or on our website.

http://www.selby.org/learning/classes

New! Ikebana Basket and Miniature Ikebana Wednesday, March 25, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm Instructors: Pat Bonarek and Adrienne Wagner Special Volunteer Price: $25 Plus Materials Fee: $28 (pay instructor).

Orchids 101 Saturday, March 28, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Instructor: Monroe Kokin Special Volunteer Price: $25

Potting & Mounting Orchids Wednesday, April 1, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Instructor: Angel Lara Special Volunteer Price: $25

Using a Digital Camera Friday, April 17, 10:00 am – 1:30 pm Instructor: Bob Fink Special Volunteer Price: $25

What’s in Bloom – by Terri Tumlin

After the chilly weather we have been having for the past couple of weeks, the warm pleasant sunshine brought out many visitors to the garden today. The weather and the gardens were wonderful. This month I toured the northern end of the garden.

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1. Along the eastern wall just east of the tea shop, enjoy the spikes of tiny white flowers of the sweet almond bush (Aloysia virgata). 2. Further north along the brick walkway along the east side of the garden, the coral shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana) is in full display.

3. Clinging to the arbor over the walkway going east from the Mansion, Azores jasmine (Jasminum azoricum) has many lovely small white flowers. 4. Go around the west side of the Mansion to enjoy the pink and rose colored blooms on the rhododendrom ‘George Tabor’. 5. South of the Mansion, along the eastern wall just south of the wooden gate, the climbing plant Thunbergia grandiflora is sporting many spectacular lavender blooms.

“I like gardening – it’s a place where I find myself when I need to lose

myself.” – Alice Sebold