A Walk on the Wild Side
Story on the AZ Daily Sun website.
By GEAN SHANKS
Sun Staff Reporter
Monday, July 13, 2009
Under the shade of well-loved trees, botanist Dr. Gwendolyn Waring is surrounded by the varied but harmonious native plant species and eager visitors for her wildflower walk.
The Arboretum has been featuring these walks for about five years. The next sessions are July 25, Aug. 8 and Aug. 29. Each starts at 9:30 a.m. Waring takes the amateur nature explorers through trails in the 200 acres of the Arboretum and provides detailed descriptions and highlights of the inhabitants of the garden.
Near the beginning of the trail, Waring pulls us off the path into a grove of aspens and Columbines. A nearby bird offers a song as Waring explains the plants surrounding us. Aspens, she says, are well known to be struggling due to elks, fires and possibly global warming. But they are still very numerous and one of the most widespread living things on Earth.
"I guess they can stand to lose a little, but still be okay," she says.
Columbines, Waring tells us, are known well throughout the northern hemisphere and are full of nectar for wandering bees. These particular flowers are a striking yellow with long spurs, and they cover much of the land we travel during our walk.
Next, we move past the herb garden planted by Frances McAllister, a local philanthropist with an eclectic love of organizations who passed away last year.
"It's kind of a wonderful herb garden," Waring says. "Can you imagine coming out here in the morning?"
A chorus of agreement replies. This is a lively group. At almost every stop, a visitor has a question.
"Now, can you eat the berries?" one woman asks, gathering leaves of the plant in her hand.
Waring says she doesn't know and a man in the gathering says, "You can be our test case."
Many of the participants bring along a nature book, looking up their favorite flowers and stopping Waring to provide her own description of the plants they don't recognize.
More common than the books are cameras. Wendy Kemp snaps a photo of a purple flower.
"I love it; I just love being in nature -- I love the setting in the woods," Kemp says.
This is Kemp's first time here, though she is a member of the Phoenix Botanical Gardens. She was excited when she saw information about the walk in Heritage Square, she says.
All the flowers are too beautiful to pick a favorite, she says, but she found the milk flower -- which Waring had everyone stop to smell -- and the blanket flower -- a vibrant ray of blood red, burnt orange and sunshine -- very alluring.
Dana Nellen, who is from California, is also a first-timer.
"I am not a plant person, but I love this walk," she says.
Visit thearb.org for more information about the wildflower walks.
By GEAN SHANKS
Sun Staff Reporter
Monday, July 13, 2009
Under the shade of well-loved trees, botanist Dr. Gwendolyn Waring is surrounded by the varied but harmonious native plant species and eager visitors for her wildflower walk.
The Arboretum has been featuring these walks for about five years. The next sessions are July 25, Aug. 8 and Aug. 29. Each starts at 9:30 a.m. Waring takes the amateur nature explorers through trails in the 200 acres of the Arboretum and provides detailed descriptions and highlights of the inhabitants of the garden.
Near the beginning of the trail, Waring pulls us off the path into a grove of aspens and Columbines. A nearby bird offers a song as Waring explains the plants surrounding us. Aspens, she says, are well known to be struggling due to elks, fires and possibly global warming. But they are still very numerous and one of the most widespread living things on Earth.
"I guess they can stand to lose a little, but still be okay," she says.
Columbines, Waring tells us, are known well throughout the northern hemisphere and are full of nectar for wandering bees. These particular flowers are a striking yellow with long spurs, and they cover much of the land we travel during our walk.
Next, we move past the herb garden planted by Frances McAllister, a local philanthropist with an eclectic love of organizations who passed away last year.
"It's kind of a wonderful herb garden," Waring says. "Can you imagine coming out here in the morning?"
A chorus of agreement replies. This is a lively group. At almost every stop, a visitor has a question.
"Now, can you eat the berries?" one woman asks, gathering leaves of the plant in her hand.
Waring says she doesn't know and a man in the gathering says, "You can be our test case."
Many of the participants bring along a nature book, looking up their favorite flowers and stopping Waring to provide her own description of the plants they don't recognize.
More common than the books are cameras. Wendy Kemp snaps a photo of a purple flower.
"I love it; I just love being in nature -- I love the setting in the woods," Kemp says.
This is Kemp's first time here, though she is a member of the Phoenix Botanical Gardens. She was excited when she saw information about the walk in Heritage Square, she says.
All the flowers are too beautiful to pick a favorite, she says, but she found the milk flower -- which Waring had everyone stop to smell -- and the blanket flower -- a vibrant ray of blood red, burnt orange and sunshine -- very alluring.
Dana Nellen, who is from California, is also a first-timer.
"I am not a plant person, but I love this walk," she says.
Visit thearb.org for more information about the wildflower walks.