A Love Letter to The Arboretum
Show me a University of Guelph student that has never visited the Arboretum and I will show you a student that is missing out.
The Perfect Ending: My Experience Conducting Research at the University of Guelph Arboretum
In early September of 2019, I received an email describing an amazing experiential learning opportunity, a course on the history of The Arboretum. The final outcome of the course was intended to be a short book that would be sold as a fundraiser for their 50th anniversary celebrations in 2020. As soon as I read this email, I knew that the opportunity aligned with my interests, and before I knew it, I met with Dr. Kim Martin and my fellow classmates. We were on our way. Together, we conducted plenty of archival research in McLaughlin library, documenting information from newspapers, press releases, original map drawings, and even photographs. We then conducted a series of oral history interviews with both current and former Arboretum staff members. Although the second semester working on this project was cut short due to the global pandemic of COVID-19, the skills and experiences I gained from working with the team will assist me in the years to come.
A Living Museum of Plants
To me, the coolest part of The Arboretum is the diversity of trees and shrubs seen throughout each collection. Plants originating from around the world can be found in just a few acres of land. It is as if you are walking through a living plant museum! Each plant is carefully recorded in our database as it is planted. Species tags are displayed on the tree indicate the tree’s scientific name, the year it was planted and where it originated.
The Things You Notice
Mowing grass and weeding are just two maintenance duties we spend our weeks completing at The Arboretum. Weeding concentrates on small areas while mowing focuses on large expanses, yet both are deeply satisfying. To look back and see an area of the Arboretum you either uncovered from tall grass or cleared of thistles and garlic mustard is quite rewarding. It's gratifying to see your time and effort have left an impression, however temporary.
The Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)
With its large leaves and mango-like fruit, the pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a rare and unusual component of southern Ontario forests.
A Historical Approach to The Outdoors
This past summer, I was hired as an Undergraduate Research Assistant for the University of Guelph’s Arboretum. As a URA, I was tasked with re-designing parts of The Arboretum’s website, completing historical research, and coordinating the 50th Year Celebrations social media campaign. It was an exciting and jam-packed couple of months!
Moments in The Arboretum
I’ve been working at The Arboretum for a few months now and days go by slow, but the weeks go by fast. It’s already the middle of July! I think we all find that life, with the way it is these days, is very repetitive and slips away faster than ever before. After realizing that this month is nearly over, I have been searching for moments that slow time down to appreciate life and time itself; anything that sparks a thought, a feeling, one simply so beautiful that I count it as a ‘moment’.
Matteo Pereria’s Reflections
Hello, my name is Matteo Pereira, I am a new student employee at the Arboretum this summer. I am studying Environmental Governance at the University of Guelph.
Unusual Canadian Cacti
One of the best things about working at The Arboretum is getting to know some of the more unusual collections.