Fall 2024

Volume 72, No. 3

A Wonderful Season at the Garden!

from Garden Curator Susan Wilkins

It has been another busy season at the Wildflower Garden.  As I look back on 2024, I am delighted by all of the wonderful activity that has occurred at the Garden in terms of programs, volunteer participation, and projects. 

It has been another busy season at the Wildflower Garden.  As I look back on 2024, I am delighted by all of the wonderful activity that has occurred at the Garden in terms of programs, volunteer participation, and projects. 

We have tallied over 45,000 visitor engagements (welcomes, conversations, information sharing) between visitors and the education staff and volunteers working at the Kiosk, Visitor Shelter, and on the trails through September 29, 2024.  So far this season, 4,260 program participants have enjoyed a tour or program led by Garden staff as well. With one month to go, more visitor interactions and program participants will be added to the tally for the full season. 

The Wildflower Garden seasonal education staff of eleven have done a tremendous job of sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm for the natural world each day with people from a great diversity of backgrounds. Visitors from our community and from around the country and the world who visit the Garden have enriched experiences here thanks to their efforts. We are quite fortunate to be able to recruit talented and welcoming seasonal education staff each year who bring out the best of the education program at the Garden. 

Wildflower Garden seasonal field staff have continued the legacy of care and tending to the Garden’s soon to be 18+-acre native plant collection with great intelligence and effort. Significant projects this season have enhanced the Garden’s plant collection, including the addition of over 3,000 plants.  The Garden’s dedicated and talented field staff ensure that the biodiversity and beauty of the Garden are nurtured and enhanced. 

The Garden’s 200+ volunteers are essential to the operations and the spirit of the Garden. Docent volunteers, Friends Invasive Plan Action Group volunteers, Legacy Volunteers, Corporate Volunteers, and The Friends Board all provide a variety of critical support to the Garden and the public visiting the Garden. 

Two projects identified in the 2019 Wildflower Garden Improvements Plans have been completed or are underway in the Garden including:   

• The construction of two new utility buildings for field-based equipment and tool storage. The buildings include outdoor areas for plant storage as well.
• The installation of a new 8’ chain-link fence along the eastern boundary of the Garden is scheduled to be completed late this autumn. The construction costs of this project are being fully funded through a generous donation by the Friends of the Wildflower Garden. 

Below: The two new storage sheds, constructed over the summer. Photo G D Bebeau

Additional projects worked on this season include: 

• Field work wrapped up in September for the 2023-34 bee census. This census is being completed by Dr. Elaine Evans and her team from the U of MN. The Friends of the Wildflower Garden and MPRB are sharing the cost of this project. Results from the census are expected to be available in early 2025.
• A new logo has been developed for the Garden.
• The Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden Florilegium project is wrapping up at the end of 2024, with a total of over 100 botanical art illustrations now a part of the permanent collection. A final group of illustrations will be reviewed and many accessioned to complete the project in early 2025. 
• The on-going partnership with the Loppet Foundation continues with a focus on providing nature- focused programming led by EBWG staff at the trailhead and surrounds each winter. These efforts started last winter and over 1,250 people enjoyed full-length and pop-up programming at the Trailhead as a result.
• A new certified, year-round education position has been funded with support from the Loppet Foundation. This position will be responsible for coordinating and leading year-round nature-focused education programming in the Garden (during the Garden season) and in Wirth Park in the winter months in collaboration with the Loppet Foundation.

Thank you for another wonderful season of learning about and loving nature at the Wildflower Garden. Wishing you all a nourishing winter season ahead.❖

Read Susan's previous letters here.

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Summer 2024

Volume 72, No. 2

The Wildflower Garden opened on April 16 this year for a vibrant and busy spring season! The spring wildflower display was gorgeous this season and now, in early June, the Showy Lady’s Slippers are in bloom and drawing visitors from near and far. 

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From April 16 to June 2, staff and volunteers have noted 15,479 visitor engagements at the Welcome Kiosk, on the trails, and in the Visitor Shelter. That is an average of 369 visitor engagements per day at the Garden. How exciting! 

These interactions bring the Garden to life for visitors, as staff and volunteers share information about bird sightings, blooming plant highlights and more. Visitors often enjoy sharing their stories from their visit with volunteers and staff as well. So many wonderful connections between people happen here while they learn and share about nature. It’s such a gift! 

The talented and knowledgeable provisional, part-time naturalist staff Cheyanne Rose, Debbie Keyes, Erin Dietrich, Hana Kim, Jodi Gustafson, Katie Laux, Keygan McClellan, Linette Maeder, Maria Montero, Tammy Mercer and Education Program Lead Kimberly Ishkov have been busy preparing for and leading programs and tours for youth and adults this spring. Natural Resources Specialist Nicholas Purcell has assisted with several adult programs to share his specialized knowledge of Garden care and plant collection management. 

All together, they have led a total of 85 nature-focused programs so far this season (through June 2), serving 888 public program participants and 337 school and adult group tour participants for a total of 1,225 youth and adult program participants. 

A programming highlight from May includes having special guest readers Superintendent Al Bangoura and Park Police Chief Jason Ohotto reading at the popular Garden Storytime programs. They both did an amazing job of reading and connecting with the little kids and their families, who were large and sometimes wiggly audiences! Human Resources Director Mae Brooks will be out in June to join in the fun! 

Forty-four docent volunteers have been trained in and have already given 363 hours since April 20. These volunteers welcome and connect with visitors at the Welcome Kiosk and in the Visitor Shelter.  

Over 100 field volunteers have contributed over 200 volunteer hours since early April. Friends Invasive Plant Action Group volunteers, Legacy Volunteers, MN DNR volunteers, and several corporate groups have all given their time in the field in a variety of capacities this season! 

This means that over 500 volunteer hours have been given in just two months at the Wildflower Garden by close to 150 people–wow! A heartfelt thank you to all of the volunteers involved with Garden programs and care. 

In addition to the staff mentioned above, we welcome college interns Analise Kruse and George Walker for a summer of learning and garden care. Thank you to all of the Garden staff for their tremendous work so far this season to support and care for the visitors and volunteers of the Garden. We will look forward to seeing you at the Garden this summer and autumn.❖

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Spring 2024

Volume 72, No. 1

"The restful sleep of winter is over, the emptied snow clouds rolled away. There comes then a faint thrill of quickening life. The early flowers soothe the tired eye wearied by winters sombre tones. Soft spring colors in the woodlands, a flush of green on the boughs, the freshness of a bright spring day, then all nature wakes to sing."
Martha Crone 

While considering what spirit to convey for welcoming in spring this year with all of you, the Wildflower Garden’s community of friends and visitors, I found this quote above from Martha Crone which captures the essence of this time of transition so well. Written decades ago, her words still so aptly describe what feels to be a timeless time of year here in the mid-north of our northern hemisphere. Thank you, Martha!

  

Below: Martha Crone in the upland of Eloise Butler in 1951.
Minneapolis Tribune photo. Note in the right center background
how small the Norway Spruce are in 1951.
They were planted in the 1940s.

This winter has been a gentle one in terms of temperatures and the lack of icy sidewalks and frozen snowbanks to shovel. The pronounced warmth has been remarkable and hopefully will subside now that the El Nino weather pattern is breaking up over the Pacific Ocean. With climate change, it’s difficult to tease apart all of the variations of weather we now experience and to make sense of new patterns. It’s even more challenging to try to understand, or really grasp, what the future holds. In this experience of change, we are all here together now, going forward and finding our way, whether we want to be or not, here we are.

  

I will say that the Garden has quietly carried on through this nearly snowless winter and as of mid-March is showing the earliest signs of spring peaking through the leaf litter. A wee wild leek blade, a hint of green from last year’s Christmas fern fronds, silver maple and pussy willow flowers in bloom. For now, the warm days of early March have subsided, and the beginning hints of growth are slowed by cooler temperatures. Something for which I think we are all, many of us at least, pleased with.  

 

And as Martha Crone forewarns, regardless of cooler days now, spring will come and with it a flurry of activity that requires an incongruent pairing of patience and steadfast alertness if one does not want to miss the blossoms of the early spring woods.  

 

"In April and May, those who seek the shy spring flowers must search them out patiently in the woods, yet here in the wild flower garden one must be alert to keep pace with the rapid succession of the wildflowers."
Martha Crone 

We have much to look forward to this season at the Wildflower Garden. I will list a few highlights here and be sure to stay in touch by visiting with staff and volunteers at the Garden and also via our Facebook and Instagram pages @ebwgmpls. Returning and new staff are working diligently to prepare the Garden grounds and the programming offered at the Garden for visitors. We are scheduled to open on Tuesday, April 16 for the 2024 season. Look for program listings on the Garden’s webpage at www.minneapolisparks.org/ebwg 

Several planting projects are planned in the Garden, including a significant planting project to replace non-native periwinkle plants with native woodland plants, over the course of the season. 

The 2023-2024 bee census research work will continue this season, led by Entomologist Dr. Elaine Evans. This study is funded in partnership between the Friends of the Wildflower Garden and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. We look forward to sharing Dr. Evans and her team’s findings in early 2025.

Improvement projects at the Garden, including the construction of an improved area for equipment storage, will likely be underway this spring. Information about projects like this will be posted on the Garden’s webpage. Follow the link under the Improvements Project header.

   Wishing you all a joyful and easeful transition into spring. I hope to see you on the Garden trails soon! ❖

Above - emerging fiddleheads of Christmas Fern. Photo G D Bebeau.

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