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The Tollgate Farm News Volume 19 Issue 2 February 2013

Tollgate Garden Volunteer Important Dates and Events Feb Meetings Mar Activities

21 TGV General Meeting 7:00 PM 9 Pruning 9:00 AM

16 Mulch Nursery Paths 9:00 AM

Feb Activities 23 Demo Mulching 9:00 AM

23 Maple Syrup Tapping 10:00 AM Apr Meetings

2 TGAC Meeting 7:00 PM

Mar Meetings 9 Fall Fair Meeting 7:00 PM

5 TGAC Meeting 7:00 PM 18 TGV General Meeting 7:00 PM

21 TGV General Meeting 7:00 PM 20 Volunteer Orientation 9:00 AM

MSU Tollgate Gardens Volunteer General Meeting in the Conference Center Thursday, February 21, 7:00 PM

Step into My ParlorStep into My ParlorStep into My Parlor On February 21, Dorothy McLeer will share a positive "spin" on spiders. They can be a gardener's partner in pest management. Get caught in the web of intrigue that is the life of a spider as their secrets for weaving silk, hunting, courting and more are revealed. For those with arachnophobia, rest assured, no live spiders will be involved in this educational presentation.

Dorothy McLeer, MALS, CIG, CIT is the Program Coordinator and Interpretive Naturalist at the Environmental Interpretive Center (EIC) at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Her recent articles are on page 2 of Natural Explorations, http://www.umd.umich.edu/eic/Newsletters/Fall%202012.pdf and http://www.umd.umich.edu/eic/Newsletters/Spring%202013%20Web.pdf#page=1. She is an enthusiastic encyclopedia of environmental knowledge presented in an engaging and humorous manner. Dorothy works with many community non-profit organizations on environmental and educational activities. She develops and conducts programs interpreting the ecology of southeast Michigan. Dorothy is a certified interpretive guide (CIG) and a certified interpretive trainer (CIT) who is helping students secure CIG credentials through the National Association for Interpretation (NAI).

In 2010, the NAI named Dorothy as its Great Lakes Region Meritorious Service Award winner. An association of professionals involved in natural and cultural heritage interpretation in settings such as zoos, museums, parks and nature centers, the NAI gives awards to recognize outstanding achievements by members who work to advance the profession of interpretation.

In 2007, Dorothy received the William B. Stapp Award from the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE). The award recognizes an educator who exemplifies the best in the field of environmental education and has made outstanding contributions. Dorothy was selected for her work educating children who visit the EIC. MAEOE specifically recognized Dorothy's work with the Urban Environmental Outreach Program, which brought 1,300 schoolchildren each year from 12 underserved schools and environmentally challenged neighborhoods in Wayne County to the EIC to learn about the natural world.

Dorothy has also been honored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System for her work on educational environmental programs at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. Co-chair of the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance’s stewardship and education committee, Dorothy received the volunteer appreciation award in recognition of her dedication and selfless donation of time to educational programs at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge over many years.

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GREETINGS

Greetings All,

Feels like a real winter this year.

Maple Syrup: Are you ready! Maple tapping is right around the corner. It is almost time to start making that luscious syrup. On February 23rd all those interested in learning the arcane art of maple syruping are encouraged to join us at Tollgate at 10:00 AM. We will be heading to the woods with drill and tap in hand, connecting trees to the Tollgate tubing system. The maple syrup volunteers have been busy setting up the evapo-rator, splitting wood and in all ways getting ready for the season. If you are not on the maple e-mail list and are interested in being a part of this year’s activities, make sure that you contact me and I will see that you are added to the list. Work during the

season is very weather dependent, so we use e-mail to let people know what’s going on. Alt-hough most of our sap is gathered via the tubing system, there will still be a few trees that will be serviced by picturesque buckets, mostly installed on one of the many youth tours that are hosted each year.

Evenings in the Garden: Planning for the 2013 educational activities at Tollgate is complete. The Evenings in the Garden class schedule has been sent to Oakland County Extension to be fully brochurized. This year’s slate of classes will include talks on shade gardening, native plants, landscape design, vegetable gardening, conifers and other fascinating topics. We will soon be looking for volunteers to help the speakers with each class. Volunteers get to attend classes for free and get the inside track on all information presented in each class. The speakers and topics will be great, I promise! Registration information on all classes will soon be forthcoming.

Spring is right around the corner. It will not be long until we are again digging in the sweet earth. Hang on until warm weather and green plants return. I will see you soon around the farm.

from the Tol lgate Farm Manager

Roy Prentice

I need your newspapers (no shiny ads) for the PAR garden. They can be dropped off in Volunteer Communication Center through the end of May. Any extra newspaper will be recycled.

John Woodrich

WANTEDWANTED

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NNNotes from the President

MY GREEN THUMB CAME ONLY AS A RESULT OF THE MISTAKES I MADE WHILE LEARNING TO SEE THINGS FROM THE PLANT’S

POINT OF VIEW - H. Fred Dale

Area Garden Leaders/Teams: Thanks for your continued support and partic-ipation. Please feel free to consult any of the TGAC members if you have ques-

tions on the initial approval of budgets. For those who have not yet submitted budgets/plans, we would like to know your plans as soon as possible and no later than

May 1st to incorporate into budget allocations. Once plant sale proceeds are known, addition-al budget dollars may become available.

As introduced last season, we are trying to establish garden leader “teams”. This would enhance the enjoyment and learning process as well as make light work with many hands. I invite other members to consider some inter-esting and high visibility areas available that would benefit from some attention from one or more committed members as Area Garden Leader Team members. If you have the ability to view power point a revised version of the introduction to the Tollgate gardens will be forthcoming. Call me if you would like to take the time to review the gardens.

Please check the Activity Calendar for upcoming activities. The ornamental grass cut back for Saturday, March 2nd will be rescheduled to a weekday activity with Roy. Call him if you are interested in participating. Also, the Saturday, June 15th date is now an open date on the activity calendar. As always, there may be a need to alter planned activities based on weather or outstanding needs but this is the plan as set to date! Maple syrup activity starts at the end of the month, the pruning and path mulching in March and a flurry of activity starting in April!

Contact information for all members is updated yearly via the membership renewal form. Please submit ASAP so you don’t miss any important message contacts. Also, if you change your contact information during the season please notify Nancy Roggers, Membership Chairperson at tollgatemembership@gmail.com. She will update all other related sources.

Until next meeting, think spring and thank you for being a Tollgate Garden Volunteer.

Renee Cottrell, President

BAKERS NEEDED FOR 2013 Feel like baking or did you see some delicious bake goods in the store? Please feel free to bring some treats to our monthly Thursday evening meetings. No need to sign up. Need ideas? Let me know.

Yvonne, mainwoods@comcast.net

Hellebore Prepares to Bloom in the Hosta Garden

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MEMBERSHIP To continue to receive your Tollgate Farm News and workday reminders please return your Membership form to Roy's office by May 1st. To contact me with any changes to your information, e-mail address, phone number etc., please use the following e-mail address tollgatemembership@gmail.com Nancy Roggers

Teams Being FormedTeams Being FormedTeams Being FormedAreas in need of garden leader team members include the Nursery, Pond, Heritage, Hosta, Office Garden and multiple areas of the Demonstration Garden. All of these areas are well established and have been maintained this past season. Additional team members to share the routine duties would be appreciated. Call Renee for details, 248-398-2562.

The Nursery The Pond

The Heritage Garden The Hosta Garden

Two of the Demonstration Garden Areas

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Volunteer Activity Day and Meetings Information

248-347-3860 ext. 400

● The Tollgate Gardens Advisory Council next meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at 7:00 PM in the Tollgate Office Building. All Tollgate Gardens Volunteer members are welcome to attend.

● Listings to contact individual Council Members and Area Garden Leaders are available at all general meetings and in the Volunteer Communication Center.

● Tollgate Volunteer Membership is renewed annually. The 2012 Tollgate Garden Volunteers membership is from December 1, 2012 to November 30, 2013.

Farm Manager Roy Prentice - 248 347-3860 ext. 251 e-mail - prentic1@msu.edu

President ........................... Renee Cottrell Vice President… ............... Peg Palmer Secretary… ........................ Dave Komraus Treasurer ........................... Sue Janczarek Membership ...................... Nancy Roggers PR ....................................... Yvonne DeMattos Fall Fair .............................. Dennis Roggers Programs ........................... Jackie Stengel Hospitality ......................... Yvonne DeMattos Farm News Editor ............. Darretta Ferasin

For membership questions or to update your current membership information send e-mail to:

tollgatemembership@gmail.com

MSU Tollgate Gardens Volunteers For general information and questions

Contact Roy Prentice

Tollgate Garden Advisory Council

Activity Days Activity day hours are 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM unless otherwise noted on the Tollgate Garden Volunteer Important Dates and Events listed on the first page of the Tollgate Farm News or by the Area Garden Leader (AGL).

Lunch will be provided - veggie alternatives are available upon request.

This schedule does not exclude you from working independently on the site. However, on non-scheduled days, your efforts will need to be self-directed with guidance from the garden area clipboards located in the Volunteer Communication Center.

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Tollgate Volunteer Information

THE TOLLGATE FARM NEWS

Tollgate Gardens Volunteer Office 28115 Meadowbrook Novi, MI, 48377-3128 www.tollgate.msu.edu

Trowel Hand Pruners Loppers Garden Scissors Your Favorite

Weeding Implement Hand Saw

Plant Division Forks Shrub Rake Sun Screen Gloves Knee Pads Insect Repellant

List of Suggested Gardening Implements to Bring

from Home as Needed

Garden Tools Available for Use at Tollgate

Spades

Garden Rakes

Brooms

Wheel Barrels

Weed Buckets

Leaf Rakes

Garden Hoe

Long Handled

Garden Forks