An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland
We thought we had you stumped, but some of you guessed it! The tiny critter that we found along the woodland path was a pale green assassin bug nymph! While not as big as other assassin bugs, like the wheel bug, this bug makes up for size by using a sticky substance on its legs to help catch its prey. Clever.
This week, we are highlighting one of the last native flowering plants of the season. This shrub or small tree has delicate and vibrant yellow flowers.
The Adkins Arboretum is centrally located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, 25 miles east of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge at 12610 Eveland Road, near Ridgely, MD. For more information and their public programs please go here.
Happy Mystery Monday on this Halloween week! Today’s mystery is just starting to show its color despite most plants going dormant for the winter. This forest floor denizen has purple spots on its leaves and is bright purple underneath. What is it?
We had a great response to last week’s mystery! The mystery fruit was the native persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), one of the last fruits to ripen in our region. Right now, the fruits are very astringent, but come November and frosty weather, these fruits will be pleasantly orange and very sweet!
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded funding in the amount of $49,984 to Adkins Arboretum to expand the depth of information and streamline the management of its Living Collections Database. These funds were awarded through IMLS’s Inspire! Grants for Small Museums, a federal funding source that will cover 100% of the project costs. The Arboretum is considered a living museum due to its living plant and land preservation exhibits and its educational mission.
The Arboretum’s Living Collections Database is a robust database, geographic information system and web mapping platform designed to allow broader public access and to improve monitoring and management of the Arboretum’s living collections. The end result is a database that may be accessed online by all who are interested in learning more about the Arboretum’s flora. The Arboretum will expand the depth of information available about its living collections, specifically animal (insects, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians) interactions with the plants. Planned content additions will allow staff and volunteers to develop program content and serve as a greater resource to the public. The Arboretum will also improve its collection management procedures.
Adkins Arboretum Horticultural Consultant Leslie Hunter Cario, at left, and volunteer Laura Rocco identify plants for inclusion in the Arboretum’s Living Collections Database.
Adkins staff completing the project over the next two years include Executive Director Ginna Tiernan, Land Steward Kathy Thornton, Facilities Coordinator Michael Micriotti, local contractors Sylvan Kaufman of Sylvan Green Earth Consulting and Leslie Hunter Cario of Chesapeake Horticultural Services, and Arboretum volunteers.
Founded in 1980 as Maryland’s state arboretum, Adkins Arboretum has operated as a nonprofit since 1992. The Arboretum serves as a model for land management that strives to engage all people in the conversation, appreciation and enjoyment of the Chesapeake region’s native landscapes through education, recreation, art and community events. Located adjacent to Tuckahoe State Park, it operates and maintains a visitor’s center (currently closed due to COVID-19 concerns), 400 acres of meadows, woods, wetlands and five miles of trails under a 50-year lease with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The Arboretum’s diverse collection includes more than 600 species of trees, plants, grasses and wildflowers native to the Eastern Shore and the Mid-Atlantic coastal plain. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. IMLS advances, supports and empowers America’s museums, libraries and related organizations through grantmaking, research and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit imls.gov and follow IMLS on Facebook and Twitter.
Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.
