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Volunteer Newsletter
Inside Dirt
An E-Newsletter for Selby Gardens Volunteer
April 2015
You Can Help Rebuild the Mangrove Walkway
If you haven’t visited the Gardens
lately, you may have missed some
alarming news from several weeks
ago: during heavy surf, the Lookout
Point on the Mangrove Walkway
collapsed into Sarasota Bay!
(Thankfully no one was on it at the
time). Now, no one can enjoy that
amazing view.
We’ve known for more than a year
that we needed to replace the
boardwalk and were preparing to
raise the funds to do so—and this
incident has speeded up our
timeline!
You can help—by making a contribution to our campaign to rebuild the Mangrove
Walkway. Your donation will do more than just repair the dock: it will take us closer to
replacing and improving the entire Mangrove Walkway, which is such an important part
of the Selby Gardens experience. Best of all: every dollar you contribute will be
doubled thanks to two generous local foundations!
Your support will help us to raise at least $50,000 in order to earn the entire match. It
will also ensure that this gorgeous spot will endure for years to come, providing a
wonderful place to enjoy a magnificent view of Sarasota Bay, explore and learn about
one of Southwest Florida’s most important natural habitats, and enjoy quality time
immersed in the sights, sounds, and fragrances of the place where the Gardens meet
the Gulf.
If you’d like to contribute, visit http://selby.org/mangrove-walkway/ and make a
secure online gift that will be matched dollar for dollar!
Garden Music Series 2015
Sunday Afternoons through May 10
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Spring is in the air! As the weather begins
to warm and new plants begin to bloom, you
can look forward to afternoons outdoors with
Selby’s Spring Garden Music Series. The
festivities will take place from 1-3 pm every
Sunday from April 5 – May 10.
From classically catchy and uplifting soul
music to contemporary and original dancing,
the whole family is sure to enjoy these
Sunday afternoon treats. Snag a spot under
the shade of the beautiful banyans, grab
some refreshments from Local Catering, and
sit back to enjoy Sarasota’s finest
entertainers!
April 12th – Mincey & Dehart
April 19th – Paisley Craze
April 26th – The Swing Shift
May 3rd – SoulRcoaster
May 10th – Sarasota Concert Band
Garden Music Series
We need volunteers on Sunday afternoons in April and May, both in the Gardens and in
the Welcome Center. Positions include cashiers, membership sales, survey takers, and
greeters.
Mothers’ Day – May 10
We are hosting four brunch seatings this year instead of three. Volunteers are needed
for check-in and to help seat our guests. We will be running two shifts, 8:30-11:30 and
11:30-3:00. So please let Phyllis know if you’re available.
Other Volunteer Opportunities
If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact Phyllis Kirtley at 941-3665731 x 227 or [email protected]
Welcome Center Register positions are available Saturday afternoons.
Horticulture We have openings in the gardening crew on Thursdays and Fridays.
Plant Shop There are openings Friday and Saturday mornings and afternoons.
Administrative Help in Education We are looking for one or two volunteers to
organize and schedule the volunteers who work in the Conservatory and on the Ask Me
Cart.
Administration Volunteer needed in reception in Admin Tuesday afternoons.
Calligraphy Volunteers The Events Department is looking for calligraphers to address
formal invitations.
A call to our existing Walk & Talk Tour Guides Our Adult Tour Guide team is seeking
new guides. You will begin by shadowing one of our experienced Adult Guides. These
tours are generally between 1 to 1.5 hours. We also have a full Gardens' "talking points"
document to share with those interested. Please contact [email protected] for more
information and to schedule a shadowing session.
Ask me Cart and Conservatory Guide
Openings We have six open slots for
Ask Me Cart and three open slots for
Conservatory guides - contact
[email protected] for times and details.
Museum docents needed
Permanent /full time Docents needed in
the Payne Mansion/Museum
Friday afternoons - bi-weekly beginning
April 17
Saturday mornings - bi-weekly
beginning April 25
Saturday afternoons (bi-weekly)
beginning April 4
Tuesday afternoon (weekly) beginning April 21
“SUBS” are always needed. If interested contact Marilynn at [email protected].
YFP (Youth & Family Programs)
Our Little Sprouts preschool program is growing! Engaging volunteers are needed once
a month to help set-up and facilitate engaging, nature-inspired crafts and sensory
activities for our littlest garden guests. Don't miss this opportunity, it's a positively
delightful experience! Email [email protected] for more information.
Also we are in need of volunteers for family & school programs.
Kids' Corner/Children's Rainforest Garden
We desperately need volunteers Saturday mornings in the Kids' Corner. The greatest
need is on "Selby Saturdays" mornings once monthly. Contact is [email protected]
or x 273.
School tour guides Shifts vary. Contact [email protected] for more information.
Upcoming Volunteer Gathering
“May Day” Pot Luck Luncheon
May 21st, 12:00 Noon in the Great Room by the Bay for
Volunteers and Staff
The last event of the season will be a pot luck lunch for
volunteers and staff to show off their culinary talents and gather
in a more informal, family-style setting. Year-rounders, please
mark your calendars for this year’s pot luck.
Bring something to share—for those unfamiliar with potlucks,
the size serving you might make for 6-8 people should suffice
(unless you’re making something that is likely to be extremely
popular!). See the list below for suggestions of what category
to bring, but if you have something you just have to share,
we’re game!
Last names starting with:
A-F: Sides and Salads
M-R: Dessert
G-L: Drinks
S-Z: Main Dish
Please remember to bring serving utensils!
What’s New with the Associates?
by Carmen Baskind
The Associates April 20th luncheon program will feature Deborah Ross, New York City
artist, who will share her mission to alert the world to the diminishing wild life and forests
via art and
publications.
Deborah is one of
America’s leading
wildlife watercolor
artists. She will tell us
of her travels to
Madagascar, Kenya,
Tanzania, and
Uganda. She works
with animals in the
field and holds
painting workshops in
Africa and the USA,
including Selby
Gardens. There will be a special
chance drawing for one of
Deborah’s beautiful watercolors,
donated by her especially for the
luncheon.
A spring themed menu will be
catered by Chef Roberta of
Milan Catering. Members of the
Gardens, volunteers and staff
are welcome to attend.
Deadline for reservations is
April 15. Contact Carmen
Baskind at 941.724.1854.
Membership renewal forms for the Associates will be available at the check-in table for
those who would like to take care of it before departing for the summer.
Please note to order Associates name tags at a cost of $10.00, contact Dave Muolo at
315.345.8734.
Celebrating birthdays in April are: Donna Baker, Ruth Barker, Denise Barker, Paula
Griffin, Carol Lampbert, Gil Lee, Jane Leur, Ann Madden, Nat McCulloch, Maggie
Minehardt, Irene Page and Liz Rusling.
Don’t Miss Performance! Sidiki Conde and Ibrahima Camara
THIS SATURDAY!
Please help us welcome two very special teaching artists, Sidiki Conde & Ibrahima
Camara from NYC. They'll be staying in the Selby house from April 5-25 while
participating in a scholastic collaboration between Selby Gardens and Oak Park School.
Sidiki is a paraplegic singer, dancer and drummer with a message of empowerment in
overcoming challenges. Sidiki & Ibrahima's message is in keeping with ours at Selby.
It's about caring for life on the planet!
They will be working with nearly 1,000 special needs and at-risk children from Manatee
& Sarasota Counties during their three week stay. In addition to the work with area
schools, they'll be performing at Selby on Saturday, April 11. This clip is from their visit
last year: https://vimeo.com/93372357.
Thank you for helping to make their stay pleasant and for supporting the work they do to
empower at-risk youth.
Upcoming Noon Lectures in the Great Room by the Bay
Admission to lectures is free to members and volunteers or with paid admission
to the Gardens.
April 16: A Botanical Adventure in Belize
Bruce Holst will take us on a trip to an unusual and remote cenote (sinkhole) in an area
rich with the presence of the ancient Maya, and one of the most floristically diverse
locations in the country.
May 6: Urban Renewal and Ecosystem Repair with Dr. Dickson Despommier
“Vertical farming will free the world from having to worry about where our next meal will
come from,” says Dickson Despommier, founder of the Vertical Farming movement. He
has always been interested in the ecological process and the damage we have caused
to the environment by encroachment.
Dr. Despommier’s idea is as simple as it is radical: strive to replace traditional,
horizontal farming with vertical greenhouses that can produce anything from grain crops
and vegetables to poultry, pork and fish. To date, there are vertical farms up and
running in Japan, Korea, Singapore, and the US, with many more in various stages of
planning. He believes that vertical farming will become commonplace throughout the
built environment on a global scale within the next 5-10 years.
May 20: Coastal Dune Lakes: Jewels of Florida’s Emerald Coast with Elam
Stoltzfus
Be among the first to view this 1-Hour High-Definition Documentary featuring the
coastal dune lakes of northwest Florida. These lakes are listed by the Florida Natural
Areas Inventory as ‘globally imperiled’ since few are found around the world. A diverse
group of species can be found in and around the lakes—many of them endangered
such as the Choctawhatchee Beach Mouse, Loggerhead Sea Turtle, and Snowy Plover.
In addition, these lakes are important to the region’s economy as many visitors come to
the area to experience the dune lakes’ natural beauty.
Little Sprouts Club – Just One Remaining!
Little Sprouts is a fun, interactive program for preschoolers and their caregivers.
Hundreds of families participate in this delightful program designed to stimulate young
imaginations, engage curiosity, and encourage early development of a lifelong love and
respect for nature. The Little Sprouts program is a family-friendly way to enjoy the
beauty of the Gardens. Free for Members and preschoolers • Adult non-members
pay regular admission
UPCOMING PROGRAM:
Muddy Day: May 5, 6, and 9 @ 10:30 am
In the Tropical Conservatory
Pura Vida- a Botanical Expedition to Costa Rica through April 17 in the Tropical
Conservatory
A new horticulture display in the Tropical Conservatory highlights Selby Gardens’
extensive botanical field work in Costa Rica and other New World Tropics rainforest
habitats.
Plants on display include some from Selby’s living collection of approximately 500
species that derive from Costa Rica. Like the fall display, “Colors of the Tropics,” this
one contains artistic and interpretive elements to enhance visitors’ experience and
understanding about the value of these fragile ecosystems. Guests will also gain an
appreciation for what botanical researchers look for during expeditions and how they
gather notes and samples from the field.
Because the timing for the display synchronizes with the annual rainforest mask exhibit
in the Museum of Botany & the Arts, ethno-geographic information will be on display as
well as some of the fine craftsmanship of the indigenous people of Boruca who create
the masks.
In the Historic Selby House
Nature on deMANd continues through May 31 in the Historic Selby House, 10:00
am to 4:00 pm daily.
Images of natural Florida settings superimposed with figures address man’s connection
to the natural world. Daniel R. Perales' multimedia works were created during an Artist
in Residence program during the summer of 2014 at Conservation Foundation of the
Gulf Coast's Bay Preserve.
35TH Annual Juried Photography Exhibit: April 20
We are accepting entries for the 35th
Annual Juried Photography Exhibition in
the mansion/museum on April 20th, from
1:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
The theme for this year's photo exhibit is
"Found in Florida". Information and entry
forms are available on our
website..http://selby.org/event/35th-annualjuried-photographic-exhibition-2/2015-0501/
In the Museum of Botany & the Arts
Rainforest Masks of Costa Rica closes April 17
Guests may purchase a mask of their own to take home when the exhibit ends.
Proceeds benefit the Borucan artists and Selby Gardens’ mission of
conservation, research, education and horticulture.
Free and Discounted Classes
Please note: To secure the special prices listed below; active volunteers must
register and pay in advance of class at the Welcome Center or on our website.
http://www.selby.org/learning/classes
Potting & Mounting Orchids
Wednesday, April 1, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Instructor: Angel Lara
Special Volunteer Price: $25
Using a Digital Camera
Friday, April 17, 10:00 am – 1:30 pm
Instructor: Bob Fink
Special Volunteer Price: $25
Gelli Plate Printing
Wednesday, May 6, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Instructor: JoAnn Migliore Campisi
Special Volunteer Price: $35
Additional Materials Fee: $5 (pay instructor)
Growing Orchids in SW Florida
Friday, May 29, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Instructor: Monroe Kokin
Special Volunteer Price: $25
What’s in Bloom – by Terri Tumlin
This month I toured the southern end of the garden. The April weather was beautiful
and the flowers abundant.
1. The walkway to the small gazebo is under
repair, so the best way to view the lush
lavender and white Queen’s Wreath (Petrea
volubilis) cascading over the structure is from
the lawn.
2. Along the east side of the lawn, Erblichia
odorata is sporting some lovely bright orange
blooms.
3. Spend a little time in the succulent garden to
see the glorious deep red Desert
Rose (Adenium obesum).
4. In the same area but near the
walkway, the Uncarina grandidieri is
worth a special look at its groups of
bright yellow flowers. The flower
buds are delightfully star shaped.
5. Also in bright yellow are the cactus
flowers, Opuntia humifusa, attracting
some very active small bees.
Enjoy.
“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything
you need”
Marcus Tullius Cicero