GREEN SCENE by Francie Hill

SWAGS and SCOUTS: A Great Combination!

Following the mission of the Arboretum to connect plants and people, I am always seeking ways to do this. Recently David Horst, our horticulturist, and Alan Craig, Board Member and conifer consultant, told us we needed to remove several conifers because of crowding and because we will some selections with better plants which are now available. This is always hard for us to cut down a tree, but we must continue to only display the very best, disease resistant specimens here at the Arboretum. When we find ourselves having to remove a tree, we are always looking for ways to use the branches of the trees marked for removal. You can imagine how pleased we were to learn of a local Girl Scout troop looking for a project to earn money for an exciting trip. We made a great connection! And what a great opportunity for members of the community to support the Scouts and purchase a wreath or swag made from eleven different kinds of conifers!

The girls of Scout Troop #3036 and a sister troop #1071 have been a part of the Arboretum for more than three years: at Butterflyfest, Earth Day with clean up crews, displays and sales and even buying a tree to celebrate the life of the father of one of their leaders. The young women from Troop #3036 attend three different Clinton schools: Prince of Peace, Clinton High and Lyons Middle School, some have been involved in scouts since kindergarten. The girls used money earned at bake sales, lemonade stands, as well as the familiar Girl Scout cookie sales to travel to Juliette Low's birthplace in Savannah, GA three summers ago.

Now they have another trip planned and a way to raise money through the sale of wreaths and swags with greens from the Arboretum. Rebecca Kokjohn, 15 explains: "We will visit the New York City and the National Girl Scout Headquarters and will "bridge" to the highest level of scouting which is called ÔSenior Girl Scout.' What better place to have the bridging ceremony than right on the Brooklyn Bridge!"

"The girls will see many NYC sites, then take a train to Washington DC where they will make a personal quest to see the Juliette Gordon Low commemorative medallion that is part of the Extra Mile Points of Light Volunteer Pathway and see the Low statue which is located in the Capitol Building," said Lisa Chapman, one of the Scout troop leaders. Chapman, who will travel with the scouts said that the girls will be assigned the same color tee shirt daily to make the group more cohesive and easier to spot!

Master Gardeners Alice Machande and Carol Miller will be teaching the Scouts how to make wreaths, swags, as well as identify the Eastern Red Cedar, White Pine, Colorado Spruce, Serbian Spruce, Norway Spruce, Hemlock, Yew, Scotch Pine, Mugo Pine, Juniper, Lodgepole Pine and Blue Spruce, which will be available for these living centerpieces and wreaths. Many branches have cones and all have the scent of the holidays. Selling these swags and wreaths will provide some of the funds for the trip to New York City. The swags, priced at $15 and the wreaths at $25, are available by calling Lisa Chapman 242-8945 or Mary Beth Kokjohn 242-4808

Carla Hilgenberg, educator, troop leader of #1071 and local environmentalist explains: "This is the opportunity for the girls to earn money while being a part of an outdoor nature project in the community. I especially am pleased to see the greens being used which is an example of stewardship."

Additionally, learning to make the wreaths and swags will put this troop well on the way to completing the necessary requirement to fulfill an Interest Project Patch. For Master Gardeners Alice and Carol it means putting the information learned in the Master Gardener program to use. And for the Arboretum, we can see once more how plants and people can connect!