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N° 89 — February 23th, 2022
Stay in touch as we celebrate Washington Youth Garden's 50th Anniversary. Enjoy our updates and insights from FONA, the U.S. National Arboretum, and WYG.
Eagle Update
Mr. President and LOTUS celebrated President's Day weekend by laying two eggs! While the pair could lay a third egg this week, the chances are slim.

Eagle eggs take about 35 days to incubate before hatching. During that time, Mr. President and LOTUS will take turns incubating and rolling the eggs so they stay warm and develop evenly.
Photo from U.S. National Arboretum and American Eagle Foundation
Photo from U.S. National Arboretum and American Eagle Foundation
With the arrival of the eggs, Azalea Road and parts of the Azalea Collections will remain closed to visitors for about the next four months. While there will still be plenty of trails to see the azaleas in full bloom in spring, please respect the closed sections and give the eagles space to care for their young.

Black Legacies: Fish Pepper
Fish peppers were the original seafood seasoning of choice in Baltimore, MD long before Old Bay. This colorful, spicy pepper likely came to the Chesapeake Bay from Haiti. It quickly became widely established in African American gardens, kitchens, and cuisine throughout the Chesapeake region.
However, this pepper almost went extinct in the early 1900s as more Black people moved away from agricultural lifestyles and the knowledge and use of this pepper decreased. In the 1940s, Horace Pippin, a Black painter in Pennsylvania, traded fish pepper seeds with his neighbor in exchange for bees. Fifty five years later, that neighbor's grandson found the seeds in his freezer and shared them with the Seed Savers Exchange. Every fish pepper grown today can be traced back to Pippin's seeds.

Xavier Brown, farmer at Soilful City in DC, is preserving Horace Pippin's legacy with his Pippin Sauce. All fish peppers used in this hot sauce are grown by local Black farmers.

FONA Events
Save the date for our Garden Fair & Plant Sale on Saturday, April 30th! We'll have a fantastic selection of plants, vendors, and expert advice. More details soon to come, including member-only hours, vendors, and more.
Join us Sunday, March 27th from 9 AM to 2 PM for our annual Native Plant Sale. The sale will take place along Meadow Road between the Arboretum's Visitor Center and National Herb Garden, and will feature native plant vendors. Please be prepared to wear a mask when browsing plants and interacting with vendors. Registration is preferred but not required.

Volunteer Opportunities
Join us for environmental volunteer days this spring on the grounds of the U.S. National Arboretum. Help keep the restored Springhouse Run stream healthy by pulling invasive vines and weeds.

Sign up to join us from 10 AM to 1 PM on the following days:
Arboretum Activities
Attend the Arboretum's 35th Annual Lahr Native Plant Symposium on Saturday, March 26th from 9 AM to 3 PM. This virtual symposium brings together subject matter experts on ecological, botanical, and horticultural advancement. See the event flyer for full details and speaker line-up. Tickets are $75 (FONA members, remember to use your discount code).

The Arboretum is open every day from 8 AM to 5 PM except December 25th. Some buildings and collections remain closed to ensure visitor and staff safety.
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