N° 57 — June 9, 2021
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.
WYG's new truck has supported our spring programs. Here, Christin carries wood for our Guild members to build protective structures over community fridges around DC.
We'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our Washington Youth Garden team — our new truck! Our old truck served us well for many years but came to the end of its useful life this past spring. Without a truck, we would not be able to move equipment throughout the Arboretum or our garden-fresh produce into the community for donation.

Thank you Bleecker Automotive Group in North Carolina for finding this truck and offering it to us at a great price. This upgraded truck helps our team work much more comfortably and efficiently.
From the Field: Pine Candling
One of the sights a spring visitor to the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum might chance upon is someone up in a pine tree. That would be one of the Arboretum’s horticulturists, engaged in trimming the “candles” at the ends of the branches.

Last summer, Erin Holden explained the how and why of candling. Since then, she’s transitioned into the Herb Garden but hopes to help with the process in the future.
Share Your Story
What does Washington Youth Garden mean to you? With 50 years of history, we have lots of stories we want to tell for WYG's 50th birthday. But we need your help! Share your story or sentiment that highlights your experience with Washington Youth Garden by writing a story, sharing photos, or uploading a short video answering this question.

Southeastern Plant Symposium
This Saturday, June 12th from 10 AM to 5:30 PM, join leading plant explorers, breeders, nurserymen, and other experts for the virtual Southeastern Plant Symposium and Rare Plant Auction hosted by the JC Raulston Arboretum. Learn about what's new and exciting in the plant world and bid on rare plants from now until June 12th. Registration is $75.

The National Arboretum's own Kevin Conrad will share with the Symposium how the Arboretum's germplasm program plays a crucial role improving current and future American gardens.
Arboretum Additions
The National Arboretum welcomes Dr. Hui Duan this week to the Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit. Dr. Duan will develop and apply new technologies, such as gene discovery and gene editing, to ornamental plants as part of the Arboretum's genetics and breeding project. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the Arboretum. Welcome to the team, Dr. Duan!
From our Friends: Holden Arboretum
Join the Holden Arboretum tonight for the next installment of their free Growing Black Roots virtual lecture series. Every month, this free series dives into the historical legacy of Black botanists from a broad range of botanical disciplines and highlights pathways towards diversity and inclusion in botanical sciences.

Tonight, June 9th at 7PM, Jade Bleau will discuss how plants respond to environmental stresses and how we can apply this knowledge to increase crop output on agricultural land.
Jade Bleau, a molecular plant science PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, incorporates her diverse background in botany into her research.
The Arboretum is open every day from 8 AM - 5 PM except December 25th. Some buildings and collections remain closed to ensure visitor and staff safety.
Friends of the National Arboretum
3501 New York Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002
202.544.8733
FONA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization with the mission to preserve and enhance a vibrant public space and support experiential programming that instills a love of plants, nature and the outdoors in all who visit, while promoting the overarching research and education mission of the U.S. National Arboretum.

Since its inception, FONA has helped support the Washington Youth Garden, Capitol Columns, Flowering Tree Walk, horticultural and research internships, restoration of Springhouse Run, and much more.
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