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Show Arboretum aids campus.. By ANNE KOBERSTEIN Chronicle Staff f rnttam'c Gulch, named after Dr. Tve prominent University planting areas Utah ELt Grand Sequoia Redwood rises to a height of 70 feet and dominates the campus. Thirty-six years as a six-inch seedling engulfed in an unpretentious un-pretentious coffee can, the giant Redwood became the fi s step in Dr. Cottam's dream of an extens.ve also stems from the University environm arboretum serves as an experimental tentan('",t for the introduction of new plants toh"8 a,ti environment to test the possibilities ofsu 'Cit for the development of new nlam- UrviVa' 3"tl suited for the area. ' tS Speci''callv The major research project of the ah conducted by Dr. Cottam and Ruby n 7 ' which last May totalled 11 years ( perimentation is the development of a (, , Dimmit I VJl tX : Vi - :T( i a At X yVr-ArTsv- L v.. ( Ak-AWw v..' w v This sequoia redwood was planted (rorn a seedling 36 years ago and now rises lo Ihe height ol 70 feet. It is oniy one ol many botanical varieties n State Arboretum found on the University tjmpn arboretum on the University campus. Today the dream is an impressive reality. March 9, 1961, the state legislature designated the University campus-all 1100 acres of it the official of-ficial State Arboretum of Utah. Today over 7000 trees, with 300 species, cover the campus and the number multiplies each year. Planting areas include the U Circle and Cottam's Culch, the Sill Home Living Center, the seven-acre north campus road park strip, the South Heating Plant Park and Chapel Clen-a tour-acre park adjacent adja-cent to the Fort Douglas Chapel. As an arboretum, the entire University campus is considered a "botanical garden" made up of extensive ex-tensive varieties of native and exotic species of trees and shrubs. Species are here which otherwise could only be seen by extensive travel. It is much more than that however. Miles Labrum, director of the arboretum since 1963, sees it as having three major functions other than that of landscaping which is an on-going aspect of the arboretum. As an integral part of the University the first main concern is education with the arboretum ar-boretum serving mainly as an outdoor lab for biology and art and architecture students. Research - vigorous oak hybrid a cross between Utah's na: t oak and certain exotic species. These oak, the r.-j ones of their kind in the world, were planter j acorns 10 years ago and have now reached a he;dl of over 10 feet. The arboretum also provides mLiltiple service-1 the Salt Lake community, creating what Mi. Lab-.f sees as a much-needed link between the Univei j and Salt Lake citizens. Personnel work closely :! individual citizens' specific plant problems, ty hour group tours of the arboretum are offeree j appointment and high school students haw t,j come from Idaho to participate. It is highli ,t volved in the Free U program, providing instrucn for "ecology-minded" students, scouts and ;i Lake citizens. Last year 43 University students cooperated in :i formation of an Organic Garden, still in esisW in Chapel Clen. The garden stresses non-chennti insect control and is one of five special pro-d gardens in the area. These include a herb garde' J fruit and nut garden, a fern grotto, and a drf plant garden. i Mr. Labrum has seen a rising interest in i classes, and in the arboretum as a whole, since (continued on m jn beauty and friendshio tfom page 6) ' t , , f the ecology movement and he considers this -,ise important. But he also focuses on the need vl 'Iet people together while giving them 'lethirg worthwhile to do." is for older citizens who are left without any i fjcar,t activity and it's for students-an effort : ate them, to aid them socially, and to give i 'e the opportunity to contribute. And it's a vital : between the two " luded in the arboretum's focus on ecological !"l nce is a re-cycling program, intensified in the ,two years. When trees are trimmed back during f winter months surplus limbs and leaves are put fugh a chipper and spread below trees and und shrub beds. Mr. Labrum worked on this f If ast December during Christmas break as hdoes every year. This year students were drawn the aroma of recycled Christmas trees from University Bookstore shrubbery beds. er limbs are hauled out to the mouth of Red Butte Canyon, ground into mulch, and brought bad to be used in planting areas. No University i Rubbery is hauled to the dump and according to ' i Labrum the program results in a more even soil temperature and less weeds. As well as less waste. 1 According to Mr. Labrum the arboretum's latest (' project, still in the planning stages, is an "Ecology Trail" which will extend along the base of the amndUnp!onneebreTWer:the m0Uth of Red Butte Canyon he lhpi 7 Tfl'State Park. All native plants will sponsored by teXetu anT'S 2 tra" Wi" be '"d rurHon l, C Zen' T00'S' ecPnt, and instruct in-struct w,l come from the University Physical Shorter V SUPPrted bv the University Arboretum Cuild, organized last fall to raise funds to support arboretum projects. Contributions of both money and plants must support the arboretum there is no money from the state or the University, but contributions have been extensive Une maior source is the donation of trees, or money tor the purchase of trees ($25 minimum), to be planted and maintained on the University campus in memory of another person or persons. The tree is tagged with the name of the tree, the donor and of the person in whose memory it is donated. The State Arboretum of Utah, the University campus, is a center for education and research, and is a link between the University, the Salt Lake community, and the ecological movement. And as Mr. Labrum sees it, its trees are a "vital link with our environment with their valuable qualities of noise and sound control, dust filtering, air pollution detection, and as emitters of fresh oxygen and users of carbon dioxide." |
