Cabinets of Curiosity: Andersen Library Tour at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Tue, Sep 10 2024, 10:30am
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum for our next Cabinets of Curiosity tour in September. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history even as this special collection celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Synder building this year. The reading and research library includes rare books, botanical wall charts, illustrations, and one of the largest collections of vintage seed catalogues in the country. We will also experience its specially constructed Nakashima furniture, rare but fully in use in the main reading room.
After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together in the Arboretum Eatery Café, sitting outside if the weather is nice. In the afternoon, UMRA members may elect to join a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum at 1:30 ($8) that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm; alternatively, members may choose to walk through special flower displays and exhibits near the main building.
Please register soon if you want to join us at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum on September 10, 2024, from 10:30 am until noon. We do need to have all registrations no later than September 4 - and often the limited spaces for these events fill well before the deadline. We will then open a waitlist.
Our group will be admitted (with parking) at no charge, but a donation that day would be a nice gesture of thanks. You will receive an email with final instructions.
Because this venue is in Chaska, Cathy Lee Gierke ([email protected]) will coordinate carpooling for those who want to ride or can accommodate passengers – so let her know of your interest. If you cannot join us this time, watch for more tours in coming months, including a visit to the Kerlan Collection of Children’s Literature on November 13, 2024. We do need to have all registrations no later than September 4 - and often the limited spaces for these events fill well before the deadline.
Questions? Contact Sally Gregory Kohlstedt ([email protected]), Jan Morlock ([email protected]), or Cathy Lee Gierke ([email protected]).
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learns to Talk by Cristina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.