Seeking Conservation Interns to Work on Federal Land

The Conservation and Land Management Program (CLM) is in its 10th year in 2011. Each year, the Chicago Botanic Garden places 75-90 interns with Federal biologists working primarily in twelve western states including Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Interns work on botany- or wildlife-focused projects for five months. Most of the time is spent doing field work and gaining hands-on experience working for a federal agency. Applications for the 2011 program are now being accepted. Visit www.clminternship.org to apply.

Camp CBG Cooks!

Green Sprouts “Garden Groceries” campers learn about the plants we eat, and how to make a delicious dessert with them. Camp CBG is hands-on fun for all, from harvesting to measuring out ingredients, preparing, baking, and the best part — eating! Visit chicagobotanic.org/camp to register for summer camps at the Garden. Registration opens January 10, 2011 at 9 a.m.

A Way to Brighten Your Birch Trees

As you walk near McGinley Pavilion this winter, you may notice that the white stems of the birch trees are especially clean and bright. That’s thanks to six Chicago Botanic Garden volunteers who rolled up their sleeves and gently scrubbed the lower limbs of 30 whitespire birch trees to reveal their brilliant stems. While it’s not necessary for the health of the trees, the task does make the trees more beautiful — and luckily, it is very easy to do at home. Read more here and watch a video on how to do clean your trees.