Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Spring 2013 Magazine

Posted: January 30, 2013 at 10:49 am Author: Louisa Lockwood

Hello, here’s a sneak preview of the spring issue. It will land on your doormat around 12th February, just in time for Valentine’s Day – and love is what it’s all about. Find out about the different ways we celebrate our love for Westonbirt and for each other.

The Westonbirt Project is a labour of love for many! Chris Packham recently endorsed the Project, our £1.9 million grant and the arboretum in glowing terms.

I wanted a good photo of him at the arboretum – a task that took some sleuthing. Eventually resorting to Google images, I found the perfect pose but could I get permission in time?

Labelled BBC/Scott Tibbles, I tried BBC switchboard (no record), Autumnwatch (no joy there either!), another search and he came up at Films@59. They said he was ‘somewhere filming orcas’. Probably not local or online.

An experimental email later and Scott replied! On location in Norway and with wifi on the edge of feasibility, but within 20 minutes his hi-res image of Chris was in the hands of the magazine designer! (Thanks Cloud.) Here it is – was it worth it?

Chris Packham

Closer to home, another new science is playing a part in saving our rarer rhododendrons: micropropagation. Penny Jones explains the science while Graham Dennis explains why we need to use it.


Mark Ballard takes a look at how we choose the trees we do;
Simon Toomer explains why cultivars don’t do sexual reproduction (what? You want to know more? Wait until the 12 Feb);
Sally Day enjoys the weather (wet, wet, wet) and
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is loving lobster.

The Westonbirt Magazine is produced by the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum for its membership; to inform Friends about events, to engage Friends in issues that affect the arboretum, and to share enjoyment in and knowledge of this world-renowned tree collection.

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