COX ARBORTEUM METROPARK
WHERE: 6733 Springboro Pike, Dayton
PARK HOURS: April 1 - Oct. 31, 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Nov. 1 - March 31, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Closed Christmas and New Year's Day.
BARBARA COX CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE HORTICULTURE HOURS: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
ZORNIGER EDUCATION CENTER HOURS: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Closed on major holidays.
Rescued wildflowers flourish outside the new Barbara Cox Center for Sustainable Horticulture at Cox Arboretum MetroPark.
Inside the center’s renovated greenhouse, a forest of tiny saplings grows, protected from hungry deer and other threats to their survival.
The new center opening Wednesday supports Five Rivers MetroParks’ mission of protecting the area’s natural heritage and inspiring visitors to connect with nature, said Eric Sauer, park planning manager for Five Rivers MetroParks.
Those efforts include fighting a decline in the tree population due to climate change and invasive species including the emerald ash borer, as well as preserving wildflowers that have been displaced or threatened due to development and other factors.
“We have a group of volunteers who actually go out and rescue wildflowers,” said Russell Edgington, the regional park manager of Cox Arboretum, Sugarcreek, and Hills and Dales MetroParks. “Let’s say there’s a new department store or strip mall going in and as part of the process, a forest is going to be eliminated. Our volunteers will make arrangements to go out and actually dig up and rescue the wildflowers, bring them back here to Cox Arboretum and the Center for Sustainable Horticulture where they’re propagated, and eventually they’ll find their ways into reforestation projects here at MetroParks.”
Volunteers also collect nuts and seeds of native trees species.
The seeds are put in plastic bags and kept cold in a large refrigerator — the kind with a glass front that you’d find in a grocery or convenience store. The large red letters across the top of the fridge spelling “Coca Cola” is evidence of its repurposing for this reforestation project. Edgington noted that members of the community are generous in donating things to the arboretum.
Keeping the seeds and nuts refrigerated for a period of time mimics the conditions of winter. The seeds are then placed in water: the bad ones float and are added to compost; the remaining seeds are viable and covered in a shallow bed of soil until they sprout.
Edgington explained how the sprouts are then transferred into conical-shaped containers. Tiny saplings are “upsized” — transferred into larger conical-shaped containers. When the saplings reach a certain size, they are moved to a cold frame outside the greenhouse, where they’ll continue to grow for a couple years. Eventually, like the rescued wildflowers, they’ll be planted in the MetroParks.
While these conservation efforts have been ongoing, the Center for Sustainable Horticulture now offers visitors the chance to experience some of the processes.
After a private ribbon-cutting Wednesday morning, visitors will be able to see these wildflower and tree preservation efforts at the new center. They’ll find tree seedlings at different stages of growth. Also, they will see examples of “integrating native plants and materials into their urban environments,” Edgington said.
“The arboretum has always been about the landscape and plants, but more on the horticultural side instead of the natural side,” Edgington explained. “We will continue to promote horticulture, but part of that message is to encourage native plants instead of invasive species that are detrimental to our native environment.”
The Center sits on the site of the old greenhouse complex. The complex that was over 40 years old was deconstructed to its bones and “recycled” into a modern, energy-efficient building with new greenhouse glass, Sauer explained.
Features include a stormwater harvesting system that will be used to re-water all of the trees and wildflowers with rainwater, plus a permeable paver pathway.
The hope is that visitors will be able to learn how to take these basic principles found at the Center and adapt them for practical application in their own homes, Sauer said.
“Permeable pavers work well for patios, sidewalks and driveways,” he said. “At home, they can use a rain barrel that will hold 50 to 100 gallons. It’s the same concept we’re using.”
Combined with the paths, tree tower, ponds and other amenities at the MetroPark, this will be a destination for both education and to experience nature’s beauty, Sauer said.
“Visitors will have the opportunity to come and see how native plants and sustainability can come together in a beautiful package,” he said. “It’s a beautiful thing.”
A $1 million donation to the James M. Cox., Jr. Arboretum Foundation in 2007 made the new center possible. The facility is named after Barbara Cox, the younger daughter of Gov. James M. Cox. Along with her sister, Anne Cox Chambers, and brother, James M. Cox., Jr., Cox inherited Cox Enterprises, which includes the Dayton Daily News.
Barbara Cox died in 2007 and the gift to Cox Arboretum was specified in her estate.
“The Cox family is dedicated to solving environmental issues. This horticulture center will undoubtedly support our local community’s efforts toward sustainability and conservation. It will also be a beautiful place for Miami Valley residents to visit and explore,” said Julia Wallace, Vice President of Cox Media Group Ohio.
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