Located in the very heart of Denver Botanic Gardens, the Steppe Garden generates much curiosity and interest. The garden, along with the monumental volume “Steppes: The Plants and Ecology of the World’s Semiarid Region” written by Gardens staff members, has elevated awareness of the importance of steppe regions around the world. The Steppe Summit brings researchers and gardeners from far corners of the steppe to Denver, providing a powerful and fresh perspective on our native ecosystem.</p> This year, three speakers have flown from Eurasia to join with Mike Bone, curator of steppe collections at Denver Botanic Gardens. Each has produced ambitious books filled with unique photographs featuring hundreds of spectacular wildflowers, most of which would thrive in Denver with little or no supplemental irrigation.</p> </p> Rocky Mountain Steppe Summit </strong></h3> Saturday, Sept. 15, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.</strong> Join the Gardens for its second annual Rocky Mountain Steppe Summit, featuring four leading speakers on the steppe regions. Learn about Denver’s unique ecosystem – one of the steppe regions of the world. $69 PUBLIC, $62 MEMBER, $36 STUDENT (lunch is on your own)</p> Get Tickets</a></p> Speaker Lineup</strong></h3> Silk Road Flora</strong> Christopher Martin Gardner See some of the most beautiful wildflowers on the planet during this session. Chris is an Essex, England-born horticulturist who leads tours in the various Steppe regions – including Turkey, Central Asia, China, Chile, Morocco, Borneo – and lives in Turkey. He received a bachelor of science degree in horticulture from Reading University, England and spent fifteen years as a professional horticulturist and garden designer. He co-authored “The Plant Hunters” and “The Flowers of the Silk Road.”</p> The Tian Shan</strong> Vojtech Holubec Learn about Tian Shan, a 1,000 mile long mountain range in the border region of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Xinjiang in northwest China. Peaks reach more than 20,000 feet high. The flora is unique and full of choice endemics and the climate is similar to the Rocky Mountains. Vojtech co-authored the first ambitious book on this range that is being published right before the Symposium takes place. Agricultural botanist and plant geneticist by education, Vojtech is the director of the Czech Gene Bank for agricultural crops, working on projects dealing with crop wild relatives and plant conservation.</p> The Beauty Slope</strong> Zdenek Zvolanek This session covers lessons on growing steppe plants in a home landscape. Zdenek’s home garden in Karlik near Prague, Czech Republic, requires no irrigation and features Mediterranean and steppe climate plants that thrive on the challenging southern exposure. Zdenek is credited as one of the originators of the Czech crevice gardens style and has built gardens across North America, Scandinavia, Germany, England and the Czech Republic.</p> In Steppe with Lesotho</strong> Mike Bone This session summarizes the last two years of field work in the highest mountain kingdom of Africa, where the native vegetation is poorly studied. Mike, curator of steppe collections at Denver Botanic Gardens, documented new locations of Aloe polyphylla</em> on these trips—the spectacular official flower of Africa’s Kingdom. Mike led two exploratory trips to Kazakhstan and Mongolia and has been on two collecting trips to Lesotho, South Africa. He spent part of the last two winters with Munich Botanic Garden and the Katse Botanic Garden to teach propagation techniques to local horticulturists.</p> </p>
We often think about the rose as a focal point of gardens in spring and summer, however sometimes we forget that late summer and early fall are some of the best times to enjoy their great displays of flowers, even though they are not blooming as prolifically as they do in the spring.</p> Under our harsh mid-summer weather conditions, hot temperatures, dryness and the stress of strong sunlight, the colors of the flowers may fade. And the Japanese beetles feast on our roses from late spring to mid-summer, causing damage to some of the blooms. The absence of these conditions can make later in the summer a delightful time to see the roses!</p> During the cooler weather in early fall (especially morning and evening), the color of the flowers intensifies as it is meant to do. When our horticulturists identify a rose by its flowers, fall is the best season to do so.</p> Some of the more popular modern roses we see in the Gardens today are shrub roses, such as Floribunda, English rose and hardy Canadian rose. They were cultivated to have a longer blooming season from spring to fall, a greater variety of colors and compact sizes, and cold hardiness and disease resistance habits. These better accommodate our sustainable ways of Western gardening.</p> Be sure to see the displays of roses in the Ellipse garden and the Romantic Gardens on your next visit.</p>
The verdict is in: Here are our research team’s favorite botanical finds along the High Line Canal!</p> If you’ve ever spent time on the High Line Canal Trail, you may be familiar with some of the common trees and shrubs. Maybe you’ve walked beneath the snowy arms of the cottonwood trees (Populus </em>sp.), ridden your bike past a stand of American plums (Prunus americana</em>) or marveled at the beautiful chokecherry blossoms (Prunus virginiana</em>) while out for a run. And it’s no wonder; these larger species are hard to miss!</p> But good things come in small packages, too. More than 30 days of botanical fieldwork on the High Line Canal has revealed many interesting native species that are easily overshadowed by their taller neighbors. Here are five such treasures to search for on your next visit to the Canal Trail.</p> Smilax lasioneura</em> (Blue Ridge carrionflower), Smilacaceae (catbrier family)</strong></h3> Distribution and habitat</em>: The Blue Ridge carrionflower is distributed across the central plains as far west as Montana. In Colorado, it is found in only a few counties along the eastern foothills of the Front Range. Its habitat includes forests and shaded slopes as well as open areas such as old pastures. Our research team found it growing along the High Line Canal on a shady slope near Waterton Canyon.</p> Fun facts</em>: As the name “carrionflower” suggests, the flowers smell like rotting flesh and attract flies, which act as pollinators. It is dioecious, which means the male and female flowers are found on two different plants (dioecious is derived from the Greek word “-oikos” which means home, and “di-“, which is Latin for two).</p> Etymology</em>: Lasioneura</em> is derived from “lasios”, which is Greek for hairy, and “neur”, which is Greek for nerve or vein. This name describes the hairy veins on the undersides of the leaves.</p> Ethnobotany</em>: The Blue Ridge carrionflower provides food for wildlife and, in some regions, domestic stock. The seeds were occasionally used by Native Americans as decorative beads, and the woody roots were used to make a brown dye or carved into pipes.</p> Quick guide</em>:</p> Unarmed (lacking thorns) perennial vine that climbs using tendrils</li> Large heart- or oval-shaped leaves that are slightly hairy on the underside</li> Small green flowers in a round, golf ball-sized umbel (a cluster of flowers attached to the stem at the same point)</li> Dark blue-black berries</li> </ul> Ipomoea leptophylla</em> (bush morning glory), Convolvulaceae (morning glory family)</strong></h3> Distribution and habitat</em>: Bush morning glory is native to the mixed-grass prairies of the Great Plains, and it is common in the Eastern Plains of Colorado. Our research team has found it in several places along the High Line Canal, from near Chatfield State Park in Littleton to Green Valley Ranch in northeast Denver.</p> Fun facts</em>: Another common name is manroot because its roots grow deep into the dry prairie soil in search of water. The massive taproot can grow up to 10 feet long and 6-24 inches wide! This extensive root system is used to store water and nutrients, which help the bush morning glory survive drought and live for as long as 50 years.</p> Etymology</em>: Ipomoea</em> is Greek for "worm-like", referring to the viney, twining habit of many other Ipomoea</em> species (but not this one). Leptophylla</em> is derived from the Greek words “leptos”, meaning delicate or slender, and "phyllos", which means leaves.</p> Ethnobotany</em>: Native Americans had several purposes for the large root. It was burned and the smoke was said to alleviate nervousness or bad dreams. It was also scraped and eaten raw as a gastrointestinal aid to relieve stomach problems or roasted and used as a starvation food source. This particular use is not surprising, as it is in the same genus as the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas</em>).</p> Quick guide</em>:</p> Bushy perennial that can grow 1-4 feet tall and up to 5 feet wide</li> Narrow green leaves that tend to grow on the same side of a yellow-green stem</li> Large, showy funnel-shaped pink-purple flowers</li> </ul> Sphaeralcea coccinea</em> (scarlet globemallow), Malvaceae (mallow family)</strong></h3> Distribution and habitat</em>: Scarlet globemallow is found in dry areas of the Intermountain West, the Great Basin, the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains. It is extremely drought-tolerant and grows in desert, semi-desert and prairie habitats, as well as roadsides and disturbed areas. Although our research team has found it in several places along the High Line Canal Trail, it is not abundant, so you’ll have to look carefully to find this lovely native flower!</p> Fun facts</em>: The flowers and leaves of scarlet globemallow provide food for many wild animals, including pronghorn antelope, deer, bighorn sheep, bison, prairie dogs and jack rabbits, as well as domestic sheep. Livestock will also eat the plants when grasses are dormant.</p> Etymology</em>: Sphaeralcea</em> is derived from the Greek "sphaira", which means globe (referring to the shape of the fruits) and “alcea”, which refers to the mallow family. Coccinea</em> is Latin for "scarlet".</p> Ethnobotany</em>: There are several uses for scarlet globemallow, including as a tonic to improve appetite. The chewed roots and dried leaves can also be applied to sores as a disinfectant.</p> Quick guide</em>:</p> Small perennial wildflower that only grows 4-16 inches tall</li> Lobed leaves that are densely covered with stellate (starburst) hairs, giving a grayish-green frosted appearance</li> Deep orange to orange-pink flowers with a yellow column in the center</li> </ul> Argemone polyanthemos</em> (crested prickly-poppy), Papaveraceae (poppy family)</strong></h3> Distribution and habitat</em>: Although the crested prickly-poppy’s native range extends from the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains to the central and western Great Plains, it has been introduced in several adjacent regions, including west of the Rockies. It grows in sandy or gravelly soils in prairies, foothills, and mesas, as well as disturbed areas like roadsides or fields. During the summer, the brilliant white flowers are easy to spot! Look on the side of the High Line Canal Trail opposite the canal in sandy areas.</p> Fun facts</em>: All Argemone</em> species have a milky sap that ranges in color from white to reddish-orange; the sap of the crested prickly-poppy is bright yellow. Plants often use sap as a deterrent to avoid being eaten.</p> Etymology</em>: Argemone</em> stems from the Greek word "argemos", a white spot or cataract on the eye, which the plant was used to treat. "Poly" means "many", and "anthemos” refers to the pollen-containing structures, called anthers.</p> Ethnobotany</em>: Although all parts of this plant are poisonous, it was once used to treat cataracts.</p> Quick guide</em>:</p> Deep-rooted annual or biennial that grows 1-3 feet tall</li> Pale blue-green leaves with spines along the veins on the undersides</li> Showy white poppy-looking flowers with yellow centers</li> Broken stems ooze a bright yellow sap</li> </ul> Abronia fragrans</em> (snowball sand verbena), Nyctaginaceae (four o’clock family)</strong></h3> Distribution and habitat</em>: Snowball sand verbena is distributed in the shortgrass prairie of the western Great Plains and at lower elevations of the Southern Rocky Mountains as far west as Utah. It grows in desert, grassland, pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine communities. Our research team has found it in multiple places along the High Line Canal Trail, and it is abundant in sandy areas near Chatfield State Park.</p> Fun facts</em>: Like many other members of the four o’clock family, the flowers of the snowball sand verbena open in the evening and close again in the morning.</p> Etymology</em>: Abronia</em> is from the Greek word "abros", which means delicate. Fragrans</em> is Latin for "fragrant”, referring to the sweet-smelling flowers.</p> Ethnobotany</em>: Snowball sand verbena has been used medicinally and for food. Native Americans of the Southwest use the plant to treat insect bites, sores, and stomachaches, and the roots can be ground up and eaten in a mixture with corn flour.</p> Quick guide</em>:</p> Sweet-smelling white flowers that form a spherical umbel (a round cluster of flowers attached to the same point on the stem)</li> Stems that sprawl on the ground before growing upright</li> Sticky, oval-shaped leaves</li> </ul> </p> This blog post was written by Audrey Dignan, seasonal botanist in the Research & Conservation Department.</em></p>
</p> While Colorado is known for its seemingly endless sunshine, cool nights, and dry, breezy air, those of us who live here know that the weather can vary greatly from morning to evening, or even hour to hour, on any day of the year. Since many of our clients book their weddings in our beautiful outdoor spaces 12-18 months in advance, they never know what Mother Nature is going to provide for their big day! Fortunately, with a spirit of adventure, a bit of flexibility and a little advance planning, there are ways to work around our wild Colorado weather.</p> As you begin to plan the timeline of your ceremony, cocktail hour and reception, it’s important to think about how rain or bad weather might affect the flow of your event. For example, if it is raining before your ceremony, do you have enough cushion in the timeline that you can delay? How long of a delay is acceptable before you have to either proceed in the rain or find an indoor option?</p> Another option we’ve seen couples choose on bad weather days is to rearrange the event to allow weather to pass. Is it possible to move your cocktail hour up to buy some time before the ceremony? This way, your guests can mix and mingle before the ceremony, and no one feels like they are waiting around.</p> Don’t just think about the rain! Summer days in Denver can swelter into the 90s on many afternoons, and our high-altitude sunshine will crisp up your guests in no time at all. Can you provide fans or a bit of shade while your guests are waiting for the ceremony to begin? Would they appreciate a mini bottle of water during lengthy ceremonies? If you plan to be outside for a long time, suggest sunscreen and sunglasses in your invitation so guests don’t take home a sunburn as a souvenir from your wedding.</p> The possibility of less than perfect weather is an inherent risk for any outdoor event, especially if your date is during monsoon season or a shoulder season where cold snaps are still a very real possibility. No one wants to plan for the worst: but we assure you, if you take some time early in the planning process to think about what the weather may throw at you, you’ll thank yourselves later when you don’t have to come up with a plan on the spot.</p> Our Venue Sales team is happy to talk through potential weather back-ups with you as you plan your big day at the Gardens. To set up a tour appointment, contact us at private.events@botanicgardens.org</a> or call 720-865-3551.</p> Photo courtesy of Newell Jones + Jones Photography</em></p>
Anyone who has managed to grow "Red birds in a tree" knows that few plants are more attractive to hummingbirds. Scrophularia macrantha</em> is a very local plant endemic largely to a few mountains in central New Mexico. The genus usually goes by the common name "Figwort" and gave its name to the Figwort Family--(Scrophulariaceae), which opens up another can of worms--let's leave that for another blog! But this plant is notable for several reasons: it is unquestionably the queen bee of its genus (Scrophularia </em>is widespread in the old world, where most species are black or brown flowered--charming, I'm sure!). It makes a striking specimen in a border or wild garden--but stand back! It can grow six or more feet tall in gardens. T This monumental specimen is growing on Alameda, in Lakewood's amazing median strips that are filled with choice xeric plants. I nearly had an accident the first time I saw this growing here--such a rare plant, in the middle of a busy street! Lakewood can be proud indeed... Here is a compact form that popped up a few years ago in the Lakewood Showcase garden on Hoyt and Jewel (the "Gardens at Kendrick Lake": if you have not been there, hightail it out there pronto: it is a stunning xeriscape demonstration garden that looks good at all times). I collected a pinch of seed of this twenty years ago exactly this August at about 6000' in Luna County, New Mexico on an expedition with my brother-in-law, Allan Taylor to get seed off the northernmost Arizona Cypress in New Mexico. There was only one plant of the Scrophularia</em>, and it was in seed: I sent a smidge to Kew and shared the rest with a few friends. David Salman of High Country Gardens was the first to successfully grow and market the plant, and he gave it its wonderful common name. In 1998 it received the Green Thumb Award of the mail order nursery association. Ten years later it was promoted by Plant Select, and today nurseries across the world sell this plant, so rare in nature but treasured in gardens. We have been finding hummingbirds in Denver area gardens all summer in recent years (they used to only pass through on the way to the mountains in spring and fall). More intriguingly, their numbers swell enormously in dry years like this year: I sometimes wonder if the vast array of red flowered, hummingbird-pollinated plants in Plant Select (a bevy of Salvia</em>, penstemons galore, Agastache </em>spp. and this Scrophularia</em>) are not providing such a smorgasbord of delights for them that they find lingering down here attractive. I know that when flowers are sparse or absent in the hills, our gardens may be providing a vital food source for these miniature avian gems--a fascinating unintended consequence of our plant exploration. Pretty cool, no?</p>
As our long hot summer begins to cool off, time to roll up your sleeves and get that garden in shape again...but sometimes a bit of inspiration helps...and what can be more inspiring than seeing the handiwork of fellow gardeners? This Saturday the Garden Conservancy is featuring its awesome Open Days program in Denver. Three outstanding (and each very different) gardens will show the enormous variety and beauty that manifests itself (horticulturally) in Colorado. They are open between 10 am and 4 pm. Details are at http://www.gardenconservancy.org/opendays/open-days-schedule/openday/576-denver-open-day. Cost is only $5 per person per garden. Here is a taste of what you will see: Debohun Garden This garden welcomes visitors with a splash of color from high-performing xeric perennials, cold hardy cactus, and shrubs. The garden is styled to attract native birds and natural pollinators. Plant Select plants reign supreme in this garden, often trialing garden plants such as manzanitas, azaleas and other treasures for the local nursery, Timberline Gardens. The back garden has four tons of stone "flooring" mixed with over-wintered dahlias, Agapanthus</em>, and even a tropical banana tree! These create conversation with the recently planted gamble oak forest which slowly emerges beside a stately Quercus buckleyi. Later, veggies for eating appear in the garden along shade for outdoor dining. This is a smaller garden, but the winner of Plant Select photo contest! I Just Can't Contain Myself A meandering flagstone pathway surrounded by rock gardens welcomes guests to our home. The moss rock boulders and smaller stones create pockets for planting that look wonderfully natural. Sun and shade perennials fill the gardens, sedum and hens and chicks abound. Wild and carefree is the feel. The tiny backyard once filled with a basketball court is now home to a soothing waterfall, rock gardens, and my container gardens that provide color and drama throughout the season. It has been called a secret garden. Walker Garden Situated along the Highline Canal, this suburban garden has a quiet country feel. Offset by small meadow and serene pond supporting a thriving wildlife, habitat, plantings have been chosen to attract birds, bees, and assorted wildlife, yet suited to the Colorado climate. This garden is an informal celebration of Mother Nature's color, texture, and intricate design.</p>
July – the month we celebrate America’s independence… and efficient irrigation? While the second occasion may not get as much attention as the first, there are plenty of ways to mark Smart Irrigation Month this July.</p> The Irrigation Association (IA), which represents manufacturers of irrigation products, first declared July to be “Smart Irrigation Month” in 2005 to draw attention to the need to use earth’s most precious resource wisely. July typically sees peak water demand in the United States – driven largely by the need to keep our thirsty landscapes alive. Coloradans head into July feeling already parched by one of the hottest Junes on record. But the message behind Smart Irrigation Month is that you can conserve water and still maintain healthy plants.</p> Denver Botanic Gardens tries to lead by example when it comes to efficient irrigation and appropriate plant selection for this climate – with perhaps our best examples being the Roads Water-Smart Gardenand the Green Roof Garden at our York Street location. But all York Street gardens are managed by a central irrigation control program that utilizes weather data (like temperature, wind, humidity, etc.) and plant-specific settings to ensure that each particular area gets just the right amount of water.</p> </p> </p> Of course, the IA would like you to celebrate Smart Irrigation Month with the purchase of this latest-and-greatest technology for your home. Most irrigation manufacturers do sell “smart” controllers that enable homeowners to manage their landscape water use in the same way larger, public sites do. If you’re feeling lucky, you might even enter to win a smart controller.</p> While it may not give you the same thrill as watching fireworks, you still might find some beauty in efficient irrigation!</p> </p> (image via)</p>
</p> Okay, okay: this stunning new hardy ice plant is not exactly overlooked: it has in fact been a phenomenal seller across the United States and Canada this spring in its maiden launch. But we did run out of it fairly early on during our landmark plant sale a few weekends ago. The Hardy ice plants are of course poster girl plants for Plant Select, the wonderful collaboration between Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado State University, and over 100 wholesale and retail nurseries across North America (and beyond actually!)...</p> </p> The plants promoted by Plant Select that have</em></strong> been neglected a bit in my opinion are the sun daisies. Osteospermum</em> is a large genus practically restricted to southern Africa with dozens of species, most of them very tender. Plant Select introduced a bevy of these over the past decade which have incredible impact in the landscape. Purple Mountain is that unique color of rich purple that is quite rare in gardens. I have seen this thriving in Pueblo and in gardens high in the mountains, so it is very adaptable...although it can be rather captious in some gardens. Read on!</p> </p> You can imagine my delight when I drove by a bank near the gardens and saw this terrific stand of Purple Mountain: SOME landscape designer out there is bold indeed! What a treat to see this plant given star treatment! Thank you indeed...</p> </p> One seems to see 'Lavender Mist' a tad more frequently than the other hardy Osteospermums: it can be very decorative in full bloom, and makes a robust evergreen mat.</p> But I have rarely seen AVALANCHE TM our most recent introduction in large, industrial type plantings or even in home gardens. This is an improvement on its hardy cousins because of its much greater adaptability to various soils. It is less apt to wild in heat or die back if it dries out a little too much. More importantly, it blooms longer and more heavily through the season. This is one of several Plant Select treasures that should become universal plants used in median strips and home garden, and which have been inexplicably neglected. Do visit your local garden center and ask for this, one of the greatest new perennials to come on the market in recent years. Try it! You'll like it!</p>
</p> Things Japanese are not limited to the Japanese Garden: here is a shot of Sakurasoh, the rare Japanese Primula sieboldii</em> which is one of the hardiest and best primroses for Colorado Gardens, blooming in PlantAsia in early May. Sakura is Japanese for cherry blossom--which this primrose is said to resemble. So rich is the native flora of Japan that there are Japanese treasures in almost every garden.</p> Likewise, I am delighted that at least one reader of this blog has submitted Haiku that were inspired by the Gardens and the Kizuna exhibit. These are the ones that have been sent to me thus far by volunteer Diane O'Donnell (who shares both my love of things Japanese and Greek ancestry!)... These are precisely the sort of haiku I hoped might be inspired by Kizuna and our endless, gorgeous Japanese flavored spring!</p> "Haiku for Bamboo" "Standing firm and tall yet so flexible, you bend into Western winds"</p> "Green treasure of the East, we bow to you with thanks. Origato, bamboo"</p> Diane O'Donnell</p> </blockquote>
We awoke at four o’clock to a very light rain and are hopeful that it will not be too much to keep the parrots from descending upon the clay lick this morning. After a short boat ride up river to a sand bar, we hiked to research blinds located a hundred meters or so from the clay lick and settled in to wait for the parrots to arrive. Almost immediately we observe plenty of activity in the tree tops but it seems a bit wet on the clay lick for the birds to descend. Finally, a number of large macaws take the plunge and alight on the bank across the river. There are several theories as to why parrots (and many other animals) regularly visit these clay embankments, but currently it is thought that the clay provides nutrients – especially sodium – that are lacking in most of the vegetation the animals feed on. We were able to observe several species on the clay lick and while it wasn’t exactly the jaw-dropping experience we may have been hoping for, it was still impressive and an opportunity to admire what most people will never have the opportunity to see. Macaw conservation is an important focus of the Tambopata Research Center (TRC) and was one of the organizations initial conservation efforts. Macaws face many threats including habitat destruction for agriculture, selective logging of large trees the birds use for nesting, road construction and illegal collection for the pet trade. Sadly, nearly 85% of young macaws poached from the wild die – another reason to only purchase any pet from a responsible and caring breeder. To compensate for lost nesting sites, the TRC has positioned nesting boxes throughout the area and monitors the macaw parents and chicks that use these nest boxes. Data is collected on adult behavior, chick growth and survival, migration patterns and many other details. While most of the research is conducted on the Scarlet Macaw, methods and results are often useful when working with other macaw species, many of which are severely threatened. Our morning at the clay lick may not have been a five star experience but the opportunity to witness researchers collecting data on macaw chicks more than made up for any disappointment. Another trip highlight was our visit to the medicinal garden of a community shaman named Onorato. Onorato created his gardens to treat low income residents of the area using traditional and natural treatments obtained from plant material obtained from the surrounding jungle. His garden included plants used for the treatment of everything from coughs and fevers to snake bites and cancer. There must be some credibility to these treatments – a German pharmaceutical company has confirmed curative properties and has patented plants from the South American jungles including materials used by Onorato. Our scaled-down group of Peru adventurers had many opportunities to hike and explore the surrounding jungles but we only scratched the surface of all there is to see. I return trip just may be in order. After nearly two weeks of travel, it is time to pack our bags and return to Colorado. Despite plenty of rain, early (and I mean early!!!) wake up calls and plenty of exhausting hikes, the trip has been an amazing experience. I am especially grateful for the adventurous group of trip participants who were eager to dive into every experience and who took any bumps in the road (or river) in stride and lived each moment of the trip to the fullest. Not only have I witnessed many incredible natural wonders, I’ve also met new people and made new friends. It doesn’t get much better than that! </p>
