April & May 2015 Field Trips

Mobile Botanical Gardens, Mobile, AL

mobile botanical gardens

Date: Friday, April 24th

Time: 10 am

Location: Mobile, AL

Cost: $5 per person, 2 years old & under free

Payment: Via check mailed to MRCS.

Registration: Via MRCS Registration form found & printed @ https://www.mobilemrcs.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/FieldTripForm.pdf.  This event is limited to 35 people, so register early to assure your spot!

Registration Deadline:  Friday, April 17th

Our class: The Birds, the Bees and the Flowers

The science and wonders of pollination and plant-animal interactions. Includes seasonal examples available at MBG and a special session on butterflies (large model demonstrates!). Time: 1-1/2 hours. Visit may be extended to include learning games.

The Gardens: Our 100-acre site has an award winning “Garden of Excellence” featuring over 500 camellias, a Longleaf Treasure Forest, cultivated gardens connected by handicapped-accessible paths and woodland trails – an oasis of nature in the West Mobile community.

The Shropshire Nature Trail, one of the earliest features put into place in the Gardens, leads visitors through a natural habitat of woodlands.

The Founder’s Fragrance & Texture Garden, another early project, showcases plants which offer sensory delights…prickly or soft to touch, fragrant to inhale. It was designed to enhance a garden experience for blind or handicapped individuals.

The Longleaf Pine Forest ecosystem fronting Museum Drive, contains a vast array of 165 species ranging from giant longleaf pines and southern magnolias to tiny bluets and other native wildflowers. Please follow the marked trails.  This area has been designated a Treasure Forest.

Northeast of the Gardens is a remnant of a Wetland Area. For centuries, these wetlands slowed the waters of Three Mile Creek, purifying and filtering them while providing prime wildlife habitat. The creek has been channelized, but some wetland plants and animals remain along its edges.

Located in an area with seepage springs, the Fern Glade is especially lovely on a hot, sultry day.

The Herb Garden was established in 1996 by the Gulf Coast Herb Society. Its members continue to maintain it and provide much general support for MBG.

The John Allen Smith Japanese Maple Garden contains the core collection of maple specimens from horticulturist John Allen Smith. Donations of plants, money, and effort have provided this exotic garden with additional lovely trees.

The Millie McConnell Rhododendron & Azalea Garden began as a native azalea garden, planted by Tom Dodd, John Allen Smith, and Dr. John Giordano. The garden was redesigned in 2006 to showcase azalea hybrids either created in Mobile, or especially well-suited to our climate. These groups include the Eugene Aromi, Tom Dodd, and Kosaku Sawada hybrids. This Garden also boasts the largest public collection of Satsuki azaleas in the U.S., as well as an extensive collection of historic Southern India azaleas. These plants are set among 19th century architectural artifacts and hand-made brick pavers from Mobile’s old Broad Street. The pavers were donated by the City of Mobile Archives.

The Kosaku Sawada Winter Garden, named in honor of a local world-renowned nurseryman and hybridizer, was re-established in 2007, under the direction of Bobby Green of Green Nurseries.

In 2014 it was named a “Garden of Excellence” by the International Camellia Society – one of only seven in the USA.

Over 500 Camellias, are planted along grass paths winding under tall trees. The collection ranges from historical varieties many originating in Mobile to new Asian species. Companion plants with winter blooms and color complement the beautiful display of the camellias.

In front of the Botanical Center Plaza is the ReBloom Mobile Garden, designed and planted to showcase plants from the Rebloom Mobile list established in 2002 as part of the Mobile Tricentennial Celebration.

The Piff Garden, created in honor of Mrs. Elsa Piff, features perennials, shrubs and annuals which are very attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. Mrs. Piff’s beautiful plumerias can also be seen in the beds near the entrance every summer. Each fall, they are removed to a greenhouse and returned to the Gardens when the weather is favorable Bring your family to see what life was like in Colonial Mobile at this springtime educational event at Fort Condé.

www.mobilebontanicalgardens.org

 

USS Alabama Battleship

Date:  Thursday, May 7th

Time:  10 am

Location:  Mobile, AL

Cost: $3.00 per person, 5 years old & under free, parking is $2 per vehicle

Payment: Day of visit via check made to MRCS

Registration: Via email to coordinator, Michele Landrum, @ m.landrum@mobilemrcs.org

Registration Deadline: Monday, April 13th

Come tour the historic USS Alabama! Once onboard, the group can enter gun turrets, view crew’s quarters, the brig, sick bay, an engine room and much more. There are 12 decks open for touring aboard the Battleship. The group will also enjoy watching a 15-minute film in the Uptake Theater featuring former WWII USS ALABAMA crewmen.

After touring the ALABAMA, head down the ramp to the Aircraft Pavilion where the group can view aircraft such as the A-12 “Blackbird” Spy Plane and a P51-D Mustang Redtail, like the one flown by the valiant Tuskegee Airmen. Then inspect other aircraft, a PBR Boat, and many exciting exhibits.

Submarine USS DRUM is your next stop. Experience how her crew of 72 worked and lived. The Submarine may be viewed from every vantage point, inside and out.

Be sure to visit the inspiring Vietnam and Korean War Memorials also located in the park as well as the incredible array of outdoor exhibits.

Expect to spend 2-2.5 hours on the tour.  Picnic area is available after the tour. Simulator is NOT included in the price but is available for separate purchase, $4.75, day of event.

www.ussalabama.com