Stopping to Smell the Roses, And Lots More, At the Botanic Garden - [PDF Document] (2024)

Stopping to Smell the Roses, and Lots More, at the BotanicGarden. - M.C. Enrique Ruiz Daz.

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Stopping to Smell the Roses, and Lots

More, at the Botanic Garden.

the U.S. Botanic Garden Washington City.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE: This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA SpecialEnglish.

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I'm Pat Bodnar.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty. This week, we tell about the United StatesBotanic Garden in Washington, D.C. It is one of the oldestbotanical gardens in the country. Botanical gardens provide aprotected area for green plants, flowing plants and trees. Theyalso are place for education and scientific research.

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VOICE ONE:

The thin green leaves of fern plants seem to reach out towelcome visitors as they enter the United States Botanic Garden.The Botanic Garden is just a short walk from the United StatesCapitol building. Plants from around the world grow there. Plantsalso grow across the street in the Frederic Auguste BartholdiPark.

People come to the Botanic Garden to see its large collection offlowers, trees and other plants. It is probably one of the mostbeautiful places to see in Washington.

VOICE TWO:

From early April through early June, the Botanic Garden ispresenting an exhibit that honors its beginnings. The show willrecognize the United States Exploring Expedition. The expeditionwas a navy trip made for scientific research in the nineteenthcentury. Some educators say it was America's most importantscientific naval exploration before the Civil War.

The trip began on August eighth, eighteen thirty-eight. At thetime, a Navy officer named Charles Wilkes led ships from theeastern state of Virginia on scientific travels.

Wilkes commanded the flagship Vincennes. Five other shipsstarted traveling with the Vincennes. Wilkes's group visited SouthAmerica and the west coast of North America. It also traveled toSoutheast Asia, the southern Pacific Ocean and even South Africa.The one hundred forty thousand-kilometer trip became known as theWilkes Expedition.

VOICE ONE:

Artists and scientists joined the crew of the Wilkes Expedition.Crewmembers made fun of the scientists. The sailors called theminsect catchers. But these insect catchers did important work. Theycollected more than sixty-thousand kinds of plants and birds.

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Charles Wilkes also explored Antarctica. He described it as notjust a big piece of ice, but a continent. Historians remember himas a great sailor and explorer.

After he returned, the Navy brought charges against Wilkes forstriking members of his crew. He was accused of using severebeatings as punishment. During his life, Wilkes defended himselftwo times against charges in a military court. But he did not earnmuch love from his sailors.

The Roses in the Botanic Garden - Washington.

VOICE TWO:

The Wilkes Expedition brought the start of an internationalcollection of seeds, birds and plants to the United States. Theyadded to the richness of nature in the country.

The living plants and seeds were taken to a specially builtgreenhouse near the Old Patent Office Building in Washington. Agreenhouse is a building with a glass top and sides where plantscan grow in cold weather. Later, the plants were given to the newlyformed Smithsonian Institution. The seeds became part of itscollections.

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The new Botanic Garden exhibit honoring Wilkes's gifts toAmerica opens today [April 4]. A vessel fern in the Garden'scollection will be among the objects shown. The plant with its thinleaves is believed to have developed directly from a fern from theWilkes expedition.

VOICE ONE:

About a year ago, the Botanic Garden showed a much older kind ofplant -- a Wollemi pine. The plant came from trees that existed inthe age of dinosaurs. Until eleven years ago, it was believed thatthe last similar Wollemi lived ninety million years ago.

A special container protected the three-year-old pine tree whilein the Botanic Garden. The loan of the pine was part of acooperative program with plant and wildlife organizations inAustralia. About one hundred Wollemi were found near Sydney innineteen ninety-five. Only a few people know where the plants werediscovered. Experts fear that people might harm them.

VOICE TWO:

Another unusual plant was shown at the Botanic Garden in July oftwo thousand three. Many thousands of people stood in line to see arare flower from Indonesia. The Titan Arum opens every one to threeyears. Its flower lasts only a few days. While the flower is open,the Titan Arum smells terrible.

The Botanic Garden could have shown the flower longer. Butexperts decided that its condition was worsening. They thought theflower might have died by the next day. The Botanic Garden wantedto save parts of the flower to let it open again. So a plant expertwas called in. He was asked to prepare the Titan Arum so it couldbe saved.

Workers cut away the parts above ground. But the lower part isin a sleeping condition. Sometime within the next several years, itwill send up leafy parts. They will make food for the flower. Thatprocess is expected to provide enough energy for Titan Arum toflower again.

VOICE ONE:

Protecting and restoring plant life is important to the BotanicGarden. In June, the Garden is taking part in presenting a trainingprogram toward that goal. The Denver Botanic Gardens in Colorado isassisting with the program.

An organization called the Center for Plant Conservation willteach the genetics involved in protecting plants. It also willexplore the science of growing flowers, fruits, vegetables andornamental plants. These plants include flowers like roses andtrees like holly trees. Holly is known for its small red fruit, orberries.

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Other Scene of the Splendor of the Botanic Garden -Washington.

VOICE TWO:

About four thousand plants grow in the Botanic Garden. Expertshave placed the plants in different areas designed to meet theirspecial requirements. Each area has different environmental needsfor the plants growing in it. Light from the glass covering fallsfrom high above. Modern equipment controls the temperature, waterand other needs of each plant group.

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The tradition leading to the present Botanic Garden began almosttwo hundred years ago. In eighteen sixteen, a cultural organizationin Washington proposed creating a special garden. This garden wasto have plants from the United States and other nations.

VOICE ONE:

Four years later, Congress established the garden of theColumbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences. Theplants were grown in an area west of the Capitol building untileighteen thirty-seven. The Columbian Institute stopped meeting thatyear. People in Washington, however, did not want to be without agarden. So a new greenhouse was built.

In eighteen forty-two, Charles Wilkes and his group gave twohundred fifty four living plants to the new greenhouse. A few yearslater, workers moved the plants into another structure. They werenow on the land where the first garden had been. In nineteenthirty-three, the current greenhouse, called the conservatory, wasbuilt.

VOICE TWO:

The United States Botanic Garden offers a number of services tothe public. The Botanic Garden answers requests about plants. Italso holds special education programs. Many of these programs arefree to anyone who wants to attend.

The Botanic Garden works with local and national garden groupsand scientific organizations. It exchanges plants with them andhelps them develop educational programs. And it holds specialflower shows throughout the year. One show, for example, celebratesthe Christmas holiday.

VOICE ONE:

The Botanic Garden continues to grow and change. A private groupis raising money for a National Garden. It is being built just westof the Botanic Garden.

Several areas are planned for the National Garden. AnEnvironmental Learning Center will offer space for teaching scienceand gardening. Visitors to the National Garden will also see manygrasses, flowers and other plants native to the Washington area.One area will be filled with hundreds of historical and modernroses. A butterfly garden will have plants often visited by thesecolorful insects. Young visitors will be able to play in achildren's garden. And, a water garden will honor the wives ofAmerican Presidents.

The United States Botanic Garden has existed for many years. Itcontinues to prove that beauty and science go together.

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(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Jerilyn Watson. Cynthia Kirkwas our producer. I'm Bob Doughty.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Pat Bodnar. Join us again next week for more news aboutscience in Special English on the Voice of America.

You can take the audio (mp3) from the next url, or, Request itthe teacher, or, go to my Personal

Page:

http://www.unsv.com/voanews/specialenglish/scripts/2006/04/04/0045/

M.C. Enrique Ruiz Daz.

Con ttulo y cdula profesional 5632071 en la Maestra en Cienciasde la Computacin.

Egresado del Instituto Tecnolgico de Orizaba, Veracruz,Mxico.

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Washington State in the United States of America.

Source:http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/wana.gif

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Washington D.C. - the United States of America.

Source:http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/washdcna.gif

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Know the Project: Books of English, from English 1 to 5, for allthe CBTIS of the United Mexican States.

I formulated a project for the CBTIS (Technological Industrialand of Services Center of Bachelor

Degree) 107 of Tuxtepec, Oax., Mxico consisting in giving to theLibrary of this Institution with

five volumes of English language, of my authorship. A book foreach semester, from the first

English book to fifth English book (according to the plan ofstudies in this regard of the CBTIS). At

no cost to the Institution, because this is a donation (in thestaff, I solve my expenses of the

project with income of my employment as a professor that I wouldbe in this CBTIS).

One of the major advantages of this project is to solve the needof the student of spending in

books of English language because the books will be at yourcomplete disposal into the student

community in the Library of the institution.

Afterward, in an immediate subsequent phase of this project isthat among the student

community of this CBTIS and all the CBTIS of the United MexicanStates will have these 5

volumes of English language by means of a page Google; read it,neither cost nor restriction to

obtain them.

Well, as a last note, I must say that these books will have theformat of 'workbook'. This, as an

intelligent work with foundations and then their respectiveexercises to resolve, into a concurrent

process.

M.C. Enrique Ruiz Daz. Con ttulo y cdula profesional 5632071 enla Maestra en Ciencias de la Computacin.

Egresado del Instituto Tecnolgico de Orizaba, Veracruz,Mxico.

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