In the leading up to the history portion of our Spring Speakers Series on Wednesday, May 8, we will be highlighting a few historical staff biographies.
“What’s this?” she barks suddenly as a brightly colored bug flashes on the screen.
“A beetle!” “A bug!” come the shouts.
“It’s a bug,” the frosty-haired woman nods. “Like me. Just call me Buggie.”
So everybody does.
Geraldine "Buggie" Markham was a self-taught Naturalist and the first at The Dawes Arboretum in the 1960’s. Buggie began working at The Arboretum as part of an improvement plan aimed at upgrading the educational offerings and engagements by our staff members at the time. Many of the educational courses were focused on adults and addressed the shortcomings of natural education as well as encouraged future generations to conserve their natural resources and landscapes. She also oversaw all of The Arboretum’s Scout offerings which meant working with The Arboretum’s Boy Scout troop and many Girl Scout groups.
Buggie’s natural education programs led to the extension of collaboration with local schools and coursework. During the 1966 school year, Jacksontown ran out of rooms for their fifth graders. They recognized the need for another room and so The Arboretum offered the Auditorium in the then brand-new Visitor’s Center to become an extra classroom. Buggie and other staff members supplemented the students' consistent school curriculum with natural education. After the consolidation of Jacksontown’s school, the program continued with Lakewood Local School District.
Buggie continued to encourage a love of the outdoors in her work with schools and scouts until she left The Arboretum in 1978.