JARS v47n2 - Western Regional Conference

Western Regional Conference
Jerry Reynolds
Arcata, California

"Rhododendrons in the Redwoods" is the theme for the 13th annual Western Regional Conference, scheduled for Oct. 21-24, 1993, in Eureka, Calif. Eureka Chapter will host the four-day event, which will be held at the Eureka Inn, an historic hotel that is on the National Register of Historic Landmarks. Eureka is well known for its Victorian homes and buildings and for its location on California's rugged North Coast in the heart of the redwoods.

Among the speakers tentatively scheduled for the 13th annual conference are Harold Greer, Monty Monsees, Clint Smith, Clive Justice, Joe Davis, Fred Minch, Dr. Herb Spady, Dr. Frank Mossman, Eleanor Philp, Bob George and Ken Gibson. Monsees will present a spectacular multi-screen show on rhododendrons in the Japanese garden at the Saturday evening banquet.

Workshops will cover such topics as new hybrids, yak hybrids, rhododendron photography, and landscaping with rhododendrons. Other programs will cover the rhododendron family tree, gardens of western Europe, Rhododendron occidentale and powdery mildew.

The conference will get underway Thursday evening with a special reception at Atlee and Atlee Fine Arts in Eureka's Old Town area. The reception will feature a number of works painted by Humboldt County artists especially for the conference and reflecting the "Rhododendrons in the Redwoods" theme, report Chuck Miller and June Walsh, co-chairs of the conference. Some 34 local artists are preparing works for this reception and the subsequent exhibition. The artists will attend the reception and all works will be available for sale.

An optional tour of the redwoods and other sites will be offered Friday. The first conference session is scheduled for Friday evening with Harold Greer as the speaker. Eureka Chapter President Tim Walsh and Don Wallace, program chair for the conference, promise attendees a conference they won't soon forget. Weather on the North Coast during late October is usually mild, although a shower or two is not uncommon.

Registration information will be included in the summer issue of the Journal.