A warm late summer breeze blew as a goldfinch ate seeds while balancing on a stem of a pineapple sage. Bees flew from bloom to bloom of the brightly colored Baja fairy duster gathering pollen. Dragonflies darted back and forth across a small pond, occasionally landing on a branch, their wings glowing in the afternoon sun.
A recent walk along the trails of the Fullerton Arboretum discovered a 26-acre slice of peacefulness tucked away in the northeast corner of Cal State Fullerton.
A bee hovers by the bloom of a Baja fairy duster at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Palm fronds glow in the late afternoon light at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A goldfinch eats the seeds of a pineapple sage at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The afternoon sunlight shines through the translucent wings of a dragonfly resting on a branch at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Sharp spines of a cactus glow in the afternoon light at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
One of the many cacti at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A butterfly sits in the warm afternoon sun on a rock at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A bee lands on the bloom of a Baja fairy duster at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
An ant walks along a petal as two bees gather pollen on a cactus bloom at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A western fence lizard blends in with the leaves along a trail at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Water splashes off a rock in the waterfall near the entrance of the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Palm fronds glow in the late afternoon light at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A turtle lifts its head just above the surface of the shallow water in the pond at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Sharp spines of a cactus glow in the afternoon light at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The wispy branches and leaves of the Mexican Palo Verde tree at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A blue dasher dragonfly rests at the edge of the pond at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A bee loaded with pollen makes its way around a cactus bloom as ants scurry by at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Two bees land on a cactus bloom at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Spines are lined up in perfect geometric rows on a cactus at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The many geometric rows of spines on a cactus at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A blue dasher dragonfly rests at the edge of the pond at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The wispy branches and leaves of the Mexican Palo Verde tree at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A goldfinch eats the seeds of a pineapple sage at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The sun shines through the tall fingers of the Alluaudia, a towering plant from Madagascar, at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
It wasn’t just the wanderings of the small creatures that caught my eye on the warm, late summer afternoon. It was the way the sun flickered through the fingers of the Alluaudia, a towering plant from Madagascar, while palm fronds glowed, casting shadows upon themselves. And the way the prickly spines lined up in perfect geometric rows on the many cacti were contrasted by the beautiful wispy branches and leaves of the Mexican Palo Verde tree as I sat on a bench in its shade, gazing at the cool blue, cloudless sky.
If you go
When: The Fullerton Arboretum is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; a special evening stroll event is 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 22 (admission is $10)
Where: 1900 Associated Road, Fullerton
Cost: $5 a person
Information: fullertonarboretum.org
As my leisurely stroll came to an end, I passed by the pond one more time as a fish leaped out of the water to grab a dragonfly resting on a branch just above the surface. A nearby turtle slowly swam in the shallows, its eyes gazing just above the waterline to see if it was missing something important.
Butterflies continued to flutter aimlessly and a lizard, blending in with the surrounding leaves along the trail back to the arboretum’s entrance, seemed quite content with soaking up one more day of summer warmth.
