Arboretum Offers Stay-in-Shape February Outdoor Fun, Exploration

ESPERANCE, NY (02/07/2008)(readMedia)-- In a warm embrace of the fickle February weather, the Landis Arboretum offers two family-focused winter events.

February 10, Sunday, 1–3 pm

SECOND SUNDAY SNOWSHOE

Explore the Arboretum on snowshoes with ISA Certified Arborist and Snowshoe King Fred Breglia. Along the way, identify animal signs, discuss winter botany, and look for harbingers of spring. End the day with a hot beverage. Beginner and experienced snowshoers are welcomed. Bring your own snowshoes or borrow a pair from Landis. (Call 518-875-6935 to reserve your pair early.) No snow? Take a hike! Free.

February 16, Saturday, 2–3:30 pm

WINTER ECOLOGY WALK

The woods are alive in winter, so venture out and bear witness. Dress in layers for the cold and bring snow shoes if you wish. Watch for the tracks and traces of woodland inhabitants, search for winter bird life, and discuss tree and plant identification in winter. Leader: Well-know, popular and totally informed Science Educator George Steele. Suggested donation $5 but no one is ever turned away at the Landis Arboretum.

Year-round Multi-faceted Jewel

The Landis Arboretum is a multifaceted natural jewel. It now encompasses 548 acres of trees, shrubs, old growth forest and, of course, breath-taking vistas and memorable gardens. Long a destination of choice among Capital District gardeners, environmentalists, nature lovers, hikers, bikers, and birders, the Landis Arboretum may be one of the best-kept secrets of the northern Catskills.

The Arboretum is central to the New York State Wine and Spa Trails and in close proximity to historic Sharon Springs. And, it is a natural stop for those traveling to the high-volume tourist attractions between the Albany, Cooperstown, and Finger Lakes Regions.

The Landis Arboretum is located 1.5 miles off scenic-designated Route 20 in Esperance, NY, a beautiful and easy drive from throughout the Capital Region. The grounds of Landis are open daily, year-round, from dawn until dusk. www.landisarboretum.org, info@landisarboretum.org, 518-875-6935.

The George Landis Arboretum

The Landis Arboretum may well be the northern Catskill Region’s best-kept secret. With centuries of history and the riveting beauty inherent in the Arboretum’s world-class, global collections, generations of extraordinary plantings continue to impart their secrets to its visitors. http://www.catskillregionguide.com/articles/article.php?id=995

Learn and do at Landis, the Capital Region’s Arboretum – in your own backyard.

-30-