Arboretum to NYS Legislature: “The RACE is on! Catch us if you can….”

Awesome August Perfecta Offers Day-long Roster of Family Events Close to Home

SCHOHARIE COUNTY, NY (07/14/2008)(readMedia)--

The Board of Trustees, staff, and intrepid volunteers of the Landis Arboretum have issued a challenge to members of the NYS Legislature, their staffs, families, and friends to participate in the Arboretum' s August 30 Perennial 5K Forest Run Cross-Country Classic. A portion of the proceeds from the event will be used to implement the planned Wanderland universally accessible garden at Landis for people of all abilities.

"We realize that many of members of the NYS Legislature have never been to Landis," says Executive Director Thom O'Connor - "even though we are the Capital Region's Arboretum." We invite these members - as well as longtime supporters -- to seize this opportunity to experience the spectacular grounds of the Arboretum, to have some fun, and to share that experience with their constituents.

Not by coincidence, the 548-acre Arboretum will be a gathering place for a day-long roster of events on August 30, which the Arboretum has named the Awesome August Perfecta:

9 am - Noon The Arboretum's Perennial 5K Cross Country Forest Run/Walk and Tot Trot

Course: The 5K run takes you on a tour of the 548-acre public garden. The majority of the race is set among the Arboretum's many trails, ranging from woodlands to fields with rolling hills. Awards: Male/Female-Top in each age group: Under 15, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+. For more information - including registration fees and forms - visit http://www.landisarboretum.org .Free T-shirts to the first 50 people registered before August 4. Contact race coordinator Jonathan DiCesare with any questions-518-231-2290.

Noon - 4 pm Old Stone Fort Militia Encampment at the Arboretum

The Schoharie area was a dangerous place during the Revolution. Men joined the militia to protect their families and defend their homes. Awesome August participants are invited to be part of the action as the Stone Fort Volunteer Militia musters them to Join the Militia.

  • Learn basic drills and marching maneuvers with wooden muskets.
  • Engage in a mock skirmish - for the adventuresome of any age! No actual firing, but plenty of fun!

Individuals, families and visitors of all ages are invited to:

  • Participate in Coloniallifeat the Militia's Revolutionary War encampment Explore Civilian activities for the whole family!
  • Learn spinning and useful household skills of the period
  • Sample 18th century cooking around the campfire!
  • Try basic drills and marching maneuvers
  • Have fun in the open air of the spectacular Landis Arboretum

Old Stone Fort Museum: Eight historic and museum buildings exhibiting 300 years of rural New York history at a Revolutionary War battle site. 145 Fort Road, Schoharie, NY 12157, (518) 295-7192, http://www.schohariehistory.net. Open May through October.

2 pm Walk through Old Growth Forest at the Capital Region's Arboretum

Howard Stoner, esteemed professor of mathematics at Hudson Valley Community College (Troy) and member of the Eastern Native Tree Society (focused on documenting old growth in New York State.) will lead a walking tour of the ancient forests at the Arboretum.

3 - 8 pm LAPE DAY OPEN MIC

The Arboretum will provide an Open Mic and atmosphere that encourages openness and artistic expression indicative of Fred Lape's legacy as a man of the arts. The Arboretum encourages creative individuals and those who support them to bring their music, poetry, prose, artwork, and crafts to share with others within the rolling hills and plantings of the Arboretum. We'll provide the PA system for participants. Area bands, soloists, and performance artists will be allotted time within the evening's flexible agenda.

8:30 pm Nature Tunes and Tales Campfire

As part of the Lape Birthday Celebration festivities, well-know Amsterdam, NY-based naturalist George Steele will conduct a Nature Tunes and Tales Campfire. Mr. Steele brings this traditional, group participatory activity to new heights as he creates a true theater in the round with a fitting emphasis on ecology, plants, animals, and nature-related movements - replete with a ceremonial lighting of the Magic Campfire.

What is an Arboretum anyway?

Arboreta serve as living museums. Collections of labeled plants are used not only for enjoyment and casual display but for critical examination and scientific study.

Arboreta...

  • Grow and keep labeled collections of woody plants which grow in a given locality;
  • Introduce plants into cultivation from the wild by selecting superior forms of indigenous plants or by importing and selecting plants from other climatically similar regions around the world;
  • Maintain accurate records of plant collections through herbarium samples, plant records, and maps of plantings;
  • Perform scientific investigations such as plants breeding;
  • Maintain library collections of relevant literature; and
  • Disseminate information to the public through educational programs, workshops, and publications.

The Landis Arboretum includes a nationally recognized collection of oaks and is registered with the North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC). The Arboretum also is included in the New York State Route 20 Bluebird Trail, bringing even more birdwatchers to the site. The Arboretum's vast dark sky and wide horizons attract area astronomers to its meeting house and parking field for sky-watching events.

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 Route 20 in historic Esperance, NY. There, with decades 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.

For more information about the Landis Arboretum and Adventures in Schoharie County:

http://www.catskillmtn.org/publications/articles/2008-05-spectacular-beauty-sustainable-fun.html

Widening the Door to Natural Wonders...Every Day of the Year!

As the Capital Region's Arboretum, Landis serves all residents in the extended Capital Region, which includes (Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, and Ulster). Many regular visitors to Landis hail from Western Massachusetts, the Berkshires, Westchester, and western New York State. A 501 c 3 corporation, the Arboretum depends heavily of donations, grants, and fundraising events.

Ease of access from all points extends the geographic reach of the Arboretum: Central to NYS Wine and Spa Trails; the Arboretum benefits from its proximity to historic Sharon Springs, Old Stone Fort Museums Complex, Howe Caverns, the Iroquois Indian Museum, the refurbished Cave House, SUNY Cobleskill, JD Winslow's Equestrian Entertainment, and the reputed farms of Schoharie County, including Cooper's Ark Farm with its signature handicapped accessible hay wagon.

Within two miles travel distance from scenically designated Route 20 and the route I-88 corridor that links Albany with Cooperstown, Finger Lakes Regions and beyond, the Landis Arboretum is an accessible national treasure within easy reach of New York State's Capital Region.

The Landis Arboretum is open to all individuals and conducts all institutional operations in accordance with requirements of Title VI of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1963, as amended which bar discrimination on the basis of race, age, color, nationality, handicap, or place of residence. In the spirit of Landis Founder Fred Lape, the Arboretum also includes affectional preference in an attempt to reflect progressive times and ensure a welcoming environment for all. The Arboretum conducts business in compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity requirements of Article 15A of the Executive Law. Whenever possible, the Arboretum attempts to meet the unique needs and expectations of special populations. The Arboretum's work with regional ARC this year widened the door on options to the disabled, handicapped, and senior citizens as well.

The Landis Arboretum is located 1.5 miles off Scenic designated Route 20 in Esperance, NY, a beautiful and easy drive from within the Capital Region. For more information, call 518-875-6935; http://www.LandisArboretum.org Directions: http://landisarboretum.org/map.html

"I can't think of a better time to visit the Arboretum - for the first time or once again," suggests Mr. O'Connor.