Landis Arboretum Gets Surprise Contribution

Through Donation to Chicago Botanic Garden

ESPERANCE, NY (09/06/2007)(readMedia)-- Proof that trickle down economics have impact, the Landis Arboretum this week received a contribution through the Chicago Botanic Garden. The $3,500 gift will have a major impact on the Capital Region’s non-profit Arboretum which depends heavily on grants, contributions, donations, and membership.

“On behalf of the Chicago Botanic Garden, I am, pleased to report that a recent anonymous gift is making possible a modest contribution to the Landis Arboretum in recognition of its participation in the PlantCollectionsTM project,” said Kris Jarantoski, Executive Vice President and Director of the Glencoe, IL based botanic garden.

The anonymous gift also supports development of an international component, says Mr. Jarantoski. The Chicago Botanic Garden is preparing to host a November meeting of PlantCollections newest partners, the Beijing Municipal Botanic Garden and the National Database Network India.

In the Best of Company

According to Landis Board President Barbara Brabetz and Chair of Natural Sciences at SUNY Cobleskill, “the gift – and our association with all the members of the PlantCollections initiative is an enormous benefit and shows that the scope and influence of the Landis Arboretum has broadened. This is good news not only for the Arboretum but for our home base of Esperance and for the County.” The 548-acre Landis straddles both Montgomery and Schoharie Counties.

“We are in the best of company,” says Fred Breglia, the Arboretum’s ISA Certified Arborist and Director of Horticulture and Operations. “Everyone at Landis is excited as more and more possibilities open up to us. We’re grateful that our work here has garnered the attention of front-running gardens across the nation – as well as the active support of our members and friends from throughout the Capital Region and beyond.”

Plans for the windfall from the Chicago Botanic Garden include purchase of equipment needed to initiate classes in concert with SUNY Cobleskill to train students on the state-of-the-art collections software now available at Landis.

Sharing in the Solution

Landis is among only 15 public gardens nationwide chosen to participate with The Chicago Botanic Garden, in collaboration with the American Public Gardens Association (APGA), and the University of Kansas, in the initial phase of development of a distributed database system.

Called PlantCollections™ - A Community Solution, the shared system will enable information from multiple institutions currently in a variety of incompatible database formats to be accessed and integrated into comprehensive inventories. The results can then be analyzed to identify gaps and redundancies within the combined holdings, a first step in coordinating a continent-wide approach to plant germplasm preservation. (Germplasm refers to the genetic resources or DNA that contains the instructions specifying the biological development of all cellular forms of life and many viruses).

Nationally Recognized Collections

With two ancient forests within its 548 acres, Landis is the Old Growth Forest headquarters of the Northeast, and its coveted and nationally recognized collection of oaks is registered with the American Public Garden Association’s (APGA) North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC).

This designation indicates that the Landis Arboretum “stands among a prestigious group of gardens and arboreta that have committed themselves to the conservation and care of specific plant collections curated at the highest professional level.” Participation in the NAPCC indicates a readiness to make the Arboretum’s Quercus Collection available for increased distribution and research, and a commitment to promote public awareness of conservation issues.

The NAPCC is a network of botanical gardens and arboreta across North America organized to coordinate and improve the collective living plant collections of the continent and enhance the conservation and availability of plant germplasm and future use. Participating institutions such as the Landis Arboretum commit to holding and developing collections of documented, living plants according to specified standards of collection, documentation, verification, maintenance, record keeping and sharing, and propagation and dissemination.

Something for Everyone

The Arboretum’s varied terrain provides ideal conditions for an easy walk or an extended hike. Natural trails wind through mature and near mature forests, past ponds and wildflower fields, and through the collections and gardens. The natural areas of the Arboretum provide a wonderful opportunity to enjoy and study native plants, open-field succession, effects of invasive species, endangered plants, and forest communities of the Northeast.

Among the Arboretum’s horticultural features are its collections of Notable Trees, the Flowering Ornamental Tree and Shrub Collections, Tough Trees for Tough Sites and the Conifer and Oak Collections. The signature Great Oak is one of the largest plants of its species in the Capital Region. The Van Loveland perennial garden, located in front of the farmhouse, is a seasonal favorite with visitors.

Close to Where You Want to Be

The Landis Arboretum stands as a multifaceted natural gem along the Route 20 Scenic Corridor between Albany and Skaneateles, central to the New York State Wine and Spa Trails, and in close proximity to historic Sharon Springs, the Old Stone Fort Museums Complex, the Iroquois Indian Museum, Howe Caverns, the Cave House and within a relaxed family drive to the NYPA Visitor Center and pristine Lansing Manor in Blenheim/Gilboa. Landis is a natural stop for those traveling to the high-volume tourist attractions between the Albany, Cooperstown, and Finger Lakes Regions.

People, Passion, Purpose

Like the iconic and venerable 500-year-old Great Oak that captures the sight and imagination of every visitor to the Lape Estate, the Arboretum itself is a mighty oak evolved from an acorn of inspiration and nurtured by passionate people united in their love and respect for nature.

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