Makin’ May at the Landis Arboretum:

ESPERANCE, NY (04/20/2008)(readMedia)-- Although the Landis Arboretum is open 365 days each year from dawn until dusk, May always brings added excitement as members and tireless volunteers make ready for a new season of renewal, education, and camaraderie at the Arboretum’s spectacular 548-acre site that straddles Montgomery and Schoharie Counties.

May 2, Friday, 7–8:30 pm

FROG FROLIC

Spring time brings the awakening of frogs and their search for mates. We will explore the Arboretum’s ponds and woods listening and looking for frogs and other spring animal life. Leader: George Steele, Science Educator. Suggested donation, $5.

May 2, Friday, 9:30 pm

PUBLIC STAR PARTY

Alan French and Albany Area Astronomers

THE ALBANY AREA ASTRONOMERS meet regularly at the Landis Arboretum meetinghouse for its dark skies and good horizons. On sun/ moon picnic dates, the club’s special solar telescope is used to provide a safe view of the sun. Lunar and star-gazing is continued after dark. Visitors are welcome to join the club’s activities; bring a blanket and a picnic supper if you wish. For more information, visit www.timesunion.com/communities/astronomy.

At public star parties, telescopes are set up to show guests sights in the night sky. The Walk among the Stars programs include constellation tours, the myths and stories associated with the constellations, and hints on enjoying the night sky. Star Parties and A Walk among the Stars programs are cancelled if the skies are mostly cloudy. Registration is encouraged by calling Alan French at 374-8460 so that we can call you if an event is canceled. You can also call to check about two hours before the start time if you did not register. To check if a particular star party is happening or not (due to cloudy skies), call 518-374-8460.

The Albany Area Astronomers foster public interest and enjoyment of astronomy. This group of more than 125 enthusiasts, from beginner to expert, meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm at the Schenectady Museum, with the exception of the August meeting, which is held at the Landis Arboretum in Esperance, NY. Meeting programs include speakers, films, slide shows, and planetarium demonstrations. Some club members write a daily astronomical telephone message for Dudley Observatory. Phone 382-7584 after 5 PM or on weekends to hear this free recording.

Mr. French has been exploring the night sky for more than 40 years. He and his wife, Susan, have been sharing the night sky with people at star parties in the Capital District for more than 30 years. French is a telescope maker, but also enjoys naked-eye astronomy. He is Vice President of Dudley Observatory's Board of Trustees and the Albany Area Amateur Astronomers. Visitors to the Arboretum event should bring something to sit on, and dress warmly. The program is cancelled if the sky is cloudy. Participants are encouraged to register by calling 518-374-8460 so that they can be notified if cloudy skies force a cancellation.

May 6, Tuesday, 6–8 pm

LIFE: SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY FOOD SUPPLY

How will we put fertility in our soils and feed our communities with oil prices exceeding $100/barrel? Our human future requires a sustainable society, and food is the foundation for community and economy. A Locally integrated Food Economy (LIFE) offers strategies to develop sustainable regional food systems. Learn now how to help create a food system able to adapt to the challenges of our future. Instructor: David Yarrow. $35 members, $45 non-members. To register, call the Arboretum.

May 12–16, 9 am–5 pm (Monday–Friday)

ARBORETUM’S SIGNATURE SPRING PLANT/BOOK SALE SET-UP

Volunteers needed the week prior to the sale. Please call the Arboretum at 518-875-6935 and speak to Vicki for specifics. Lunch provided! Workers and bakers needed for plant sale weekend also.

May 13 (class repeated July 15, September 16), Tuesdays, 6–8 pm

CONFRONTING OUR CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGE

Soil Fertility, Carbon Pollution & Renewable EnergyMicro-organisms, the least of all life, created Earth’s atmosphere and gave us our climate. Reversing climate change means putting carbon back in the soil. Renewable energy produced from plant biomass yields a charcoal by-product that can sequester carbon in soil to hold water and minerals, and provide habitat for microbes. Gardeners, farmers, landscapers, and foresters can all help reverse global warming and create a foundation for sustainable society and food supply. Instructor: David Yarrow. $35 members, $45 non-members. To register, call the Arboretum.

May 16, 5–8 pm, Friday. Details Follow

MEMBERS’ PREVIEW PARTY

May 17–18, Saturday–Sunday, 10 am–4 pm

Signature SPRING PLANT, BOOK, BAKE SALE FUNDRAISER

Out of the ordinary trees, shrubs, and perennials. Bake sale on both days. Free admission, free parking. .Volunteers needed and welcomed. Details follow.

May 24, Saturday, 6–9 am

EARLY MORNING BIRD WALK

A walk for the novice to accomplished birder. We will explore the Arboretum grounds to find resident and migrating birds. Leader: George Steele, Science Educator. Suggested donation, $5.

May 24, Saturday 9:30–11 am

INTRODUCTION TO GEOCACHING

We will meet at the Arboretum’s Meeting House for an introduction to this sport. Learn how to use GPS coordinates to locate the “caches.” This will be a multi-cache event highlighting some of the Arboretum’s gems. Bring your GPS if you have one, but come even if you are lacking equipment! Leader: Gina Nielsen. Suggested donation, $5.

May 24 (class repeated July 12), Saturdays, 1–4 pm

REDISCOVER SACRED SPACE

Living waters—living landscapes: Water is essential to life. Every body is a water body. Thus, every creature has an inner sense to find water. The Earth is nested in a matrix of magnetic flux, weaving together the land’s special spaces and energy places. Finding these unique resources in the land allows us to be more conscious and connected and make wiser use of our homes, farms, and the community of life. Find sacred space in your land—and in your heart. Workshop leader: David Yarrow. $35 members, $45 non-members. To register, call the Arboretum.

May 31, Saturday, 9:30 am–3:30 pm

Project WET

Project WET is a collection of innovative, water-related activities that are hands-on, easy, and fun! Project WET is about people’s relationships to water. This thorough water education program also addresses water’s chemical and physical properties, quantity and quality issues, aquatic wildlife, ecosystems, and management strategies. Created in 1995, the curriculum contains 91 activities in more than 500 pages. Materials are funded by NYS DEC Division of Water Resources. Appropriate for formal and non-formal educators of grades K–12. $20 per participant. To register, call the Wildlife Learning Company, 607-293-6043

LANDIS ARBORETUM SIGNATURE PLANT SALE FUNDRAISER ON HORIZON; WOODY PLANTS, CLIMBERS, AWARD-WINNERS AMONG PREMIER OFFERINGS

The 36th annual Landis Arboretum Spring Plant/Book/Bake Sale Fundraiser will take place on Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18, from 10 AM – 4 PM. Once again, the festive fundraising weekend will include a select group of regional artisans on Sunday, May 18. Plant Sale weekend will take place rain or shine, and all proceeds from the event will benefit maintenance and improvements at Landis, the Capital Region’s arboretum. There is no admission and parking is free.

Abundance, Beauty, Cordiality Await

Preparation for the Arboretum’s annual Spring Plant Sale fundraiser is at fever pitch! Connect the dots— the initial catch phrase of an article (below) by Trustee Jeff Schworm — has surfaced as the informal rallying cry for our staff and volunteers determined to overlap and interlink the many activities required to make this year’s signature event a success.

Scheduled for Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18, from 10 am to 4 pm, this spring’s fundraiser will include the traditional Pick of the Pots members-only preview party on Friday, May 16, at 5 pm. Attendees can expect the return of the delightful Ms. Cherie and the Hot Pots, and tasty fare by Dottie Gallo and Sweet Tooth Caterers. Used book chair Marian Hotopp promises bigger, better bargain hunting this year, and Gina Nielsen is preparing novel additions to the anticipated selection of home-baked goods. Regional artisans return for Artisans’ Sunday. Designer Sue Gutbezahl and new volunteer graphic artist Marcie Reiff are working in tandem to create the look and visual appeal of the event. Look for easier to read signage and a wide selection in the Greenhouse.

The focus, of course, is top-quality, rare, and unusual plants.

Plant Sale weekend will take place rain or shine, and the proceeds will benefit maintenance and improvements at Landis, your favorite year-round garden of trees and shrubs.

Artisans’ Contribute Festive Flair

Always responsive to members and visitors comments, the Arboretum will showcase the quality offerings of select area craft-specialists whose work will be for sale at Artisans’ Sunday, May 18, 10 AM – 4 PM in concert with the Plant Sale. Artisans interested in registering to participating in this event are invited to contact the Arboretum at 518-875-6935 by May 1.

Greenhouse Open

The William T. Raymond Greenhouse at the Arboretum will once again play an important role in this year’s offerings. Last year, the greenhouse at Landis offered a profusion of lilies for Plant Sale patrons.

Pots Join PoPs

By longstanding tradition, the Friday before the Plant Sale opens to the general public is designated as Pick of the Pots (PoPs), a members-only plant preview/sale. The light fare will be provided by Dottie Gallo’s Sweet Tooth Caterers (Esperance).

Ms. Cherie and the Hot Pots will return to the PoPs event by popular request. The 13-member senior ensemble has been together for more than three years, says Ms. Cherie Stevens. “We got together for the primary purpose of entertaining at hospitals and perform often at nursing and adult homes in Schoharie County and have appeared in Albany, Guilderland and Troy facilities". The Hot Pots, who favor the sounds of the 40s, 50s, and 60s vow to add some senior sizzle to the PoPs!

Bookies Enter Paradise

The natural splendors of the 548-acre Landis Arboretum is bound to be the destination of choice for book buyers, sellers, and collectors for the Used Book Sale scheduled in concert with the Arboretum’s Plant Sale. Bibliophiles are always well-rewarded with thousands of titles in good condition to browse through and buy, while surrounded by the more than 6,000 trees, plants, shrubs, and perennials at the event. Regardless of the weather, the Annual Plant and Book Sale will take place; the books are under cover in the Arboretum’s 1830s English barn.

The annual Book Sale is made possible through the generosity of the Arboretum’s many friends and supporters who collect books throughout the year with the sale in mind. Dozens of volunteers clean and categorize the offerings. Categories include, but are not limited to, science and nature, gardening, reference, poetry, child, mystery, self-help, diet and nutrition. Donations of books in good condition are always welcomed. Please contact the Arboretum with information about book donations by May 10.

Visitors can see for themselves – and greet friends and neighbors as well – at the 36th Annual Landis Arboretum Spring Plant/Book/Bake/Artisans/Quilt Sale!

About the Arboretum

The Landis Arboretum is a 548-acre public garden that includes eight miles of hiking and walking trails overlooking picturesque Schoharie Valley near Esperance, NY. Forty acres are developed with plantings trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials from around the world. The remainder of the property consists of natural areas, woodlands, and open fields reminiscent of the former farm of founder Fred Lape. The Arboretum may be one of the best kept secrets of the Capital Region and along scenic Route 20 corridor between Albany and Skaneateles. 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 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.

Old Growth Forest Beckons

The Arboretum's most recent land acquisition, for example, almost doubled the size of the site and contains a horticulture bonanza. Last summer, a team of old-growth-forest experts surveyed the site and found species of trees ranging from 150 to 350 years old. One parcel of land near the Montgomery County line contains one of the oldest forests in the area.

This ancient forest is approximately 30 acres in size and is located in the northeast corner of the Arboretum. “This is a forest that has been untouched since the Revolutionary War,” said Bruce Kershner, an ancient forest authority and author of The Sierra Club Guide to Ancient Forests of the Northeast. The Landis Arboretum is now one of only three arboreta in eastern North America that have old growth forests. The other two are the New York Botanical Garden and Rutgers University – neither of which can compare to Landis’ natural collection and pre-revolutionary flora.

Educational Initiatives

The Arboretum offers classes, workshops, guided and self-guided nature study, and is working toward providing meeting space in its bucolic setting for special events, lectures, and demonstrations. Workshop subjects include hawks, moths, birds, amphibians and reptiles, and arthropods. Horticultural interests are the focus of classes in pruning, tree identification, daylilies, and plant propagation. Ancillary workshops have focused on photography, basket making, botanical illustration and landscape painting.

Easy Access

The Landis Arboretum is located 1.5 miles off Scenic US Route 20 in Esperance, NY. Exit #23 off I-88 and follow Route 30A (turn right on Route 20) or Route 30 (turn left on Route 20) toward Esperance.

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Posted Monday April 21, 2008 at 08:38 am by Landis Arboretum