March Events at Landis Arboretum: Affordable Family Fun and Education

SCHOHARIE REGION (02/13/2009)(readMedia)--

Whatever the month, the Landis Arboretum offers events and classes that bring out the adventurous and inquisitive. March is no exception.

Remember: The grounds of the Arboretum are open daily from dawn to dusk. For the enjoyment of all visitors to the Capital Region's Arboretum, dogs are welcomed as long as they are leashed.

March 8, Sunday, 10 AM - Noon

SECOND SUNDAY SNOWSHOE

Explore the Arboretum on snowshoes with ISA certified arborist and snowshoe king Fred Breglia. Along the way, you will identify animal signs, discuss winter botany, and, in March, 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 on first come/first served basis. Arboretum can no longer accept reservations. No snow? We'll take a hike. Free - but donations are always welcomed.

March 22, Sunday, Noon - 3 PM

ARBORETUM RITE OF SPRING

Join us with your friends and associates for the Arboretum's own passage into spring with a little March madness at our special brunch and auction. Seasonal music with special guests, the Oak Hill Kitchen Merrymakers. Tickets are only $25/person. Holiday Inn Express, just off highway I-88, Exit 23/Schoharie. Call 518-875-6935. Choose Option #2. More at www.landisarboretum.org > Calendar of Events.

March 27 - 29, Friday - Sunday

22nd ANNUAL CAPITAL DISTRICT GARDEN & FLOWER SHOW

Show hours are Friday, from 10 AM - 8 PM; Saturday, from noon - 7 PM; and Sunday, 10 AM - 5 PM. Volunteers are needed to enhance our presence and booth at the show. Join us! Volunteer at our booth as we put our best foot forward. McDonough Physical Education Center at Hudson Valley Community College, 80 Vandenburg Ave. (Rt. 4), Troy, New York 12180.

March 27/28, Friday/Saturday, 8:30 PM

PUBLIC STAR PARTY

Join the Albany Area Amateur Astronomers for star gazing under the dark Arboretum skies. A variety of telescopes will treat you to views of nebulae, star clusters, galaxies, planets, and other celestial sights. Alan French will hold an introductory program in the Meeting House followed by a short, outdoor tour of the prominent constellations. Free admission and parking - but donations to aid the Arboretum are always welcome. Star Parties are canceled if the skies are mostly cloudy. Call Alan at 374-8460 for more details.

About the Arboretum

Long a destination of horticulturalists, environmentalists, "earth watchers," and birders, the Arboretum most often "rings a bell" of recognition because of its extraordinary plant sales - Spring and Fall -- that have become signature fundraising and friend-raising events and a seasonal clarion call to those who take pleasure in the treasures of garden and open-air spaces.

The Landis Arboretum, in fact, is a living museum and educational resources for the entire family. Its mission is to foster appreciation and understanding of trees and other plants and their importance in our environment. That mission provides the rationale for the more than 200 hours of educational courses, presentations, programs, and events at the Arboretum - as well as its well-respected quarterly Newsletter - all of which educate and inform its members and the public at large.

Beyond a mere staging area or garden for plants and trees, the Arboretum is a scientific entity which offers documented collections of labeled plants for enjoyment, casual display, critical examination and scientific study - all within the 548-acre site that straddles Schoharie and Montgomery counties. 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 plant breeding;
  • Maintain library collections of relevant literature; and
  • Disseminate information to the public through educational programs, workshops, and publications.

The Arboretum's vision of recognition and respect as a professional institution and community resource is reinforced by its growing reputation and standing with the American Public Gardens Association. Arboretum, is among select 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 phased initiative to develop a distributed database system for Web-based querying. Major funding for the project is provided by a National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

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 meetinghouse 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:

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://landisarboretum.org. Directions: http://landisarboretum.org/map.html

For more information on these and other events at Landis, visit www.lanndisarboretum.org - or join the Arboretum mailing list. It is

As simple as 1 - 2 - or 3 ...

To subscribe to the Landis-News Mailing list:

•1. Visit the Arboretum website (www.landisarboretum.org).

•2. Select Join Our Mailing List on Home Page -

•3. OR send a blank email to: landis-news-subscribe@lists.midtel.net

Landis Arboretum

174 Lape Road • Esperance, NY 12066

518 875 6935; www.landisarboretum.org; info@landisarboretum.org

May the fun and excitement never stop!