NYPA Hosts Free, Family Nature Program at North Blenheim Site;

Arboretum, Wildlife Learning Company Bring Expertise, Experience, Fun

SCHOHARIE REGION (08/11/2008)(readMedia)--

Showcasing its spectacular North Blenheim site, the New York Power Authority will sponsor a day-long track of nature-focused events in concert with the Landis Arboretum (Esperance, NY) and the Wildlife Learning Company (Hartwick, NY).

The August 24 NATURE PROGRAM is scheduled between 9:30 am -2 pm and highlights interactive events designed to appeal to both individuals and families. The hands-on program includes sessions on dragonfly capture and identification, pond exploration, forest ecology, and bird identification, hiking, swimming and fishing (requires a license and pole). Participants of all ages are welcome.

"We welcome the opportunity to share our facilities with residents throughout the region," says NYPA Community Relations Manager Steve Ramsey. "The NYPA is especially pleased to sponsor the August 24 Nature Program with the Landis Arboretum and Wildlife Learning Company and to integrate an appreciation of our North Blenheim site with the excitement and fun that accompanies the adventure of hands-on learning in its safe, natural environment."

Access to NYPA facilities are free and open to all. Space for programs is limited, however, and advance registration through the Landis Arboretum is required to ensure the comfort of all participants. Please contact the Arboretum at 518-875-6935, or via email to info@landisarboretum.org.

There are fees associated with the use of the public pool at Mine Kill State Park adjacent the NYPA Visitors Center: Parking, $6. Pool, $2/adults; $1/children under 6 years of age.

NYPA DELIGHTS VISITORS

Conveniently located on Route 30, 17 miles south of Middleburgh and 5 miles north of Grand Gorge, the NYPA Visitors Center is housed in a restored 19th century dairy barn that overlooks the Schoharie Creek. The center contains many hands-on exhibits and interactive displays for the entire family to enjoy. The site includes miles of nature trails as well as an interpretative wetland. Best of all, admission to the site is free.

Next to NYPA Visitors Center, guests can find the beautiful Lansing Manor, an early American country estate, built in 1819 by John Lansing, who represented New York as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and the state's Ratification Convention in 1788. Restored by the Power Authority in 1977, the Manor is filled with authentic furnishings from the first half of the 19th century. The house, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is operated by the Power Authority in cooperation with the Schoharie County Historical Society.

The NYPA 2.5 mile Bluebird Trail traverses a rolling hillside between our Visitors Center and nearby Mine Kill State Park, built by the Power Authority and operated by the Saratoga-Capital District Region of the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Its 650 acres include three swimming pools and facilities for softball, basketball, volleyball and horseshoes. Picnic grounds and hiking trails let you commune with nature. The fishing season here runs from April through September.

The Visitors Center is located about an hour from downtown Albany and is open daily (except some holidays) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Historic Lansing Manor is open May 1 through October 31 (closed on Tuesdays) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information, call 1-800-724-0309 or visit NYPA on the Web at http://www.nypa.gov.

Wildlife-Arboretum Partnership Raises Bar on Outdoor Education

The Landis Arboretum entered the New Year energized by a new and dynamic partnership with Otsego County-based Wildlife Learning Company (Hartwick, NY).

From the perspective of Anne Donnelly, Landis Trustee and Chair of that organization Education Committee, "This partnership expands the already widely diverse educational opportunities to teach and to learn about nature through seasoned educational professionals at both organizations.

Wildlife Learning Company, Inc. is a full-service environmental education company offering services and products to schools, libraries, environmental organizations and members of the general public. WLC promotes conservation through education and strives to connect people to nature by providing programs and products that foster an appreciation of the natural environment, impart an understanding of how natural systems function, and create a desire for people to explore the natural world further and take personal responsibility for its protection and care. Wildlife Learning Company provided programs to more than 6,000 participants last year.

According to Susan M. O'Handley, Vice President of Wildlife Learning Company, Inc. the collaboration with Landis Arboretum is a positive step to establishing a strong market for environmental education services in the Central New York region. She and husband Jeffrey O'Handley (who serves as president of WLC) are career environmental educators with more than 30 years combined experience in live animal and environmental education programming and administration. Both O'Handleys are seasoned professionals adept at bringing the richness of nature to students, educators, and members of the general public. Both also have been responsible for the care, maintenance, and handling of live animals similar to those Wildlife Learning Company maintains for use in programs.

The initial programs envisioned at the Arboretum as part of the managed rollout of the partnership curriculum include daylong pond and forest ecology programs. Wildlife Learning Company also will offer a variety of public programs at Landis throughout the year. Programs and topics are fully flexible. Examples: Owls: Our Nocturnal Neighbors (to complement both Fall and Winter Owl Prowl programs); From Lake to Sea; Raptors of Central NY; Wildlife of NY State; Birding Basics; Field Ecology walks; Nature Journaling; Teacher Trainings for national Environmental Education Curricula. (www.wildlearn.com).

Landis, the Capital Region's Arboretum

The 548-acres of the Landis Arboretum (www.landisarboretum.org) comprise a national treasure which includes 40 acres of cultivated and native plants on the site of a 19th century farm, the home of Fred Lape, the Arboretum's founder. Central to New York State Wine and Spa Trails and in close proximity to historic Sharon Springs, the Arboretum in historic Esperance is a natural stop for those traveling to the high-volume tourist attractions between the Albany, Cooperstown, and Finger Lakes Regions.

The Arboretum offers much that would appeal to a family: eight miles of hiking and walking trails overlooking Schoharie Valley near Esperance; and acres of plantings, trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials from around the world. 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 remainder of the property consists of woodlands, and open fields, and natural areas including bogs.

Contacts:

Stephen M. Ramsey, New York Power Authority, 1378 State Route 30 P.O. Box 898, North Blenheim, NY 12131 ; (518) 287-6380 ; (518) 287-6381/fax; steve.ramsey@nypa.gov.

Thom O'Connor, Landis Arboretum, PO Box 186, 174 Lape Road, Esperance, NY 12066; (518) 875-6935; (518) 875-6394/fax; info@landisarboretum.org