One Last Weekend in the Caribbean
Posted in Around the Garden on February 24 2012, by Matt Newman
What started out as a trickle has surged into a flood, and now, in the final week of the Caribbean Garden photo contest, we find ourselves with piles of inspired photography to wade through. Despite the challenge of trying to ferret out the best photos in each category among a disagreeing cadre of jurors, we’re nonetheless having fun with it. Just seeing each of our competitors returning week after week to scrap for the proverbial crown is immensely gratifying. And the photos themselves trump all!
But as the last of this year’s Caribbean Garden events approach, the mood around here is bittersweet. Even with salsa classes bidding a fond adieu, and our photography workshops packing it up until next year, the momentous transition to the flamboyant wonder of Patrick Blanc’s vertical gardens fills the gap in fine form. Beginning Saturday, March 3, we fling open the doors of the Conservatory to unveil the 10th anniversary Orchid Show. Until then, you’ll be catching glimpses of the goings-on under the glass dome as we festoon our displays with the final, all-important touches.
Whether you’re coming to wish “bon voyage” to the current exhibition, or just get out and about on Garden grounds for some sightseeing, the gates will be open.
Saturday, February 25
Bird Walk – 11 a.m.
Meets at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center
More news to have our birders stepping a little lively this week: Rose and Vince have begun knitting together a new nest in an alcove along the roof of our Library Building. In prior years the celebrity pair of Red-tailed Hawks had been keeping to Collins Hall on the Fordham campus. I suppose it was time for a change of scenery.
Join Debbie Becker this Saturday for a stroll through our many acres, with a chance to check a few more avian species off your life list. And if you don’t know what that means, the group is always open to pass on their knowledge–you can even borrow a pair of binoculars when you get here.
Forest Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meets at the Reflecting Pool
Explore New York City’s largest remaining old growth forest in the company of one of our experienced docents. This time of year, I often liken the 50-acre space to the prose of Nathaniel Hawthorne, with the convoluted architecture of the trees arching overhead and the breeze blowing. It’s the zen of the northeast, if anything.
Salsa: Listen and Learn – 2 p.m.
Meets at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory GreenSchool
Discover the Caribbean origins of salsa music. Educator Jose Obando brings a collection of salsa memorabilia and traditional instruments to help tell the story of a rhythmic style born in the natural resources of the surrounding forests. Listen to a demonstration of the salsa beats and, while you’re here, dance off the outside chill by picking up a few dance steps.
Sunday, February 26
Conservatory Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance
Explore the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an acre of plants under glass, with one of the Garden’s docents. Take an eco-tour around the world through 11 distinct habitats, including two types of rain forest, deserts of the Americas and of Africa, and aquatic and carnivorous plant displays. Admission included with an All-Garden Pass.
Photography Tips and Tricks — 1 to 3 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance
Professional garden photographers Rich Pomerantz and Alan Detrick return for another series of photography mini-workshops. Boost your skill while you take part in our Caribbean Garden photo contest through tips, tricks, critiques and more–these guys aren’t shy about sharing their wisdom with burgeoning photo artists.
Ongoing Children’s Programs
Tropical Discoveries and Wintertime Wonders — 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Meet at the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
Don’t leave the Garden without a souvenir for your little ones. The kids can stop by the Adventure Garden and take part in the exploration of New York’s native plants, then get into gardening for themselves by potting up tropical plants of their own to take home.
Adventures in Adaptation
Self-guided
Embark on a scavenger hunt throughout the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and Garden grounds. One of our scientists has been traveling the world studying plant adaptations, and we need your help to figure out where he’s been–and where he’s headed next! Pick up your field notebook at ticketing booths and begin the search in the Conservatory.
Winter Science Camp: Plant Pioneers
February 20–24, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
We’re hosting Winter Science Camp in honor of George Washington Carver’s dauntless drive to learn and explore, something which any kid can benefit from. Don’t let your eight- to ten-year-olds miss this chance to be plant doctors! Using the Adventure Garden, the tropical and desert plantlife in the Conservatory, and the Forest and Bronx River, kids will explore the fascinating world of growing things. They’ll participate in exciting experiments, hands-on activities, and all sorts of fun science games and crafts.
An additional registration fee will be required. Call 718-817-8157 for more information.
