Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on December 13 2012, by Matt Newman
Late fall outside, summer in the tropics inside. As if cued by the swirls of frosty breath, our red jade vine is opening in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, countering December’s chill with a flush of vibrant flowers.
Mucuna bennettii — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on December 12 2012, by Matt Newman
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Paola Pedraza-Peñalosa, Science on December 11 2012, by Matt Newman
High in the cloud forests of the Tropical Andes, picking her way through the misted foliage of Las Orquídeas National Park, NYBG botanist Paola Pedraza-Peñalosa goes about the business of collecting plant specimens. This northwest Colombian landscape is renowned for its biodiversity–it is said to have more examples of plant, animal, and microbial life than almost any other ecosystem on earth. But that’s not necessarily the only reason that Pedraza, a Colombian native and Associate Curator of our Institute of Systematic Botany, has returned. While her work is indeed groundbreaking, her motivations extend well beyond the everyday specimen collections that take place day and night here in South America.
Far from the mere process of cataloging plant life, it is the shrinking timeframe and the aggravating factors surrounding it that make Paola’s undertaking so significant.
Once controlled by armed revolutionaries, indicative of the struggles facing Colombia throughout its late history, Las Orquídeas–named for some 200 species of orchids that grow there–remained off limits to the efforts of botanists. Recording the diversity of plant life within its borders became a pipe dream for an academic community anxious to uncover the Andres’ secrets. But the recent withdrawal of these militias has opened the park to exploration and conservation efforts. And with the proverbial gates now open, scientists face a new suite of challenges–many of them a greater threat to the plants and animals being studied than the armed gunmen ever were.
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on December 11 2012, by Matt Newman
And still the grass holds the fort against winter.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Holiday Train Show on December 10 2012, by Matt Newman
We’re now into weeks three and four of this year’s Holiday Train Show, and as you’d expect, we can’t help but gather momentum from here on out! Thousands of fans have already toured this year’s exhibition, walking the paths between dozens of nostalgic miniatures and beneath the many bridges recreated by Paul Busse and his team at Applied Imagination. The crowds are certainly growing as we get into the December holidays, so you may want to consider grabbing up tickets sooner rather than later. But there’s more to the season than what you see under the glass of the Conservatory, as Kevin Character explains below.
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on December 10 2012, by Matt Newman
Because I adore lithops, and because it’s not often you get to see these little guys in flower, we break with the fall scenery for one more visual trip over to our Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections.
Argyroderma patens — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on December 9 2012, by Matt Newman
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on December 8 2012, by Matt Newman
Don’t forget to stop in at our Shop in the Garden today between 3 and 4 p.m. Larry Lederman will be in attendance to sign copies of his brand new photography book, Magnificent Trees of the New York Botanical Garden, highlighting the many world-class specimens that we have here–throughout the four seasons.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden on December 7 2012, by Matt Newman
That’s enough relaxing for one week! While last weekend’s schedule kept things simple and streamlined, we’re stepping up the pace this time around with a series of exclusive events running the gamut from seasonal to enlightening. And, of course, everything in the middle. Between the trundling trains buzzing about the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, and the gingerbread frosting taking over the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, you’ll find winding Forest tours, wildlife exploration, and an opportunity to meet one of the NYBG‘s favorite photographers. I suppose I should also mention our “holiday happy hours,” which seems as apt a description as any.
Saturday morning begins with Debbie Becker’s weekly Bird Walk, though this particular session is both informative and proactive. Not only will you be scoping out the avian residents and visitors flitting about the Garden, but pipping each one off on a personal list. At the end of the walk, your bird counts will be submitted to Cornell for their database as an unofficial warm-up for the Christmas Bird Count. This annual, nationwide event goes a long way to helping researchers and conservationists understand the state of the bird world in the U.S., so you won’t just be putting your Saturday to good use–you’ll be contributing to a worthy cause, as well.
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on December 7 2012, by Matt Newman
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen