This Weekend: Aloha
Posted in Programs and Events on February 22 2013, by Matt Newman
It’s the last weekend of our Tropical Paradise exhibition, and while the sun’s made a fair showing throughout the week, there’s still enough frost in the air to warrant a little escapism. Of course, that’s what this event is all about–having a chance to at least pretend that you’re not in New York City in the dead of winter. And through Sunday, the doors to our steamy Conservatory will still be open to visitors hoping to explore the real stars of our permanent collection–and leaving their scarves on the rack, too.
Sunday also marks the final day of open photography workshops in the Conservatory, as well as your last opportunity to pitch your name into the hat for our yearly tropical photography contest. Thus far it’s been a heated challenge between a number of talented shutterbugs, but there’s always the opportunity to get in the game with photos of your own, even if you’re late to the party!
For the would-be polar bears among you, this weekend’s schedule offers more than just daydreams under the palm trees; we’re also hosting an involved Winter Tree Tour on Sunday, something to complement Saturday’s traditional outdoor Bird Walk with Debbie Becker. It’s your chance to see winter’s aesthetic from a slightly different angle–one that appreciates the angles and arches of the trees.
But you don’t have to fret. Closing the doors on Tropical Paradise is one of those situations where we open a window elsewhere–in this case, one that looks out on thousands upon thousands of orchids! So stay tuned for next week, folks.
Saturday, February 23
Bird Walk – 11 a.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
The diverse habitats of the Botanical Garden offer visitors a chance to see dozens of species of birds throughout the year. Bring your binoculars and walk the Garden grounds with an expert.
Tropical Paradise Tour – 12:30 & 2:30 p.m.
Meet at the Conservatory entrance
Take refuge from winter by retreating to Tropical Paradise— a showcase of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory’s permanent collection, including orange-yellow crotons, fuchsia bromeliads, and more. Tour the many surprises in the Victorian-style glasshouse, where the harsh outdoor weather gives way to warm rain forest mists, soaring palm trees, and bright desert landscapes. You’ll feel like you are on vacation without leaving New York.
Sunday, February 24
Winter Tree Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Even in cold weather there’s plenty of interest in our gardens and collections. Join one of our Tour Guides for this walking tour highlighting majestic trees in the winter landscape
Photography Tips and Tricks – 1 to 3 p.m.
Meet at the Conservatory Palms of the World Gallery
Join our expert on hand in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory to dispense garden photography tips, encouragement, and critique for budding photographers. Each week, participate in a photo contest, “Picturing Paradise,” for a chance to win a spot in a photography course given at the NYBG this coming spring. The contest is run through the Garden’s Group Pool on Flickr. For more information visit nybg.org/tropical
Conservatory Tour – 2:30 p.m.
Meet at the entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Explore the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an acre of plants under glass, with one of the Garden’s Guides. Take an ecotour 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.
Ongoing Programming, January 19 – February 24
Adventures in Adaptation
A free scavenger hunt that leads you through the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and Garden grounds
Welcome to Adventures in Adaptation! Using your powers of observation, search for Dr. Ed Apshon, one of our scientists who has been traveling all over the world for his research on plant adaptations. To help us find him, you must locate the plants he has recorded in his field notebook and determine where he has been–and where he’s going next!
Tropical Paradise Photography Contest
After viewing the award-winning photographs from the International Garden Photographer of the Year display, take a spin through the Conservatory and snap your own pictures for entering into the Tropical Paradise Photography Contest. This year’s contest is all about picturing paradise: find paradise in the natural beauty of the Conservatory, be inspired by the award-winning photographs from paradises around the world, and find inspiration to picture paradise in the community of your fellow photographers in the NYBG Flickr Group Pool.
Tropical Discoveries and Wintertime Wonders
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
Weekends and Holiday Mondays, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. / Weekdays, 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Inside the cozy Discovery Center kids of all ages can take a closer look at the differences between tropical and temperate plants. Pot up a specimen plant to take home and compare its characteristics with foliage in your neighborhood. Make bark rubbings, count tree rings, and head back into the winter garden with a field notebook to discover the vital sparks of life that lie just below the surface of this quiet season.
