Annual Science Open House Takes a Peek Behind the Scenes
Posted in Programs and Events on May 22 2014, by Lansing Moore
Gardening is both an art and a science. While our new Groundbreakers exhibition examines the art of landscape architecture and ornamental plantings, next week’s Annual Science Open House will dive headfirst into the cutting-edge research and history of innovation that distinguishes NYBG. It’s amazing to witness the variety of work that goes on at the Garden, much of which goes unseen by visitors who come to admire the serene landscape. Join expert tour guides next week on an exclusive peek behind the scenes of the real “groundbreaking” work that goes on right here in New York.
The Open House kicks off next Thursday, May 29, with our not-to-be-missed evening hosted by bestselling authors Elizabeth Gilbert and Amy Stewart. Click through for complete details on all four days of scientific exploration!
Thursday, May 29:
Weird, Wild, & Wonderful: An Evening of Women, Art, & Botany Featuring Elizabeth Gilbert & Amy Stewart
Cocktails & Exhibition Viewing – 6–7:30 p.m.
Talks on Art & Botany – 7:30–9 p.m.
Don’t miss an entertaining and wide-ranging conversation between best-selling authors Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love and The Signature of All Things) and Amy Stewart (Wicked Plants and The Drunken Botanist), in a special evening featuring an after-hours viewing of the new Weird, Wild, & Wonderful exhibition of contemporary botanical art.
The evening also includes presentations by Garden scientist Barbara Thiers, profiling “Wonder Women of Science” who have shaped plant research at NYBG, and Robin Jess and Carol Woodin of the American Society of Botanical Artists, who pay homage to the “weird and wild” subjects of today’s botanical art.
During the viewing, attendees can purchase special cocktails crafted by Amy Stewart and inspired by Gilbert’s new book and the Weird, Wild, & Wonderful show. Books will also be available for purchase. Register here.
Friday, May 30:
New Science Tours in the Haupt Conservatory – 1 & 4 p.m.
Tour A World of Plants with Garden scientists, hear first-hand about their scientific field research, and learn how plants—through evolution—have adapted to the vastly different ecosystems on Earth. (Requires All-Garden Pass admission).
Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1:
New Hands-on Plant Collecting Demonstrations – 10:30–4 p.m.
at Conservatory Plaza
See critical components of a scientist’s tool kit used on expeditions around the world and learn how biodiversity is expertly documented in the field and preserved as museum collections for later study.
New Science Tours in the Haupt Conservatory – 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.
Tour A World of Plants with Garden scientists, hear first-hand about their scientific field research, and learn how plants—through evolution—have adapted to the vastly different ecosystems on Earth. (Requires All-Garden Pass admission).
Guided Tours of the Steere Herbarium – 12 & 3 p.m.
Go inside the largest herbarium in the Western Hemisphere—and among the four largest in the world—and meet some of the curators responsible for its 7.3 million preserved plant specimens in this centerpiece of the Garden’s scientific research program.
Guided Tours of the Plant Research Laboratory – 12:30 & 3:30 p.m.
Walk through the Garden’s world-renowned, state-of-the-art, laboratory research facility and meet some of the scientists who lead teams studying DNA and genomes in order to understand plants, fungi, and algae at their most essential levels.
(Space on tours is limited; first-come, first-served. Conservatory tours require All-Garden Pass admission.)
