Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Photography on December 8 2015, by Matt Newman
The leaves of the orchids in the Nolen Greenhouses see a warm and misty morning while the temperature drops outside.
Orchids in the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in People on December 7 2015, by Matt Newman
Congratulations to Maritza and Angelica on their engagement, which took place during last Friday’s Bar Car Night event at the Holiday Train Show! There were smiles all around when the question was popped, and we couldn’t be happier for them.
Maritza & Angelica in the Haupt Conservatory
Posted in From the Library on December 4 2015, by Esther Jackson
Just when you thought purposeful gaming couldn’t get more exciting, the Biodiversity Heritage Library is swooping in with an event called Data Dash! (To learn more about the Purposeful Gaming project, check out this Plant Talk post from October.)
The BHL Data Dash seeks to amp up the competition of online gaming while providing valuable data correction for works shared through BHL. The BHL Blog says, “We’re enlisting the help of you, the BHL community, to help us correct one million words from BHL’s OCR output that we can then use as a training set to apply to the remaining BHL corpus of 320 million incorrect words.” OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition, a technology that allows for the conversion of scanned documents (including PDFs) to readable data, or searchable text.
What does this mean for you, and how can you be involved? On Monday, December 7, the day will begin with a Beanstalk Sprint. Starting at 9 a.m. EST, users can work together to meet the Data Dash goal of one million words by playing the game Beanstalk and correcting as many words as possible within two days. Users must register in order to be eligible for prizes.
Posted in Programs and Events on December 4 2015, by Vilina Phan
Nothing says holiday cheer quite like the Garden during this magical time of year. New York’s favorite tradition, the Holiday Train Show, is in full swing—and while you’re here to see the exhibition, enjoy the many festive activities throughout Garden grounds such as holiday a cappella singing your favorite carols and holiday film screenings in Ross Hall.
Take the kids to the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden for Evergreen Express, where lively stations are set up offering something new to create and explore at every stop!
And for the adults, come to Bar Car Nights (special ticket required) and enjoy the Holiday Train Show after dark, where the exhibition twinkles against the night sky. Sip a complimentary drink and enjoy a beautiful evening filled with jazz, an ice sculpture demonstration, and a playful light show. Our next evenings are tonight, December 4, and this Saturday, December 5, and there’s still time to get the few remaining tickets!
Don’t wait—purchase tickets now and start your holiday season off right.
Posted in Programs and Events on December 3 2015, by Matt Newman
The grounds may be growing cooler as we near the start of winter, but that can only mean the art and music of the Garden are all the more present. Throughout the Holiday Train Show, NYBG plays host not only to a much-loved poetry walk and reading, but a series of classical concerts that define the sounds of the season.
The verse of Billy Collins, former U.S. Poet Laureate and a fixture in the lyric history of New York, returns to the Garden this year during our Holiday Train Show, filling the Perennial Garden and its surroundings with the poetry of our city, our landscapes, and the singular experience of living in the five boroughs. You can find his poetry boards on display throughout December and January. But if you’re looking for a more intimate experience, be sure to get seats for Collins’ live reading—here at NYBG’s Ross Hall—on Saturday, December 12.
Posted in Photography on December 3 2015, by Matt Newman
Senecio ballyi in the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Adult Education on December 2 2015, by Jenifer Willis
Last October, a tempting proposal popped up in the NYBG Botanical Art Program Facebook group.
“Would anyone be interested in a ‘Sketchbook Exchange’? And, if so, how would we go about it?,” NYBG Botanical Art and Illustration Certificate alumna Monica Ray wrote.
Almost immediately, responses poured in, like “Sounds like fun! I’m in!” and “I’ll do it, too!”
By the next day, the plan was fully formed. Each of the nine participants would buy her own sketchbook and complete a nature-related drawing or painting in it before mailing it on to the next person in the exchange. Everyone would have one month to complete a new piece before mailing the sketchbooks on to the next artist. When you get your sketchbook back, the exchange is complete.
They called it “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Sketchbook.”
Posted in Photography on December 2 2015, by Matt Newman
Our floral design students were hard at work in the style of the Dutch masters recently. Think about signing up for a class—whether you’re a career greenthumb or weekend skill collector, there’s something that’ll pique your interest.
Floral Design in Adult Education – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden on December 1 2015, by Lansing Moore
#GivingTuesday is under way, and thanks to several generous Board members, donations of $25 or more will be matched dollar for dollar up to $75,000 as part of the Urban Oasis Challenge—but only until 11:59 p.m. tomorrow, December 2, 2015. Your gift of $25 becomes $50, $100 becomes $200, and so on.
Please give today! Your gift makes everything we do possible: conserving the plants of the world, creating a green urban oasis for New York City, teaching science to city kids, connecting gardening to the arts and humanities, and anchoring the community. This year, please consider making a fully tax-deductible gift to help us make a difference.
Posted in Photography on December 1 2015, by Matt Newman
The Holiday Train Show after sunset is an entirely different world of movement and architecture. Got tickets to this weekend’s Bar Car Nights on December 4 and 5? Time slots are selling out, so don’t miss your opportunity!
The Holiday Train Show in the Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Marlon Co