Elizabeth Figueroa is the Associate Vice President of Community Relations at The New York Botanical Garden.
On Wednesday, November 20, we were overjoyed to once again host our annual Puerto Rican Heritage Month Celebration here at the Garden, with over 400 school students and visitors in attendance for a day of workshops and presentations commemorating the occasion.
Kids were treated to demonstrations of Bomba Dance and drumming history by Julia Gutierrez and Redobles de Cultura, a NYC-based bomba group who are proud members of today’s younger generation of Bomberos, cultural workers, and educators. Sandra Rivera brought plenty of canvas for students to paint and learn about the famed coqui of Puerto Rico, and Taino petroglyphs also made an appearance, as Mia Roman taught visitors about these symbols and invited them to paint and create their own necklaces with natural beads. Tanya Torres’s tile painting further helped kids to understand the flora of the amazing El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico.
This past Wednesday, February 27, NYBG held its annual Black History Month event celebrating the accomplishments and contributions of African Americans.
Pre-registered school groups and visitors attended the workshops and presentations commemorating Black History Month. Facilitators led the following workshops:
On Wednesday, September 19, 2018, we celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with Fiesta de Flores, a festival at the Botanical Garden commemorating the people of Latin America and the Caribbean. The event took place at the Stone Mill from 5:30–8:30pm.
The program entailed Rose Garden Tours, food and beverage tasting, live art, floral painting workshop, artisans, musical entertainment and a Bomba dance ensemble.
Aaron Bouska, Vice President of Government and Community Relations provided the welcoming remarks and Elizabeth Figueroa, Associate Vice President of Community Relations presented Havana Café and Port Morris Distillery with the Hispanic Heritage Month Award for their outstanding community service in the Bronx and for their annual contribution to the Garden’s Fiesta de Flores event.
On Wednesday, September 20, 2017, we celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with Fiesta de Flores, a festival at the Botanical Garden’s Stone Mill commemorating the people of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The program entailed Rose Garden Tours, food and beverage tasting, live art, artisans, musical entertainment, and a Bomba dance ensemble.
One of the highlights of the evening was a presentation by Aaron Bouska, Vice President of Government and Community Relations, of the Public Service Award to New York City Councilmember Annabel Palma. The moment recognized and commemorated her dedicated service to the people and institutions of the Bronx and her leadership of the Bronx Delegation of the New York City Council.
On Thursday, February 16, NYBG held celebrated Black History Month with workshops and presentations commemorating the accomplishments and contributions of African Americans.
This annual event invited school groups and visitors to attend facilitator-led workshops, including:
• Vickie Fremont: Students created African dolls while learning about the fabric, beads and shells as well as its significance in the African culture.
• Laura Gadson: Held a creative workshop making bandanas from quilted fabric to help students discover the African culture significance behind its colors.
• Pat Mabry: Presented a lively history on African Dance and Drum history
Afterwards, students filed into Ross Hall for a keynote address delivered by Senator Jamaal Bailey.
On Tuesday, November 22, NYBG held its annual Puerto Rican Heritage Month event celebrating the accomplishments and contributions of Puerto Ricans. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 400 pre-registered school groups and visitors attended workshops and presentations throughout the Watson Education Building, Ross Hall, and Ross Gallery.An array of facilitators led workshops commemorating Puerto Rican Heritage Month:
On Sunday, November 20, NYBG held its annual Community Holiday Open House and Menorah and Tree lighting ceremony. Aaron Bouska, NYBG’s Vice President for Government & Community Relations at NYBG, welcomed the audience, which included many members of the Bronx community as well as several elected officials with their families.
Don Eliseo Trinidad receives the community service award
Last Wednesday, September 21, NYBG celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month at our annual Fiesta de Flores event.
Guests enjoyed tours of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at the height of its fall bloom, while the historic Stone Mill offered food and wine tastings, live fine art painting, floral arranging workshops, artisan vendors, musical entertainment, and a Bomba dance ensemble.
The highlight of the day came when Don Eliseo Trinidad was presented with this year’s community service award. As an NYBG community partner and the owner of La 21 Division, a botanica on the Grand Concourse, Don Eliseo was honored for his dedication and caring for the well-being of the Bronx community with medicinal plants. Ina Vandebroek, Ph.D., Assistant Curator of Economic Botany and Caribbean Program Director at NYBG, presented the award.
During the week of December 14, we had 12 Bronx elementary schools participate in our annual Children’s Holiday Tree Garden. Students created their own ornaments, and each tree featured a plaque identifying the school. After each group completed its tree decoration, the children were treated to hot chocolate, cookies, candy canes, and a walk through the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden.
At the end of the program, three schools were selected for the best decorations based on creativity of design and materials used for the ornaments. They were rewarded with a return visit to the Garden to view our annual Holiday Train Show.
On Wednesday, November 20, we were overjoyed to once again host our annual Puerto Rican Heritage Month Celebration here at the Garden, with over 400 school students and visitors in attendance for a day of workshops and presentations commemorating the occasion.
