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Plant Talk

Inside The New York Botanical Garden

The New York Botanical Garden

NYBG for the Wildlife Photographer: Part Two

Posted in Members, Photography, Wildlife on April 22 2011, by Patricia Gonzalez

Patricia Gonzalez is an NYBG Member and avid amateur wildlife photographer. She is especially fond of taking photographs at the Garden.

In part one, I encouraged shutterbugs who love shooting wildlife to visit The New York Botanical Garden and shared one of my encounters there. Today, I’ll give you some tips on how to make the most out of your visit.

Dress comfortably and efficiently

A typical outing at the Garden can last me anywhere from three to six hours, so it’s important to dress comfortably. During my adventures, I always wear cargo pants (BDUs) and boots. Cargo pants because they are loose-fitting and have lots of pockets for your gear and boots for the terrain. If you really want to better your chances of encountering wildlife, then no visit to the Garden would be complete without exploring all the Native Forest trails as well as the path that runs along the Bronx River. These paths can get pretty muddy, especially at the entrance to the individual trails, so hiking boots are strongly recommended. In winters like this past one that brought mega-blizzard after mega-blizzard, you’ll need snow boots.

Pat's Boots

Bring an extra battery

This might seem like a silly suggestion, but I’m always hearing this “I would have taken more shots, but my battery ran out, so I went home.” You’d be surprised how quickly a day can fly by. Always bring an extra camera battery and keep it someplace where you can reach for it quickly when your on-screen indicator starts flashing. I keep a fully-charged spare in the outside pocket of my camera bag.

Native Forest - Sweetgum Trail

Where to find the hawks

Everybody with a camera wants to get a shot of one of the beautiful red-tailed hawks and other raptors that hunt at the NYBG. Although Rose and Vince have their nest on the nearby Fordham University Campus, the Bronx Zoo and the Botanical Garden are all part of their hunting grounds. Younger red-tails believed to be Rose’s offspring hunt regularly at the Garden along with cooper’s hawks, sharp-shinned hawks, and the two resident great-horned owls. So, where in the Garden can these winged hunters be found? The answer is: Everywhere. Hawks pretty much go where they want and there is no specific all-year-round spot. However, I’ve had some very good luck lately in the Native Forest on the trails that border the Azalea Garden, and near the Library Building.

Last Minute Hawk

Have patience

Let’s say you’ve been walking around for several hours and you’re beginning to feel like you haven’t seen anything. Instead of leaving, take a break. Why not head on over to the Visitor’s Center Café? I survived my freezing winter treks on their most excellent hot chocolate. Enjoy your drink of choice while enjoying the nice view. After about a half hour there, I’m refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to continue on. Once you head out, re-trace some of the ground you covered earlier. One time, I had walked around non-stop for nearly five hours, hoping to shoot one of the red-tails there. I got nothing, but came back a half hour later and took the photo you see above. It was definitely worth heading out for a second look.

Want to photograph wildlife all year? Then join the Garden. A Garden Membership will get you and your camera unlimited entry to the grounds, the Conservatory, the exhibits in the Library Building, and to all the wonderful events that take place throughout the year.

Introducing Mario Batali’s Edible Garden

Posted in Around the Garden, Mario Batali's Edible Garden on April 21 2011, by Ann Rafalko

Mario Batali was at the Garden on April 12. But he wasn’t here to see the cherry blossoms or to catch a glimpse of José and Justin. Nope, Mario was here for one very good reason: To promote children’s gardening through the launch of Mario Batali’s Edible Garden at the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden. The gathering also celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Family Garden and its role as an important place to educate the public on the benefits of vegetable gardening and using fresh produce in daily meals.

Mario & Kids Dig In
Mario Batali & kids dig in alongside Annie Novak, Assistant Manager of the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Garden President Gregory Long, Councilman Joel Rivera, Mario Batali, Bronx community activist Karen Washington, and Toby Adams, Manager of the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Garden President Gregory Long, Councilman Joel Rivera, Mario Batali, Bronx community activist Karen Washington, and Toby Adams, Manager of the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden

The day was a bit gray and drizzly, but the profusion of Batali orange and a cheerful group of schoolchildren from the Bronx’s own C.S. 211 made the day feel sunny and bright. Mario and the kids were joined by local officials and community gardeners, Garden employees, and Garden board members in preparing the beds and planting the first seeds and plants.

Mario Batali

Three individual beds make up Mario Batali’s Edible Garden.

Learn more about Mario Batali's Edible Garden below!

Morning Eye Candy: Misty

Posted in Photography on April 20 2011, by Ann Rafalko

We’re having a strange spring in New York City; full of cool, misty days, punctuated by short bursts of sunshine and warmth. It may not be good for humans the long , snowy winter we just got through, but it’s fabulous for the flowers. So damn the weather! Come visit, it’s pretty incredible.

Misty

Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

 

Did You Know the Botanical Garden Has a Lab?

Posted in Science on April 19 2011, by Ann Rafalko

Amy Litt is Director of Plant Genomics and Cullman Curator

Four of the Garden’s six Science programs, The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics, the Genomics Program, the Structural Botany Program, and the Graduate Studies Program are housed in the beautiful Pfizer Plant Research Laboratory, which sits at the northwest corner of the Garden overlooking Twin Lakes.

Rachel Meyer (left) and Natalia Pabon-Mora (right)
Rachel Meyer (left) and Natalia Pabon-Mora (right)

In the Genomics Program, curators, post-docs, graduate students, and technicians, along with undergraduate and high school interns are studying how genes make plants different from each other–for instance why the seeds of some species are enclosed in an edible fleshy fruit like a tomato, whereas the seeds of other species are surrounded by a pod (also called a capsule) that dries and splits open to release the seeds. Graduate students Natalia Pabon-Mora (Judith and Andrew Economos Fellow) and Rachel Meyer and I are studying what makes a tomato fleshy and edible rather than dry and woody by comparing the genes that are active during the formation of tomatoes and closely related capsules.We  have identified several interesting-looking genes that act differently during the formation of tomatoes and capsules, and are testing them to see how they contribute to tomato formation.

Rachel and Natalia have tested one of the genes so far, and have found that if it doesn’t function properly, the plant produces tomatoes that are large and lumpy, instead of small (we are working with a cherry variety) and smooth.

Even more interesting, the tomatoes have a very strange uneven blotchy coloration.

We noticed immediately that although these tomatoes are still relatively small, they resemble the large and lumpy shapes we often see in cultivated tomato varieties including oddly colored heirloom varieties. We think we may have found a gene that is responsible for some of the dramatic shapes and sizes of the tomatoes we buy at the grocery store and farmer’s market!

A Blooming Great Time to Visit

Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on April 18 2011, by Ann Rafalko

Things are moving fast here at the Garden; each day brings word of another extraordinarily beautiful plant that has burst into bloom. So, while we’re closed today (but we’ll be open next Monday, April 25), we thought we would share with you some of the amazing flowering trees that are in bloom around our 250-acres. Of course, just as plants burst into flower, they also stop flowering, too, so we cannot guarantee that all of these will still be in bloom when you visit. So, be sure to follow us on Twitter or “like” us on Facebook and get up to the minute updates on what’s beautiful now at the Garden (keeping an eye on the NYBG Blog, Plant Talk can’t hurt either). And if you’ve got a question about whether a specific plant is in bloom, feel free to ask us! We’ll dispatch a plant-porter out into the Garden and get back to you.

Willow-Leaf Magnolia Salicifolia
Willow-Leaf Magnolia Salicifolia
Cherry Blossoms
Cherry Blossoms
In the Mist
In the Mist
Forsythia along the Bronx River
Forsythia along the Bronx River
Magnolia 'Columbia'
Magnolia 'Columbia'
Cherry Blossoms
Cherry Blossoms
Star Magnolia in front of the Library
Star Magnolia in front of the Library
Weeping Cherry
Weeping Cherry
Near the Library
Near the Library
Magnolia stellata
Magnolia stellata

Photos by Ivo M. Vermeulen and Mark Pfeffer.