Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Tree Climbing
Posted in Adult Education on November 12 2013, by Ann Rafalko
When it comes to climbing our trees, we have a hard and fast rule: Never … Except occasionally when we say it is okay. And one of those rare occasions is this weekend!
When you enroll in this Saturday’s Recreational Tree Climbing class, you’ll learn to climb the Garden’s stately trees like our arborists do—with ropes and harnesses—and you’ll have the chance to see the Bronx from an angle that is usually reserved for our resident raptors.
It is a once in a lifetime chance for all tree-loving daredevils! The class is taught by the Garden’s professional arborists, who are all graduates of NYBG’s storied arboriculture program.
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Posted in Around the Garden on November 8 2013, by Ann Rafalko
That awesome crisp fall air is due back this weekend, just on schedule for another Fall Forest Weekend!
Why fete a forest? Because the 50-acre Thain Family Forest isn’t just another woodland. It’s one of the largest remaining tracts of old growth forest in New York City. New York’s five boroughs were once covered by woodlands, but the relentless march of time and commerce denuded our fair islands, until only isolated pockets of forest remained. But the Thain Family Forest is hardly isolated, despite being in the middle of the Bronx. It is connected to woodlands further upstate by the Bronx River and the greenest borough’s extensive network of parks. This makes the Forest a truly unique place, home to native plants, trees, and critters, as well as a cadre of scientists studying it all.
And the Forest’s majestic, sometimes centuries old, trees are currently at peak fall foliage! Perfect timing, right? So come walk our trails, paddle the Bronx River, sample local beers, watch demonstrations of birds of prey, tree climbing, woodworking, and home gardening, enjoy fun-filled family activities in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden (adjacent to the Forest), geek out on the many scientific pursuits being pursued under the Forest’s mighty trees, and so much more!
And while it is the Forest we are celebrating this weekend, the entirety of our 250-acres is looking spectacular! Bid a fond farewell to the gorgeous Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden for the season, enjoy beautiful vistas from the Azalea Garden, sit and read a book in the serene Perennial Garden, and wander amongst the green lushness of the Benenson Ornamental Conifers collection. We hope to see you soon!
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Posted in Programs and Events on October 28 2013, by Matt Newman
Leafers, this is your weekend! And honestly, even if you’re not the type to travel for fall foliage, Saturday and Sunday are worth a peek at what The New York Botanical Garden‘s 250 sprawling acres have to offer. With October nearing its end, the leaves are just now slipping into their colorful groove, and that means no end of reds, yellows, oranges, and every warm, welcoming color in between. It’s a pretty perfect palette for the onset of chilly weather. So to celebrate the changing trees, we’re setting off into our 50-acre Forest with entertainers, activities, tours, and more!
Fall Forest Weekends highlight the beauty of fall with the largest uncut, old growth tract of forest left in New York City. And there’s certainly more than one perspective from which to appreciate the bright transition. For those with their sea legs, so to speak, you’ll want to get in on the canoe trips taking place along the stretch of Bronx River that cuts through our woodland; the program is hosted by the Bronx River Alliance, a group working to reclaim the river for not only the people of the Bronx, but the incredible variety of fish, birds, and even beaver that call this waterway home.
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Posted in Photography on December 27 2010, by Plant Talk
Tree climbing here at the Garden is serious work. Do you see them? Look close.
Climbing two very big trees (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
When it comes to climbing our trees, we have a hard and fast rule: Never … Except occasionally when we say it is okay. And one of those rare occasions is this weekend!