While Away the Weekend at the NYBG
Posted in Around the Garden, Exhibitions on February 10 2012, by Matt Newman
It almost felt like winter this week. Almost. With a breezy evening of light flurries in the city (I actually had to use my ice scraper for once) the temperatures dropped just enough for us to pretend we weren’t leapfrogging one of the year’s most obvious seasons. And this weekend’s weather report suggests more of the same.
Now going into our third week of the photography contest, the competition is picking up the tempo. The first week’s competitors were joined by several more talented shutterbugs this time around, and all together the group produced a stack of fantastic pictures that had us poring over the results for some time. Turns out that the more brilliant pictures you have to shuffle through, the longer it takes to come to conclusions on who won–it’s worse when the judges can’t seem to entirely agree! It was like Twelve Angry Men in here. But we came up with a fresh batch of eye candy we think will inspire you to try for yourself.
There’s more to the weekend than zoom lenses and ISO settings, of course. Here’s what’s happening:
Saturday, February 4
Bird Walk — 11 a.m.
Meets at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center
The hawks are still ruling the air at the NYBG. Rose and Vince have kept up their public appearances while Jr. makes the rounds in search of food, and Pat Gonzalez informs us that another Red-tailed hawk from the elder couple’s 2011 brood may have decided to stay with its parents here at the Garden. Join Debbie Becker this Saturday for some bird watching and you’ll almost certainly catch this family of raptors on the wing. Bring your camera, your binoculars, and a coat!
Conservatory Tour — 12:30 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance
Explore the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an acre of plants under glass, with one of the Garden’s docents. Take an eco-tour around the world through 11 distinct habitats, including two types of rain forest, deserts of the Americas and of Africa, and aquatic and carnivorous plant displays. Admission included with an All-Garden Pass.
Salsa: Listen and Learn — 2 p.m.
Meet at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory’s Green School
Don’t get snowed in this weekend–stay warm with our salsa instructor. Throughout the run of our Caribbean Garden exhibition we’re offering the chance to work out the winter chill with Jose Obando in the Conservatory, learning the history, tradition, and rhythmic steps of Cuba’s favorite dance style.
Sunday, February 5
Conservatory Tour — 12:30 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance
Explore the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an acre of plants under glass, with one of the Garden’s docents. Take an eco-tour around the world through 11 distinct habitats, including two types of rain forest, deserts of the Americas and of Africa, and aquatic and carnivorous plant displays. Admission included with an All-Garden Pass.
Photography Tips and Tricks — 1 to 3 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance
Don’t skip our photography contest just because you found out about it late! Because this isn’t a ladder-style competition, it means you can submit your photographs during any week’s judging and still have a chance at the big prizes. The final winners will ultimately be decided based on best picture, and not points! But if you need to brush up on your skills first, Sunday is the day for it. Professional garden photographers Rich Pomerantz and Alan Detrick return for another series of photography mini-workshops, offering tips, tricks, critiques and more.
Ongoing Children’s Programs
Tropical Discoveries and Wintertime Wonders — Daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Meet at the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
Don’t leave the Garden without a souvenir for your little ones. The kids can stop by the Adventure Garden and take part in the exploration of New York’s native plants, then get into gardening for themselves by potting up tropical plants of their own to take home.
Adventures in Adaptations Scavenger Hunt
Self-guided
For a kid, there’s always the imagination to fall back on, but sometimes a tangible challenge is what really does the trick. To that end, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory transforms into an adventurous jungle with questions and answers around every bend. Pick up a field notebook at the ticket booth on your way into the NYBG and set the kids on a scavenger hunt to not only figure out what plants Dr. Ed Apshon is talking about, but to find out where in the world he’s headed next.
Don’t forget your tickets! The Caribbean Garden is an event for everyone, but you’ll need a Conservatory pass to get in.
