October’s Woodland Weekend
Posted in Programs and Events on September 17 2012, by Matt Newman
Countless acres of lush flora, over 230 bird species, a virtual menagerie of fish, insects, reptiles, and mammals–and that’s just Central Park. New York City may have a reputation for being the urban jungle, but tucked in and around the buildings are the greenscapes–including the NYBG–that land us in the upper echelons of woodland sustainability. Places where flora and fauna have thrived in spite of the metropolis built up around them. But it’s not as if it was an easy task to get to where we are now, as The Cultural Landscape Foundation‘s (TCLF) president, Charles Birnbaum, recently explained; it was a long and trying process, with green spaces across the city sometimes suffering under a lack of proper management. And that’s a part of the reason that we’re adding our voice to TCLF’s fall conference, Bridging the Nature-Culture Divide II: Stewardship of Central Park’s Woodlands.
On Friday, October 5, the NYBG joins with the Central Park Conservancy and institutions from across the country to examine today’s woodland sustainability, along with natural diversity, the role of people in the care of these landscapes, and public education. Speakers such as the Garden’s Arthur Ross Vice President for Horticulture and Living Collections, Todd Forrest, will offer their expertise on the lessons learned by our park stewards over the years, while accomplished landscape architects and other national experts detail the challenges now faced in caring for these cultural icons.
Tickets are still available for this one-day event, though it’s worth noting that 2011’s conference was quick to sell out! And if that’s not enough impetus to get you registered, our expert talks are only the beginning, slipping right into “What’s Out There Weekend” on October 6 and 7. Just think of it as a giant field trip through the world’s greatest city, where you get to pick and choose your destinations as you go. Following the conference on Friday the 5th, the Garden becomes one of 25 organizations across the five boroughs to open their gates, offering expert-led tours to registrants at no cost (unless you count a couple of MetroCard swipes to zip around town).
For our part, the NYBG is spotlighting the many female designers and philanthropists that have contributed to our legacy, women of vision and ambition whose influence is still felt daily. Tour guests will visit the Nancy Bryan Luce Herb Garden; tour the Jane Watson Irwin Perennial Garden as designed by the renowned Lynden B. Miller; and walk the Ladies’ Border, Ellen Biddle Shipman’s quiet sanctuary for plants seldom seen thriving in New York. And we’re not about to forget the Arthur and Janet Ross Conifer Arboretum, a world-class botanical collection, or the legacy of Enid A. Haupt: our iconic Conservatory.
Again, separate registration is required for each event, so be sure to visit the TCLF conference and What’s Out There Weekend websites not only to secure your schedule, but to see what’s on the docket for all three days. So often we take New York’s outdoor spaces for granted, and if anything, this is a chance to really see what the city has to offer. We hope to catch you all out in your walking shoes that weekend!
Header photo courtesy of TCLF.
