This Weekend: Time For A Trip to the Tropics!

Posted in Around the Garden on January 17 2014, by Ann Rafalko

Are you one of those workaholics that just can’t seem to ever use your vacation time, because going on vacation takes too much, well, time? Or maybe you have little kids and the thought of lugging them—and all their stuff—to the airport, dealing with the withering glances of your fellow travelers and kiddo jet lag is just too much. Or maybe you’re saving up for something important like college, or a big move, or a new car.

Either way, if you need a break from winter but can’t swing it for some reason, we’ve got you covered! That’s right: Tropical Paradise is back!

Opening on Saturday just in time for a three-day weekend, Tropical Paradise is our very popular winter interpretation of the permanent collection in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. It’s the chance for all of our brilliant, warmth-loving, exotic specimens to take center stage! And did I mention warmth? The temperatures inside many of the Conservatory’s galleries are positively balmy, a nice change from what’s going on outside.

And to encourage you to look at our beautiful plants just a little bit differently, we’re holding our fan-favorite Tropical Paradise Photography Contest again this year. Everyone who enters has a chance to win a seat in one of our Adult Education photography classes. All that’s needed is a camera (your smartphone is fine!) and a Flickr account. Upload your photographs to our Group Pool, tag them with #tropicalparadise, and we’ll do the rest!

And don’t forget! As an added bonus for your little ones, All Aboard with Thomas & Friends is still here!

Saturday, January 18

All Aboard with Thomas & Friends™ – 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., & 3:30 p.m.
In the Ross Hall

Join Thomas and Driver Sam on a new fun-filled, sing-along, mini-performance adventure by helping them decorate the station in time for the big Sodor surprise party before the guest of honor arrives! Bring your camera to have a photo-op with Thomas and capture the special day!
Seating is first come, first served and special tickets are required.

Tropical Interactive Encounters – 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory

See, smell, and taste the rejuvenating and healing powers of tropical plants like coconut, nutmeg, annatto, and banana through interactive demonstrations and samplings. This showcase will provide insight to the historical and cultural importance of various plants throughout the world.

Tropical Paradise Guides – Roaming Q&A, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory

Take a trip through paradise with a Garden guide who will highlight interesting plants of our permanent collection in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Touch and smell samples of featured plants including vanilla, coconut, and nutmeg and get a sense of place through photographs of these plants in the wild.

Bird Walk – 11 a.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center

The diverse habitats of the Botanical Garden offer visitors a chance to see dozens of species of birds throughout the year. Bring your binoculars and walk the Garden grounds with an expert to learn about bird-friendly habitats, migrating species, and birds that make a permanent home at the Garden.

Landmarks of the New York Botanical Garden: The LuEsther T. Mertz Library Building – 12:30 p.m.
Meet in the Orchid Rotunda of the Library Building

Learn how this historically significant structure complements our magnificent landscape and discover the ways this space is used to promote and advocate for the plant kingdom.

Sunday, January 19

All Aboard with Thomas & Friends™ – 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., & 3:30 p.m.
In the Ross Hall

Join Thomas and Driver Sam on a new fun-filled, sing-along, mini-performance adventure by helping them decorate the station in time for the big Sodor surprise party before the guest of honor arrives! Bring your camera to have a photo-op with Thomas and capture the special day!
Seating is first come, first served and special tickets are required.

Tropical Interactive Encounters – 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory

See, smell, and taste the rejuvenating and healing powers of tropical plants like coconut, nutmeg, annatto, and banana through interactive demonstrations and samplings. This showcase will provide insight to the historical and cultural importance of various plants throughout the world.

Tropical Paradise Guides – Roaming Q&A, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory

Take a trip through paradise with a Garden guide who will highlight interesting plants of our permanent collection in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Touch and smell samples of featured plants including vanilla, coconut, and nutmeg and get a sense of place through photographs of these plants in the wild.

Winter Plant & Tree Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center

With the deciduous trees now stripped of their leaves, explore the many colorful winter berries found throughout the Garden and marvel at the sculptural forms of trees and tree bark.

Monday, January 20

All Aboard with Thomas & Friends™ – 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., & 3:30 p.m.
In the Ross Hall

Join Thomas and Driver Sam on a new fun-filled, sing-along, mini-performance adventure by helping them decorate the station in time for the big Sodor surprise party before the guest of honor arrives! Bring your camera to have a photo-op with Thomas and capture the special day!
Seating is first come, first served and special tickets are required.

Tropical Interactive Encounters – 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory

See, smell, and taste the rejuvenating and healing powers of tropical plants like coconut, nutmeg, annatto, and banana through interactive demonstrations and samplings. This showcase will provide insight to the historical and cultural importance of various plants throughout the world.

Tropical Paradise Guides – Roaming Q&A, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory

Take a trip through paradise with a Garden guide who will highlight interesting plants of our permanent collection in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Touch and smell samples of featured plants including vanilla, coconut, and nutmeg and get a sense of place through photographs of these plants in the wild.

Tropical Houses and Desert Collections Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the entrance to the Leon Levy Visitor Center

Explore the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an acre of plants under glass, with one of the Garden’s Tour Guides. Take an ecotour 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.

Ongoing Children’s Programs

Tropical Discoveries and Wintertime Wonders

Inside the cozy Discovery Center, kids of all ages can take a closer look at the differences between tropical and temperate plants. Pot up a specimen plant to take home and compare its characteristics with foliage in your neighborhood. Use a field notebook to explore the Adventure Garden and discover the vital sparks of life that lie just below the surface of this quiet season.