The Landis Newsletter Summer 2020 Volume 38, Number 2
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A Message from the Communications Committee:
In these uncertain times, it is no surprise that the events at the Arboretum have been cancelled through the end of June, as recommended by the governor’s policy on reopening. We will apprise our Arboretum friends of any changes to the Landis schedule online on our website and Facebook page and by a Constant Contact mailing.
The good news is that the Arboretum remains open to visitors, dawn to dusk, and that we have had an unprecedented number of guests during the current health crisis. We ask that you practice social distancing and wear a mask when approaching others.
Landis has been hard hit by the financial consequences of cancelling programs and our Spring Plant Sale, and we would appreciate any support you can provide.
The Communications Committee has decided to take this opportunity to bring you a special Summer 2020 issue of the newsletter. It contains some of the best articles from the past 20 years. In it you will find a memorable mix of articles about the people, the plants, and the events that make the George Landis Arboretum a very special place. Check out the introduction to each article or vintage photo to find information on the date of its original appearance in our newsletter, and enjoy the walk down memory lane. Current features such as this issue’s “We Appreciate” article by Gail Browning about the Boy Scouts, and our memorial tribute article to recently deceased Anne Jaster, also appear.
Nolan Marciniec and Louise Polli,
Communications Committee Chairpersons
In these uncertain times, it is no surprise that the events at the Arboretum have been cancelled through the end of June, as recommended by the governor’s policy on reopening. We will apprise our Arboretum friends of any changes to the Landis schedule online on our website and Facebook page and by a Constant Contact mailing.
The good news is that the Arboretum remains open to visitors, dawn to dusk, and that we have had an unprecedented number of guests during the current health crisis. We ask that you practice social distancing and wear a mask when approaching others.
Landis has been hard hit by the financial consequences of cancelling programs and our Spring Plant Sale, and we would appreciate any support you can provide.
The Communications Committee has decided to take this opportunity to bring you a special Summer 2020 issue of the newsletter. It contains some of the best articles from the past 20 years. In it you will find a memorable mix of articles about the people, the plants, and the events that make the George Landis Arboretum a very special place. Check out the introduction to each article or vintage photo to find information on the date of its original appearance in our newsletter, and enjoy the walk down memory lane. Current features such as this issue’s “We Appreciate” article by Gail Browning about the Boy Scouts, and our memorial tribute article to recently deceased Anne Jaster, also appear.
Nolan Marciniec and Louise Polli,
Communications Committee Chairpersons
In these times, families are necessarily spending more time together – and learning together. Some of the most important lessons kids can learn come from nature, as Laura Scoones pointed out in her article from the Spring 2014 newsletter. Little Green Thumbs: Introduce Your Kids to Gardening
- Laura Scoones Ask a child where food comes from, and the answer will undoubtedly be the local Price Chopper or Hannaford. Children today grow up in a very different world than the children of previous generations. Many of today’s kids live in suburban developments -- built on the land where farms once stood. Given the accessibility of cheap processed foods, childhood obesity is increasing. Given the proliferation of technology, nature has become a foreign territory. [Read more] |
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In Memoriam: Anne Jaster (1937 - 2020)
The Landis community mourns the loss of another old friend, Anne Jaster. Anne was known for her wholehearted commitment to the natural world, exemplified by her service on the Arboretum’s Board of Trustees, as well as her ardent support of other area environmental causes such as the Plotter Kill and Moccasin preserves and the Environmental Clearinghouse. A gifted artist, she celebrated nature in her masterful botanical drawings. We have included a retrospective of her work in the slideshow below. LANDIS PORTRAITS: A Series About the People Behind the Plants at the Arboretum
- Nolan Marciniec “The Arboretum is my church . . . and heaven is here, all around us. Look at the venation on the iris – it’s just miraculous! The Arboretum makes us stop and look at these things,” she said. [Read more] |
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One of the many features that make visiting the Landis Arboretum a unique experience is its old growth forests. This article from the Winter 2002 newsletter, originally written by Director Fred Breglia with Dave Yarrow, has been edited for brevity. At that time the large Old Growth Forest area in the northern section was not part of the Arboretum. It makes reference to the Arboretum’s signature Great Oak, which was toppled by a hurricane in 2011 – after 400 years! Landis Arboretum Named Old Growth Forest Headquarters
- Fred Breglia and Dave Yarrow
A new survey team has been formed to explore and evaluate potential old growth forests in the Hudson-Mohawk Valley, Schoharie Valley, and Catskills. Its headquarters are based at the Landis Arboretum, and led by arborist Fred Breglia and naturalist Dave Yarrow. [Read more] A tribute to a botanical survivor by our executive director from the Winter 2000 issue. The ginkgo is just one of many unique specimens in the Arboretum’s collections. Ginkgo biloba: A Bearer of Hope
- Fred Breglia
There is a ginkgo tree here at Landis, located on the right side of the driveway as you walk toward the Barn, just below the Van Loveland perennial borders. Its leaves are distinctly fan-shaped, with a split in the middle that divides the leaf into two lobes. Hence, the genus name biloba, which derives from the Latin “bi” (two, or double) and “loba” (leaf). The leaves are bright green during the summer and often turn – all at once – a stunning yellow in the fall. [Read more] Midsummer Pause
There is a moment in midsummer when the earth Pauses between flower and fruit; the hay is cut, The oats ripen, on pasture knolls pearly everlasting Lifts its small fountains of silver and gold. The skies are blue, and hills rest all day Like men at noon under a shady tree. The leaves have turned dark green, they hoard Their strength, no strong wind harms them. Boys swim under the big elm by the crick. Locusts drone in the trees; the swallows Gather on wires, and starlings in flocks Wheel over the meadows like curving hands. - Fred Lape |
We Appreciate: Boy Scout Troop 501
- Gail Browning The Arboretum is grateful for the close relationship it has enjoyed with Boy Scout Troop 501, headquartered here at Landis. The troop was established in 2004 under the leadership of the late Chuck Stephens. The current scoutmaster is Chuck Whitman, and the troop has 12 members. That number will soon rise again as more young men cross over from the Cub Scouts. To date, 10 members have achieved the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout, and one additional boy is nearing completion of his qualifying project. [Read more] _____________________________________ They’ve moved past their Golden Wedding Anniversary, but both Anne and Pat Donnelly are “golden” in the eyes of the Arboretum community. A profile from our Spring 2013 newsletter. LANDIS PORTRAITS: A Series About the People Behind the Plants at the Arboretum
- Nolan Marciniec
Both Anne and Pat Donnelly remembered taking their children to the Arboretum for a performance by the Mettawee Theater. Although it was more than forty years ago, their kids still remember how awed they were by the huge puppets – and Anne and Pat have been fans of the Arboretum ever since. [Read more] Attention Please:
FINAL (Fundamental Items Needed At Landis) Notice! We at Landis are grateful for the time and money donated by our community friends and family. We are also thankful for items donated to help us continue our environmental commitment. We’d like to thank the Feuz family for their generous donation of a flat screen TV that will be used for classes and presentations. Below are a few of the items on our FINAL list:
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A whimsical article by our nature columnist, Anita Sanchez, from the Summer 2014 issue. We invite our visitors to tour the Arboretum’s Fern Glen.
Fern Seed: A Fable? - Anita Sanchez
Once upon a time there was a farmer who had lost a foal, and so he went out on Midsummer's Eve to search for it. He chanced to pass through a cluster of ferns, and some of the fern seed fell into his shoes. He found his missing animal and went joyfully home, but when he walked in the door, neither his wife nor his children looked at him or paid any heed to him. When he cried, "I have found the foal!" they screamed and ran from the room in fear. [Read more]
Once upon a time there was a farmer who had lost a foal, and so he went out on Midsummer's Eve to search for it. He chanced to pass through a cluster of ferns, and some of the fern seed fell into his shoes. He found his missing animal and went joyfully home, but when he walked in the door, neither his wife nor his children looked at him or paid any heed to him. When he cried, "I have found the foal!" they screamed and ran from the room in fear. [Read more]
Calendar: What's Blooming at Landis
- Erin and Fred Breglia
Landis is open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year. Whenever you visit, you’ll find something to delight you! It's a long list, so click here to see the whole year of blooms at Landis.
- Erin and Fred Breglia
Landis is open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year. Whenever you visit, you’ll find something to delight you! It's a long list, so click here to see the whole year of blooms at Landis.
Your membership dollars are critical to our economic viability and the sustainability of our collections, grounds, and educational programs. You can help by joining or renewing your membership. Consider renewing at a higher level. Encourage your friends, neighbors, and co-workers to do so as well. Give the gift of membership to the beautiful Landis Arboretum! Click here to join online using PayPal, or here to download a membership form to complete and return by mail to Landis Arboretum, PO Box 186, Esperance, New York 12066.
Our Business Members, Sponsors, and Allies
We have good friends in the community that help the Arboretum in a number of ways.
Please consider patronizing our Business Members, Sponsors, and Allies!
THE LANDIS ARBORETUM NEWSLETTER is published quarterly for its members.
The Arboretum’s mission is to foster the appreciation of trees and other plants and their importance in our environment.
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
Fred Breglia; Erin Breglia; Gail Browning; Chandra Burkhart; Wilma Jozwiak; Lee Lattimer; Nolan Marciniec and Louise Polli, Co-Chairs; Lora Tryon
CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE
Erin Breglia, Fred Breglia, Gail Browning, Fred Lape, Nolan Marciniec, Louise Polli, and Anita Sanchez
NEWSLETTER WEBSITE MANAGER
Wilma Jozwiak
PRINTER
Miller Printing and Litho, Amsterdam, NY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Jim Paley, President; Wilma Jozwiak, Vice President; Nolan Marciniec, Secretary; Carolyn Edwards, Treasurer; Louise Polli, At Large; Chandra Burkhart; Karl Gustafson; Amy Howansky; Lee Lattimer; Ed Radle; George Steele; and Earl Van Wormer
ARBORETUM STAFF
Fred Breglia, Executive Director; Nancy Stuebner, Office Manager; Erin Breglia, Garden Manager; Russell Glass, Groundskeeper
We value your input. Please address correspondence to:
Newsletter Editor, Landis Arboretum, P.O. Box 186, Esperance, NY 12066.
Website: www.landisarboretum.org
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