News

Please join us for our first Biophilia: Ithaca forum for a lively discussion with renowned local metal worker Durand Van Doren, whose work is inspired by nature. We will introduce our new chapter and its origins thus far. Over light refreshments, we will discuss our collective goals, expectations, and roles to begin to set the course for our new chapter. 

Please join the movement!

Date/time: Thursday, May 18; 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Tompkins County Library, Borg Warner Room
Cost: Free and open to the public. No registration is required.

Background:

What is Biophilia? It is the human affinity for interacting with nature.  The term “biophilia,” which literally means “love of life,” was coined by social psychologist Erich Fromm and popularized by biologist E.O. Wilson.

Biophilia: Ithaca is modeled after the Biophilia: Pittsburgh which is a “pilot chapter for a global Biophilia Network of creative minds dedicated to strengthening the bond between people and the natural world through education, discussion and action.”

Our Mission: To strengthen human connections to nature and to advocate for policies and practices that benefit the local natural environment.

Our Goals:
•    To create a supportive and inclusive network that fosters collaboration and learning about biophilia among people with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints
•    To welcome and inspire others with the concept of biophilia
•    To explore new approaches to strengthening human connections to nature and to discuss their application to our local community
•    To use our collective voice to advocate for and to assist in the implementation of policies and practices that benefit the natural environment

From 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., you will receive 25% off your total purchase and all purchases of $25 or more will receive our new Cornell Botanic Gardens tote bag.

From 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., we will offer complimentary lemonade, iced tea and cookies and a "Plant a Succulent" activity: Purchase a mug and a succulent to plant for yourself or as a gift!

A wine and cheese reception will follow the lecture. Sponsored by Cornell Botanic Gardens, Cornell Plant Biology & Horticulture.

Date/time: Thursday, May 4; 4:30 p.m.
Location: Room 404 in the Plant Sciences Building on Cornell Campus
Cost: Free and pre-registration is not required.

Background:
In 1600, the British East India Company was founded to compete with the Portuguese and Dutch over the lucrative trade in spices from the Indian subcontinent and the East Indies.  After murder by the Dutch of some Company employees, British (and French) interest switched to introduction of spices and other Far Eastern crops, often clandestinely obtained, to their colonies overseas.  The East India Company withdrew from trade with the Spice Islands and concentrated instead on exporting cotton textiles and silk from India to Britain.  This became a threat to the British woollen industry, so was prohibited in 1700.  This prohibition coincided with the rise in tea drinking in Britain, so the East India Company turned to trading cotton goods and opium from India to China in exchange for tea.

In 1766, John Bradby Blake went to Canton as an employee of the East India Company. He conceived the ambitious project of drawing from nature “all useful plants” and collecting living material and seeds of these to be sent back to England, to be grown there or transmitted to suitable colonies in America.  However, Bradby Blake’s principal legacy is his portfolio of over 50 paintings, scientifically accurate and beautifully coloured, of the plants brought to him, while he was in China, by his various contacts.

Date/time: Sunday, April 23; 1:00 p.m.
Location: Meet at the Cornell Community Garden Plots, off of Freese Road, about halfway between NYS Route 366 and Hanshaw Road. Watch for a driveway entering the parking area on the east side of the road.
Cost: Free and pre-registration is not required.
For more information, please contact Tom Reimers at [email protected].

Thanks to the hard work of volunteers and staff, Cascadilla Gorge is now open. Enjoy the gorge while staying safe: Please remain on gorge trails.

Cornell Botanic Gardens and partner organizations have launched a new website designed to help outdoor enthusiasts find and take the perfect walk, hike, bike, ski, or even horseback ride. Out on the Trails at IthacaTrails.org is a GPS-enabled, mobile-optimized site that maps all of the trails in Tompkins County, and invites users to search by the experience they seek. Criteria include distance, difficulty, scenic views, wildlife viewing, or picnicking, and also access directions to trailheads and information on parking.

 “Our County boasts 240 miles of public trails, but since they span 15 different organizations, many residents and visitors find trail information in bits and pieces,” says Todd Bittner, Director of Natural Areas at the Cornell Botanic Gardens and one of the key grant managers. “The beauty of the new Out on the Trails website is that it provides comprehensive information on all the trails, regardless of ownership.”

The site links to each partner organization’s website for more information on the organization and its park or trail. With appealing descriptions, photographs, and a clean user-friendly layout, the site is designed to encourage users to explore the County's outdoor recreation offerings more deeply.

The Cornell Botanic Gardens maintains 32 miles of trails through its natural areas. The Cayuga Trail, which spans from Fall Creek Gorge eastward, then circumnavigates its Monkey Run Natural Area, is a 10 mile-trail, maintained in partnership with the Cayuga Trails Club. “The website also leads you to hikes in some of our lesser known natural areas such as Edwards Lake Cliffs, Fischer Old-growth Forest, and Ellis Hollow Wetlands.,” Bittner says.
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The Cornell Botanic Gardens and its trail partners are offering hikes during the month of April to celebrate local trails and the launch of the new website. On April 23, the botanic gardens hosts an Earth Day Hike with the Cayuga Trails Club on the Cayuga Trail. And on April 29, Bittner will lead a hike in the Fischer Old-Growth Forest (registration required), the best of the few remaining examples of pre-European settlement forest in the region.
 
Additional April hikes by partner organizations include Roy H. Park Preserve;  Cayuga Waterfront Trail; Black Diamond Trail; Stevenson Preserve;  and Jim Schug Trail. Details available at IthacaEvents.com.

IthacaTrails.org is a partnership of the Tompkins County Parks and Trails Network. Partner organizations include the Cornell Botanic Gardens, Town of Ulysses, Tompkins County Tourism Program, Tompkins County Department of Planning and Sustainability , Ithaca Tompkins County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Finger Lakes Land Trust, NY State Parks, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Ithaca College Natural Lands, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, City of Ithaca, Town of Ithaca, Town of Lansing, Town of Dryden, Town of Danby, the Nature Conservancy, and user groups, including Bike Walk Tompkins, the Cayuga Trails Club, and Finger Lakes Trails Conference.

Landscape For Life 5-part workshop

Dates/time: Five MOnday sessions, April 3- May 8; 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Cost:$150; $135 for Botanic Garden members
Location: Nevin Welcome Center
Register here.

Every home landscape has the potential to clean air and water, reduce flooding, cool your community, combat climate change and alleviate the pressures being placed on Earth’s ecosystems. Yet conventional gardening practices too often work against nature, damaging the environment’s ability to provide these natural benefits that support the health and well-being of you, your family, and your community. The 5-part Landscape For Life program, developed by the U.S. Botanical Garden and the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, shows you how to work with nature in your garden, no matter where you live, whether you garden on a city or suburban lot, a 20–acre farm, or the common area of your condominium. It's possible to create a great–looking sustainable landscape that's healthier for you, your family, your pets, and the environment --- and that saves you time and money!  Pre-registration is required. Participants who complete all course activities will receive a Certificate of Completion.

For more information about the Landscape for Life Program and the Sustainable Sites Initiative, please visit http://landscapeforlife.org/.

Click here to register.

Meet the artists at an opening reception on Saturday, March 11 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

All third grade students in Ithaca and Trumansburg Elementary schools participate in our Wildflower Explorations Program. This is part of the Kids Discover the Trail collaboration, which provides curriculum-based fieldtrips to the eight Discovery Trail sites. Volunteers of Cornell Botanic Gardens guide students through three wildflower activities in the classroom. Then each student is assigned a “detective mission” to learn about a specific native plant.

At school, students work on their wildflower detective mission learning clues for identifying their plant, reviewing their personal “Peterson First Guide to Wildflowers,” taking notes, and writing questions. After all this preparation, students are excited when visiting the Mundy Wildflower Garden to discover their flower and share their knowledge. To conclude their outing, they write a report and receive a “Mission Completed” stamp.

After their field trip, Ms. Tesoriero’s class took it one step further to enrich their learning across disciplines. Based on Beth Olshansky’s research and her book entitled “The Power of Pictures: Creating Literacy through Art,” students created detailed drawings of their wildflowers. Then each student wrote an acrostic poem using letters in their wildflower’s name.


The students used a watercolor wax resist painting technique with crayon to make their drawings.

Eighteen prints created by the students are on display through the end of April, 2017.