PINE HOLLOW ARBORETUM: October 2010

Friday, October 29, 2010

Keep Visiting!

Pine Hollow is looking particularly beautiful these days - we are having a lovely fall this year. As we make the transition from fall in to winter we hope folks from Bethlehem and the greater Capital Region community continue to come on by to observe and enjoy the daily changes. PHA weekend Open Houses have concluded for this calendar year but anyone wishing to visit during the week or on weekends should contact the Arboretum by phone or email to arrange a time and date.

Visitor From Cornell

A few weeks ago, Nina Bassuk stopped by to visit with PHA Founder Dr. John Abbuhl. Dr. Bassuk is a Professor of Urban Horticulture in the Department of Horticulture at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and Director of the Urban Horticulture Institute there. Dr. Bassuk is a world-renowned figure, and has led ground-breaking research in many areas of interest to the greater Pine Hollow Arboretum community. During a several hour tour Dr. Bassuk remarked that some trees at the Arboretum she had only read about or seen in pictures! She also indicated that she wished Slingerlands were closer to Cornell because she would use the arboretum as a lab for students. We hope to develop a closer relationship with Cornell, along with other schools in upstate NY whose students might be interested in our unique forest resource. Many thanks to PHA Board Member Chuck Smith for setting up this visit.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

BETHLEHEM SCIENCE TEACHERS VISIT

On October 12th Board Member and Bethlehem School District Science Education Coordinator Mike Klugman hosted a gathering of BCHS middle and high school teachers at the arboretum. About 20 "GREEN TEAM" people were in attendance. As a result of the visit Mike and Pine Hollow have received numerous emails from teachers, and others, suggesting ways the Arboretum and its facilities might be used to engage and educate students at all grade levels. While the Life Sciences might be the most obvious area to design and deliver curriculum material there are obvious connections to art, language and even various forms of media studies. Pine Hollow would also like to develop an easy to use curriculum that can be used by a lay person to lead a tour of the arboretum with children. Mike has already brought a few students to do geomapping at the arboretum and plans on expanding efforts in this area. We encourage any interested educators in the area, at any level of study, to take advantage of our unique forest resource. Please phone or email us! Phone:518-439-6472 and E-mail: pinehollowarb@aol.com

GIVE TO THE PINE HOLLOW ENDOWMENT FUND

Established in 2013, the Pine Hollow Arboretum Endowment Fund was created to secure the Arboretum’s future as gifts are invested and continue to grow while the Arboretum uses annual interest to fund the operating budget. You can give to the Pine Hollow Arboretum Endowment Fund any time of the year. At our web-site Home Page click on Join & Support and check the donation box and put “For Endowment Fund” in the comments section. If you do not wish to donate online, you may instead send a check to Endowment Fund, 34 Pine Hollow Road, Slingerlands, New York 12159. Just make a note “For Endowment Fund” on the memo of your check and your gift will be acknowledged accordingly. The Arboretum is a 501(3) not-for-profit independent organization. Donations are tax-exempt according to law.

Your gift, in any amount, makes a difference.

LETTERBOX AT PINE HOLLOW ARBORETUM

What is letterboxing?
Letterboxing is an outdoor hobby perfect for people of all ages! It combines elements of hiking with treasure hunting, allowing visitors of the Pine Hollow Arboretum to explore the property in a new way. A list of clues can be retrieved from the Visitor’s Center during our weekend hours or you can access them at www.atlasquest.com under Pine Hollow Arboretum. These clues will lead you to each letterbox hidden on the property but don’t forget, the boxes are not in plain view so you need to search for them! They may be hidden under some plantings, leaves or wood debris. Currently, there are 7 hidden boxes. Each letterbox contains a unique, hand-carved stamp, which you can (using your own stamp pad) stamp in your own journal as you find each letterbox, proof of your success! Try to collect as many stamps as you can as you explore the arboretum!

PINE HOLLOW ARBORETUM MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

Located in Slingerlands, New York, Pine Hollow Arboretum is a unique forest environment. Supported by members and friends our land will be preserved in perpetuity for the benefit of our members, community, town and bioregion. We aspire to be a world-class environmental education resource and will grow and develop as our membership increases and program outreach continues to expand. We need you to become involved in the exciting days ahead.
Pine Hollow Arboretum is a collection of trees and shrubs arranged esthetically while maintaining a natural setting. There are twenty-five acres with over twenty-five hundred labeled or recorded items. The collection contains plants from the temperate climates of the world and represents the horticultural potential of our own climate.

Membership Levels
Individual………………….…....$25
Family………………………….....$45
Contributor……………………$100
Sustaining…………………......$300
Patron…………………………...$500
Preservationist……………...$1000

Become a member by sending your name, address, phone number and e-mail address with your membership contribution to our address. If you wish to also volunteer or have other questions phone or e-mail us and we would be happy to reply. All contributions to Pine Hollow Arboretum are tax deductible to the maximum extent allowable by law.