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Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens
News
The Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens’ first-ever Spring Garden Tour on June 10th was a fantastic success!
Although the day may turn out to have been the hottest of the summer, this did not diminish the enthusiasm of hundreds of visitors to the Bartlett and the six exquisite private gardens on our Tour. Thank you to all of our garden owners—it is truly a privilege for the public to have the opportunity to admire, and to learn from, gardens as staggeringly varied and beautiful as yours are!
Not only did the Spring Garden Tour raise much needed funds for our environmental and horticultural programs, other educational initiatives, and the upkeep of our 91-acre living museum, but we effectively reached hundreds of local residents of Stamford and other communities and made many new friends that day. Only 35% of Garden Tour ticket purchasers were already members of the Bartlett!
As a living museum and a regional treasure, the Bartlett depends upon the generosity of its friends and supporters, both in fundraising, and in raising community awareness of all it has to offer. For all those who participated, as members, guests and volunteers, thank you for being friends of the Bartlett, and for helping the Bartlett make many new friends that day.
New Visitor Entrance Way
On Thursday, June 7th the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens will officially open its new Visitor Entrance Way and parking lot in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Dan Malloy. The ceremony, at noon, will mark the completion of the project, which was designed to create both a beautiful, grand new entrance to the Bartlett alongside pristine woodlands and managed garden areas, create an upgraded parking lot, and provide better visitor traffic flow. The roadway, built along an existing pathway, and the parking lot were previously unpaved.
The project was completed with funds from a state bond commission grant awarded to the Bartlett upon the transfer of the title of the property from the state to the city of Stamford in 2001. While Stamford holds the title to the property, the city entered into a long term agreement with the non-profit Bartlett Arboretum Assoc., Inc. for the management and operation of the property upon completion of the title transfer.
In discussing the new roadway, Jack Dillon, Executive Director of the Bartlett, said, “the new entranceway is part of the comprehensive Master Plan for the future of the Bartlett that the Association completed in 2003. It will provide our members and visitors with a beautiful new “gateway” into the Arboretum and provide them with an enhanced experience of the property and all that we have to offer. The entranceway compliments the other physical upgrades we have made to the property over the past few years, along with our beautiful new gardens, meadow, wetland boardwalk, and the other programmatic enhancements we have put into place.”
The Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens is a 91-acre preserve in North Stamford with over 850 species of trees, shrubs, and woody plants, along with 9 unique gardens, a 7-acre Red Maple wetland with a boardwalk, a 3-acre native wildflower meadow, and 10 hiking trails. Its collection has been cited as being “world famous and possibly unique in this country” by horticultural experts. The Bartlett is also a center for horticultural and environmental education, offering programs for backyard gardeners, schoolchildren and avid horticulturists. This year the Bartlett obtained a grant which paid to bring every 2nd grader in Stamford to the arboretum twice (fall and spring) for programs related to the new science requirements on the CT Mastery tests.
The Bartlett also offers a wide variety of family and cultural events, including its well known summer concert series. Information about these and all of the Bartlett’s activities and programs can be found here on our web site or by calling the Bartlett at 322-6971.
Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens elects 5 new members to their Board of Directors. Last week at the Bartlett Arboretum Association’s annual board meeting, 5 new members were elected: Will Fulton, Beth Holland, Evelyn Ochsner, Nick Tarzia and Tom Van Gessel.
“We are extremely excited to have these extraordinary and dedicated individuals share our vision for the future of the Bartlett,” said Executive Director Jack Dillon.
January 23rd 2007
NEW PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE TO THE MEMBERS AND VISITORS OF THE BARTLETT ARBORETUM AND GARDENS
Even though the Arboretum has been my family’s back yard for 34 years it never occurred to me that one day I might become President of the Board. It is an extension of our home and my family’s life and so upon reflection it has become the right and obvious step. I am honored to serve you and to try to continue to improve the direction we have been on since year 2000. At that time our Executive Director Jack Dillon, past President Leon Katz and myself set out on a journey, with the board’s approval, to try to rededicate the Bartlett Arboretum and put it on firm ground and opportunity for the next 50 years. After months of negotiation between the State, the University of Connecticut and the City of Stamford, the deeds of the property were transferred to the City, who then entrusted us, as managers of the property, with a long-term contract and a budget contribution that ensures our future.
The results of the last 5 years have been obvious to all; a master plan was put in place; the staff has grown; the gardens and grounds have been transformed; a new entrance road and parking lot are under construction; the education programs have been expanded for both adults and children. We are particularly proud of the benefit we have provided to all the children of Stamford as they progress through their elementary education. The summer concert series has been a great success; our spring and fall plant sales are unique; a new greenhouse is on the drawing boards; the Arboretum is host to the University of Connecticut’s Master Gardner Program; and the master plan is becoming a reality. The Board committed to the Mayor and the City of Stamford that we would provide a unique institution for all residents and it would become a jewel in the crown in the woods of North Stamford. We are striving to keep that commitment. Their trust has proven to be well placed, and the recent tremendous advances will be followed by many more.
I am a dual citizen of both the USA and United Kingdom and have lived and worked in the States since 1969. I have 3 very successful daughters who were all fortunate enough to have had their education grounded in the Stamford public school system. My wife is a talented and artistic person and a dedicated gardener and makes up for my lack of botanical knowledge. Her garden creation demonstrates our pleasure and connection to the Arboretum. What I bring to the Arboretum, in addition to my enthusiasm for and my devotion to its beauty, peace and tranquility, is an executive international business career of 40 years working in the computer industry that more than anything else has made me aware of the rapid change and progress that exists and is always ahead of us.
It would be remiss of me not to mention my predecessor Dr. Stuart Danoff, who has completed his term as President. We are all indebted to his leadership and generosity through the past 5 years of recovery and growth in which so much has been achieved. We are fortunate that he will remain as a board member and officer, and his counsel will be much valued.
We have and are building a very modern and experienced board of directors that all share in preserving a unique institution that few cities are fortunate enough to have. I am therefore proud to accept this responsibility and play a small part in leading the Arboretum forward to much future success. I look forward to meeting with you all and sharing our vision.
Thank you
Peter Lyons
President of the Bartlett Arboretum Association, Board of Directors
Eric C. Morgan, our Collections Manager, has just been elected to the Board of the Torrey Botanical Society. It is the oldest, botanic scientific society in the country.
The ADVOCATE
October 25, 2006
STAMFORD -- Nestled among the trees and windswept autumn leaves near the greenhouse at the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens, a box-shaped beehive is buzzing with activity from a few honey bees circling each other and clambering through holes drilled in their new home.
After helping to produce an unexpected 360 pounds of honey this summer, the bees appear to be on vacation.
The honey bees are the latest addition to the arboretum, which is enhancing the facilities and services on its 91-acre property.
"We're doing all kinds of new things and introducing new aspects to the arboretum," Executive Director Jack Dillon said.
In May, the Bartlett Arboretum set up four beehives -- the other three are in its 3-acre wildflower meadow-- after board President Stuart Danoff introduced the idea. Arboretum officials had just completed a 31Ú2-year restoration project on its meadow. They also have added education programs and staff members, and have upgraded buildings and gardens. Armed with a new grant, officials are financing field trips there for second-graders citywide.
But it is the bees and the honey they produce that is creating a buzz.
Bred and nurtured by beekeepers, honey bees are colonial insects that collect flower nectar and convert it to honey, which is stored in their hives. Honey bees produce an average of 120 pounds of honey per hive in Connecticut, said Andrew Cote, a beekeeper hired by the arboretum. In the first year, honey bees produce much less because of the time it takes them to build their honeycomb, Cote said. Then they produce more honey each subsequent year, until production levels off the fourth year, he said.
Cote told officials at the arboretum, which is selling the honey to the public, to expect the four beehives to produce a total of about 80 pounds of honey. But each hive produced 90 pounds of honey over the summer.
"It's unprecedented how much honey we got in our first year," Dillon said. "We were flabbergasted."
Last month, the first 90-pound shipment of honey was sold out within days, said Barbara Rossi, special projects coordinator for the arboretum. A second shipment was delivered yesterday, with two more on the way.
Cote, a literature professor at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, said the public is becoming more aware of the health benefits of natural honey, including allergy prevention, that is lacking in commercial honey.
But some people are frightened by how many bees are in each hive, Cote said. During peak season, 80,000 bees live in each hive, totaling about 320,000 bees at the arboretum. In the winter, that number significantly dwindles, he said.
However, he added, honey bees, which are less harmful than other species, displace more dangerous bees such as wasps, hornets, greenjackets, yellowjackets and bumble bees.
Honey bees "are not attracted to sweet things," Cote said. "They won't sting people unless you go to their hive."
Copyright © 2006, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.