Boy Scout Projects at the Bartlett Lead to Eagle Scout Achievement!

Congratulations to Sam Terr and Josh Appel! Both boys achieved Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scout program. For their senior projects, they chose to contribute to the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens!  Appel built a border with mulching around the center’s oldest tree garden while Terr constructed a new stone memorial.

To read the full article in the Stamford Advocate, please click here.

Again, thank you to both the boys and congratulations!

ArborEarth Day Family Festival Release

Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens to Host ArborEarth Day a FREE Family Festival

Food, kids’ activities, music, environmental tips, tree tours, new partnerships, and more.

The Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens, co-sponsors Bartlett Tree Experts and LaRocca’s Country Market, are proud to host the ArborEarth Day Family Festival in honor of Arbor Day and Earth Day on Saturday, April 21 (rain or shine) from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens, 151 Brookdale Road in Stamford. Admission is free.

My Smilebox Creation

“After months of nor’easters and lots of lost trees, we are excited to give back to the community with a celebration of Arbor Day and Earth Day! We continue to strengthen partnerships with like-minded organizations to educate and foster environmental stewardship in Fairfield County and beyond,” said Jane von Trapp, CEO of the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens.

This year Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens starts the celebration giving back to the Stamford community with a Red Maple tree planting at the Mill River Park. Mayor David Martin will lead the ceremony. This tree planting symbolizes the Bartlett’s continued effort to unite other organizations to make an impact in our community.

They continue the festivities with the ArborEarth Day Family Festival. The Wilton Pollinator Pathway organization will be present– an initiative to help create wildlife corridors to attract pollinators. Come learn how you can impact the environment on your own property – planting native pollinators – friendly plants, shrubs and trees to help attract wildlife. Other organizations that will be present include Greenwich Land Trust (GLT), and the South West Conservation District – more organizations to bring their expertise to the Stamford Community!

While enjoying Festival activities, attendees will also learn from Master Gardeners how to care about and conserve earth’s resources. Families will enjoy listening to music; touring the Bartlett Arboretum’s garden and green house; viewing tree climbing, planting demonstrations and visiting our information booths and learning about composting, and invasive and native plants. Bartlett Tree Experts will be giving away seedlings to all who attend.

Special activities for children include touch a truck, storytelling, face painting, scavenger hunt, crafting, gardening, composting, and more.

Extra event parking will be available for guests at The Church of the Holy Spirit on Scofieldtown Road in Stamford. A shuttle will bring you to the Bartlett just a few yards down the road. More information is available on the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens website at http://www.bartlettarboretum.org/.

Red Maple Tree Planting Release

Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens and Mill River Park Collaborative Unite the Community Through Nature

Stamford Mayor David Martin to lead Red Maple Tree Planting

Stamford, CT April 8 - On Wednesday, April 18th, staff from Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens and Mayor Martin will be welcomed to Mill River Park to plant a new Red Maple tree at the Park’s West River Path entrance, across the street from the Hampton Inn. In the spirit of Arbor Day and Earth Day coming up this month, Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens and Mill River Park Collaborative are thrilled to come together to create a beautiful and nurturing environment for trees to thrive, and encourage environmental stewardship to the communities that surround them.
 
Stamford Mayor David Martin will lead the Tree Planting Ceremony at 9am, to commemorate the value of trees to the city of Stamford, and their visual impact on the vibrant palette of the Park. The ceremony will be followed by a brief tree planting, ending around 9:45am.

"I am happy to see two of Stamford’s outstanding local organizations come together to create life and vibrancy in our city," said Stamford Mayor David Martin. "This link between the Mill River Collaborative and Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens shows their commitment to our common goal of fostering urban redevelopment while maintaining parks and green space for residents to enjoy."

As both organizations continue to spread awareness on the importance of environmental preservation, they too celebrate the milestones of their efforts, with a series of events to follow the weekend after the planting ceremony. There will be an ArborEarth Day Family Festival at the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens on Saturday, April 21st, followed by an Earth Day celebration at Mill River Park on Sunday, April 22nd. More information on these events can be found at www.bartlettarboretum.org and www.millriverpark.org.

Bartlett Summer Nature Experiences highlighted in Greenwich Free Press!

Under the leadership of a new Education Director, Mike Belletzkie, each week brings a unique experience from tracking animals to mixing herbal potions, learning wilderness survival skills and more. Mike brings more than ten years of expertise working in a variety of traditional and informal educational and research settings. He has a passion for horticulture, ecology, and environmental stewardship.

“We have put together an extensive program to inspire kids to share our passion and empower youth to become environmental stewards,” says Mike Belletzkie, Education Director of the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens.

Read full article in Greenwich Free Press here.

To learn about our summer camps, please click here. Join us at the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens this summer! 

Caring for a Living Christmas Tree

Jane von Trapp, CEO of the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens, joins Tony Savino from WGCH Radio to talk Christmas trees. In this informative segment, you will learn how to care for a living Christmas tree in your home. Then after the holidays, how to plant the tree outdoors as a gift that gives for generations to come!

-    Why you should consider bringing in a living Christmas tree
-    Where to place the tree in the home
-    The importance of caring for the root ball
-    How long to keep a tree indoors
-    Replanting the tree outside after the holidays 

We wish you all a Happy Holiday and hope that you will consider a living tree this year.  Enjoy!

Girl Scouts Receive a Silver Award for Their Butterfly Garden Renovation Project at the Bartlett

Thank you to troop 50502!

From left to right: Maddie, Anusha, Caroline, Mayor Martin, Helena, Cece, Lilly, and Elizabeth

Congratulations to the Girl Scouts from Troop 50502 that were recently recognized with the Girl Scouts Silver Award for their fantastic work taking on the Bartlett Arboretum Butterfly Garden Project. 

The girls worked with Board member and Advanced Master Gardener Peter Russell to restore the Arboretum's Butterfly Garden as part of their Silver Award requirements. Working from May through September, the girls restored the garden to its original seven flower beds and pathways. Over the course of the project, the girls photographed plants as they came into bloom. They researched their scientific and common names, light and soil requirements, and whether they were deer resistant. To complete their project, the girls created a sign for the garden with images of the 11 different flower species they identified. They also created a brochure with information on each flower.  Brochures are located in a holder below the Butterfly Garden Sign and are available to all Bartlett Arboretum visitors. 

MORE Details on the Project:

The girls started the project on May 3 and finished on September 24. To receive this prestigious Girl Scout award they had to identify an issue that they cared about, build a team of members, pick a project, and then put a plan in place to get it done.

When they first started working in the Garden, it was very overgrown and neglected. All of the plants were overcrowded, and there were many weeds and wineberry canes starting to grow. Together with Peter Russell, they worked hard to clear pathways, weed, and mulch the garden. They also took on different leadership roles to get the project done.

Caroline Blum and Elizabeth Watkinson: Garden Rejuvenation
Lillian Gasser: Garden Signage and Brochure
Cecelia Coleman, Madeleine Martignoni, and Anusha Mathur: Pollinator Education Bins

While working in the garden, they identified and took pictures of all of the flowering plants. They then used the notes to make brochures and a sign that listed and described all of the flowers in the garden. There were many lessons learned, including learning about all of the flowers currently in the garden that help support pollinators and are attractive to lots of pollinators in our area like butterflies, moths, and bees. 

Thank you again to the the leadership team of Troop 50502 that created a new valuable education tool for the community. We hope you will visit the Butterfly Garden at the Bartlett Arboretum. It is located to the left of the Arboretum Greenhouse. 

UConn Extension Master Gardener Class of 2017

Congratulations to our newly Certified Master Gardeners. A graduation ceremony was held at the Silver Educational Center on Sunday, October 29th. 

The following certificates and recognition of volunteers were given:

2017 Certified Master Gardeners
Lisa Barton, Cheryl Cappiali, Karen DeWahl, Alice Ely, Linda Engel, Emily Fisher, Brigid Flannery, Wendy Ford, Kelly Forsberg, Nathalie Fonteyne, Marcy Goldstein, Susan Hawley, Rebecca Hoefer, Nancy Juarez, Ricky Mathieu, Sarah McKenna, Laurie Rivera, Colette Rogers, Annea Rosenberg, Nicoletta Salvi, Jamela Sullivan, Kevin Tepas, Barbara Vahsen.

Advanced Master Gardeners
Frances Bright, Cheryl Cappiali, Patricia Carroll, Barbara Eno Karp, Eva Klatt, Patty Morris, Jane Rinard, Cynthia Sherwin, Toni Simonetti, Diane A. Wilson

AMG Bronze       Dorene Grasso, Susan Skerrett

AMG Silver         Georgia Abbott

AMG Gold          Juliet Cassone

Ruby Silver       Beth Miller, Carrie Sears

Saphire Bronze   Lesley Gehr

 

Talking Honey Bees!

Cheryl Carter joins Tony Savino from WGCH Radio to talk bees! In this wonderful segment, you will learn all sorts of great facts about the role and importance of bees. A few highlights include:

• The types of bees in the Hive
• The role of the bee
• The importance of bees
• Why pesticides are dangerous to bees
• Using honey to heal wounds

Thank you for sharing. Enjoy!

Beer, BBQ and Botany Gala a Big Success!

Thank you to all the Bartlett friends that attended our annual gala. We had a fabulous time enjoying a delicious BBQ, dancing to country band Gunsmoke, honoring our beloved volunteers, especially Alice Smith, and coming together toward our common goal to "grow environmental stewards in every neighborhood." 

Special thanks to Fairfield County Look Magazine for capturing great photos of this very special event. Please click here to see all the pictures. 

Again, a big thank you to everyone involved! We could not achieve our tremendous success without the support of you -- our members, donors, sponsors, and volunteers. We are excited for 2018!