The Western New York Land Conservancy needs help from the community to complete a walking trail system so the public can access their newest preserve, the Owens Falls Sanctuary. The Owens Falls Sanctuary, which includes two beautiful waterfalls, a deep ravine and acres of mature forest, is located in the Town of Aurora between Center Street and Hubbard Road near Major’s Park. The area wasn’t accessible before, but now that the Land Conservancy has acquired the property, it wants to open…
College and technical school students interested in a career in garden writing, photography or blogging can apply for a scholarship from the GWA Foundation, the 501(c)(3) charitable partner of GWA: The Association for Garden Communicators. Scholarship awards range from $500 to $1,000 per student and include a complimentary full-year membership to GWA. Scholarships will be awarded directly to the institutions on behalf of students. The application deadline is Friday, Dec. 15. Apply online. Students must be enrolled in either of…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Doesn’t it break your heart to throw a wonderful plant on the compost pile just because you don’t have room for it in your garden? MAP (Massachusetts Avenue Project) wants your extra plants, and I bet there are other organizations across Western New York that would love healthy plants, too. MAP wants to create a beautiful fence line at their new farmhouse. They’re looking for perennial flowers, herbs and fruit plants. All donated plants must be…
by Connie Oswald Stofko A postal cancellation has been created to mark the 25th anniversary of the Alden Garden Club, and a short presentation with members of the club will be held at noon tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 16 at the Alden Post Office, 13127 Broadway St., Alden. The pictorial cancellation was designed by club members Janet Hastreiter and Sue Galbraith. Special cancellations like this one are prized by collectors. “Alden will receive letters from all over the country,” said Michele…
by Connie Oswald Stofko We will experience only a partial solar eclipse here in Western New York, but it should still be impressive. “If it’s a nice sunny day, you’ll definitely notice it,” said Gene Timothy of the Buffalo Astronomical Association. He is co-director of their observatory at Beaver Meadows in North Java. The eclipse will occur here on Monday, Aug. 21. It will happen gradually over a period of 2 hours and 39 minutes. The moon will begin to…
When it comes to invasive species, it’s great to hear some good news for a change. The Audubon Community Nature Center (ACNC) is nearing the finish line in eradicating the European water chestnut that first appeared in 2013. It took hundreds of volunteers over five summers to get to this point, with a major pull by volunteers on June 24. Soon after that, staff from Western New York PRISM (Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management) dressed in waders and moved…
by Connie Oswald Stofko If you like to talk to people and have an interest in gardening and plants, consider becoming a docent at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. And if you’re available on weekends, “that’s a big plus, said Kristy Schmitt, director of education. “We really need docents on weekends.” To cater to those who are available on weekends, this round of docent training will be held on Saturdays. Sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Your front yard doesn’t have to be the fanciest one on the block to be recognized by Buffalo in Bloom. “If it’s weeded and tended and makes the city look good” it can be recognized, said Linda Garwol, a volunteer with Buffalo in Bloom. Even front porches with potted plants can be recognized. See the criteria here. If you are recognized, you’ll receive a discount card to many of the area’s best nurseries as well as…
by Connie Oswald Stofko I didn’t know what information I could bring back for my readers when I visited Atlanta last year for the annual conference of GWA: The Association of Garden Communicators. I knew I would see lovely gardens, but since the climate is so different down south, what would interest gardeners in Western New York? Then I talked with Mike Dunn, a gardener desperate to keep deer from devouring his plants. In addition to fencing in his large…
The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens is holding a Travel Raffle with three amazing prizes: The grand prize is a dream vacation of the winner’s choosing, the second prize is a relaxing weekend getaway to Ellicottville, and the third prize will make its winner a Botanical Gardens VIP for 2018. Travel Raffle tickets are $20 each and are available June 1 through Sept. 1. The grand prize winner will be able to choose their dream vacation. The prize includes…
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