WALK: Oct 19 at 10 AM Jackie Donnelly leads a walk through Skidmore’s North Woods, with a special focus on tracking the invasion of burning bush.
TALK: Oct 31 at noon: “Trees Worthy of Saratoga 200? – Finding the vision and the will to ‘preserve and expand’ our urban forest.”
Lunchtime talk at the public library by Tom Denny
OPENING: Nov 7 at 5:30 PM
Gallery opening of our TREEaction exhibit at the Spring Street Gallery
And don’t forget to check out Anne Diggory’s BLOG from her ongoing exhibit, “What the trees say,” at the Spring Street Gallery
Details below
Saturday, October 19, 10 AM
Have you ever wondered why invasive species are called “invasive?” What does a plant invasion actually look like?
Jackie Donnelly, noted local naturalist and blogger, will reveal this and more during a walk in Skidmore’s North Woods, where for many years there has been an invasion by burning bush and other plants.
Burning bush is one of the most beloved of ornamental plants in Saratoga. Come discover at what price.
See for yourself the disastrous impact the burning bush invasion is having on the biodiversity of Skidmore’s precious forest laboratory. The tour will include areas of the North Woods where only a few scouts from the avant garde have established a sly presence, other areas where burning bush has gained a strong foothold and become relatively assimilated, and finally, areas where the conquest by burning bush is complete and the popular shrub has effectively cleansed entire areas of the native plants.
DIRECTIONS: Meet at the kiosk at the North Woods entrance by Falstaff’s. Take the second North Broadway entrance into Skidmore. Turn right at the first intersection. Park in the second parking lot on the left. Walk across the street to the Falstaff’s kiosk (visible from the road as you are driving).
October 31 at noon
Saratoga Springs Public Library – Thursday at Noon Series
Trees Worthy of Saratoga 200? – Finding the vision and the will to “preserve and expand” our urban forest
Tom Denny of Sustainable Saratoga’s Urban Forestry Project
One generation plants the trees; the next enjoys the shade. The old Chinese proverb suggests that even as we have just completed our celebrations of Saratoga 150, now is the time to plan and plant the urban forest we will enjoy at the track’s bicentennial and beyond.
Saratoga Springs is at a critical moment for our urban forest. Following decades of decline, the City’s 2013 Urban Forest Master Plan offers cause for optimism. City Council’s 2008 resolution laid out a clear goal to “preserve and expand our urban forest.” Yet evidence from the trenches, where the shovel meets the ground, suggests that some combination of our vision, our planning process, and our approach to development increasingly yields projects that diminish rather than expand opportunities for our trees.
This talk will use numerous current and historic photos to examine some of the forces that are shaping this pivotal moment. What forces are at work that could actually realize the City Council’s 2008 goal to “preserve and expand” our urban forest? What contrary forces could derail our efforts to achieve that goal? How might we find a path to realize City Council’s goals?
November 7 – 5:30 PM
GALLERY OPENING
Join in the festivities as we unveil TREEaction: Art, Activism and Saratoga’s Changing Treescape.
With the TREEaction exhibit, we celebrate the intersection of the activist spirit with artistic inspiration as we nurture both for the work ahead.
Spring Street Gallery – Stay tuned for more details.