RI Outdoors: River Cleanup, Garden Touring
Sweeping The River
In the past 7 years, more than 12,000 volunteers have removed 228 tons of debris from the shoreline of our wonderful Hudson River. They’ve also planted 2,200 trees and native grasses and removed tons of invasive species. On Saturday, May 4, lovers of this landscape from Brooklyn to the Adirondacks will meet to increase the numbers in those statistics. In Hudson, join the Hudson Sloop Club and Riverkeeper for a cleanup in anticipation of the new Nack Estuary Education Center. Or head to the Greenport Conservation Area and help bag refuse along the shoreline. If either endeavor results in a powerful thirst, Suarez Family Brewery, 2278 U.S. Rte. 9 in Hudson, is hosting a post-volunteer meetup for area friends of the river from 1-6 p.m.
Riverkeeper Sweep
Saturday, May 4
Greenport Conservation Area, 9 a.m.
319 Joslen Blvd., Hudson, NY
Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, 10 a.m.
7 Broad St. (across from the Dunn Warehouse), Hudson, NY
Enjoy The Garden; Skip The Work
The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program was a great idea. Garden enthusiasts as well as those who avoid weeding at all costs can take advantage of the opportunity to see wonderful gardens without lifting a trowel. At Broccoli Hall in Amenia, New York, a lavish display of spring bulbs in bloom is offset by crabapple trees blossoming above. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a glimpse of bright yellow koi in one of the ponds — an ongoing hobby of the owner. The Chocolate Factory in Red Hook has a path that beckons where native shade plants and shrubs are dimmed by the thousands of spring bulbs blooming before the trees leaf out. And Innisfree Garden in Millbrook shows off “slow manipulation” landscape — a work of more than 50 years, resulting in a “distinctly American stroll garden.” Innisfree is also offering a tour with landscape curator Kate Kerin. Spend the day at these three blossom-filled sites and get fresh gardening ideas along with fresh air. Win. Win.
Garden Conservancy – Dutchess County Open Day
Sunday, May 12, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Note: Garden closing times vary)
Broccoli Hall, 23 Flint Hill Rd., Amenia, NY
The Chocolate Factory, 21 Cedar Hill Rd., Red Hook, NY
Innisfree Garden, 362 Tyrrel Rd., Millbrook, NY
$10 admission to each private garden. Discounted advance tickets available.
More to do in the great outdoors:
May 4: Lenox Garden Club Daffodil Show at Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge, MA
May 4: Global Big Day – Counting Birds at Drowned Lands Swamp Conservation, Ancramdale, NY
May 4: Spring Wildflower Walk at Lime Kiln Sanctuary, Sheffield, MA
May 4: Tree Identification Walk at White Memorial Museum, Litchfield, CT
May 11: Guided Hike & Picnic at Notchview, Windsor, MA
May 11: Wild Edible Plants with Andy Dobos at White Memorial Museum, Litchfield, CT
May 12: Shaker Medicinal Herbs at Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, MA
May 14: Monthly Bird Walk at White Memorial Museum, Litchfield, CT
May 16: Flower Full Moon Walk at Greenport Conservation Area, Greenport, NY
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