Landis Volunteers Also Serve the Community

By Louise Polli

As we look back at September’s Vol­un­teer Appre­ci­a­tion Event (see Lan­dis Thanks Vol­un­teers, Hon­ors Nan Williams and Sue Tri­cario”, in this newslet­ter), we are remind­ed that the Arboretum’s foot­print extends far beyond its grounds on Lape Road. Year-round, Lan­dis staff and vol­un­teers serve as ambas­sadors for the Arbore­tum at com­mu­ni­ty events through­out the Greater Cap­i­tal Region.

Shawn Bevins
Lan­dis vol­un­teer Shawn Bevins pre­pares to direct traf­fic for the Esper­ance Bicen­ten­ni­al celebration.

One local – very local – exam­ple of this ser­vice is with­in the vil­lage of Esper­ance, which cel­e­brat­ed its bicen­ten­ni­al in July. Exec­u­tive Direc­tor Fred Breglia rep­re­sent­ed Lan­dis on the plan­ning com­mit­tee, and our vol­un­teers Shawn Bevins and Gus Pol­li pro­vid­ed train­ing and coor­di­nat­ed the event’s park­ing logis­tics. They were assist­ed at the des­ig­nat­ed lots by Lan­dis vol­un­teers Lee Lat­timer, sis­ters Yvaine and Yva-Marie Scheid, and Louise Pol­li. We think Fred Lape would have been pleased to see the vil­lage and its neigh­bor up the road, Lan­dis Arbore­tum, work­ing togeth­er. It was Fred Lape, our founder, who also served as the first cura­tor of the Esper­ance His­tor­i­cal Muse­um when it opened in 1970.

Gus Polli
Gus Pol­li staffs the Lan­dis table at the New York Pow­er Author­i­ty’s Snowfest.

The Arboretum’s com­mu­ni­ty pres­ence con­tin­ues to grow to this day. You can find Lan­dis vol­un­teers greet­ing and serv­ing the pub­lic at a large and diverse selec­tion of events such as the New York Pow­er Authority’s Snowfest, the Cap­i­tal Dis­trict Gar­den and Flower Show, SUNY Cobleskill’s Wildlife Fes­ti­val and Earth Day Lec­ture, Mabee Farm’s Canal Fest, Schoharie Crossing’s Canal Days, Sharon Spring’s Har­vest Fes­ti­val, and the Old Stone Fort’s His­to­ry Fair. In fact, between on-site Arbore­tum activ­i­ties such as our sig­na­ture Plant Sales and pop­u­lar musi­cal events and the com­mu­ni­ty-based events list­ed above, Lan­dis vol­un­teers have already pro­vid­ed more than 2,100 hours of ser­vice this past year alone.

And we think Fred Lape would have been proud.


Fall 2018

Volume 36 , Number 4

Share this

The Latest from Landis

Mar 28, 2023 | Fred Breglia, Executive Director

From the Director's Desk: Confessions of a Big Tree Hunter

My love of big trees began when I was a five-year-old. My mother spoke about... read more

Mar 28, 2023 | Erin McKenna Breglia

From the Garden: Beneficial Insects

The days grow longer in sunlight, and spring returns to Landis. We already witnessed our... read more

Mar 28, 2023 | Anita Sanchez

Things Are Looking Up

Tree canopy -- Anita Sanchez Long ago I worked at a nature center, leading walks... read more

Mar 28, 2023 | Laurie Freeman

S-L-O-W Birding: A Primer for Beginners

Are you considering birding? Perhaps you’ve heard that birding is a great way to enjoy... read more

Mar 28, 2023 | Sam McClary

Book Review: “The Nature of Oaks”

The Nature of Oaks Doug Tallamy’s “The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our... read more

Mar 28, 2023 | Nolan Marciniec

Re-thinking Garden Pests

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything... read more

News Archive