Five Events are Planned
As part of its 60th Anniversary celebration, Westmoreland Sanctuary is honored to announce its 2017 Floral Lecture & Workshop Series. This series is comprised of five different events for the enjoyment and hands-on involvement of the general public to better identify invasive plant species while creating and customizing floral arrangements to take home for display. Registration is now open for the first event, Early Spring Blooms, which takes place at Westmoreland Sanctuary, located at 260 Chestnut Ridge Road in Mt. Kiso, on Thursday, May 11th. Residents can register online at www.WestmorelandSanctuary.org or by calling 914.666.8448. 
Early Spring Blooms, a two-hour lecture and workshop starting at 10:00am on May 11th, features two prominent specialists in their respective fields. Nadia Ghannam, Floral Artist with a BFA from Cornell University, will spearhead the workshop portion by demonstrating a creative seasonal mix of spring floral designs. Participants then create their very own arrangements to take home. Steve Ricker, Director of Conservation and Wildlife Management at Westmoreland Sanctuary for 25 years, is also an invasive plant specialist who will discuss ways to identify and properly dispose of invasives that may negatively impact one’s home garden or property.
Ann Paul, Director of Westmoreland Sanctuary, stated, “We’re thrilled to offer the community our annual Floral Workshop & Lecture Series that any flower enthusiast or local garden club member would enjoy and appreciate. Every year, unwelcome plant and animal species come into our area through New York City ports which threaten our native wildlife. While part of the series will address the identification, understanding and proper eradication of these invasives, it also embraces the beauty of various seasonal flowers and allows for attendees to customize their very own arrangements to proudly display at home. This is part of our mission to finds new ways Westmoreland Sanctuary may continue to enrich, enhance and educate so the joy of being outdoors with nature can be more fully appreciated,” Ms. Paul concluded.
The remaining four Floral Lecture & Workshop Series dates and themes are as follows: June 8th is Flower Potluck (bring your own flowers, twigs, weeds and vines from your garden and we’ll supply the rest; lecture by Tim Stanley); August 3rd is Foraged Flowers (locally foraged summer flowers arranged in Bell Jars); September 21st is Late Summer Bouquets (create late summer bouquets as seasons’ switch); December 7th is Winterscapes (designing your own holiday wreath and tablescape; lecture by Glenn Ticehurst). WAG Magazine and Halstead Quinn are proud sponsors of the entire Floral Lecture & Workshop Series.
About Westmoreland Sanctuary
Westmoreland Sanctuary is a Nature Center & Wildlife Preserve founded 60 years ago through the vision of philanthropist Helen Clay Frick, daughter of Henry Clay Frick. An initial contribution of 30 acres in 1957 has since grown to 640 acres of beautiful contiguous, preserved land today – for free public use – with some of the finest hiking trails and outdoor vistas offered anywhere in Westchester County.
As a non-profit charity organization, Westmoreland Sanctuary’s mission is to secure and preserve land for the enjoyment and enrichment of all through Environmental Education and Conservation Programs. Westmoreland celebrates 60 years of conservation, preservation and appreciation of nature throughout 2017. To learn more about our Anniversary, Environmental Educational programs along with important Conservation initiatives… or to make a Donation, please visit: www.WestmorelandSanctuary.org
