Celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of Cornell Plantations begin with an Aug. 15 birthday party, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the botanical garden at One Plantations Road. Open free of charge to the public, the party features the Johnny Russo Quintet, a massive birthday cake and a new flavor from the Cornell Dairy -- lemon-basil ice cream.
More anniversary activities will follow for Plantations, which manages the arboretum, botanical garden and natural areas of Cornell.
"While the idea of a botanical garden at Cornell stretches back to earliest days of the university, it wasn't until 1944, when Professor Liberty Hyde Bailey joined the Faculty Arboretum Committee, that the name Cornell Plantations was suggested and approved," said Donald Rakow, the Elizabeth Newman Wilds Director of Plantations since 1996. "At the same meeting, the publication of Plantations Magazine was authorized, with Bristow Adams as the first editor, and Plantations has celebrated many milestones since that seminal meeting."
Among the milestones marking growth of Cornell Plantations are:
Planning and change at Plantations are ongoing processes, according to Rakow, who points to the Halverson Master Plan and its new design for the Botanical Gardens. Renovations are soon to begin on the Lewis Education Center, and planning continues for a new conservatory, he added.
"From our humble beginnings 60 years ago -- with few acres and fewer staff -- Cornell Plantations has now grown to nearly 4,000 acres of gardens and natural areas, and 53 staff members who maintain the collections and educate people about the interrelationships between people, plants and the environment," Rakow said.
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