As long as people have been watching birds, they have been keeping lists, taking pictures, and collecting written information about them to share with others. It is a short step from keeping records to keeping data in an organized form, which can be used to study populations, behavior, migration and other topics of research interest. The line between birders and ornithologists is sometimes a fuzzy one. The term “Citizen Science” has become a popular way to refer to amateur participation in research.

At our April meeting, Laurie Larson will talk about ways in which amateur ornithology contributes to science, with examples from the Christmas Bird Count to eBird.

Please join us!

Contact Bobbie Del Prete at x3032 to register

Back by Popular Demand!
 
Enjoy the beauty of the spring season and be inspired by the Ilgenfritz Daffodil Collection

Medford Leas bountiful collection of daffodils began when one of its earliest residents, Marjorie (Midge) Ilgenfritz, arrived in 1978 with her collection of prized bulbs from her garden in Mamaroneck, New York. Over the years, Midge’s bulbs were divided and moved throughout the Medford Campus. In past five fall seasons, an additional 4,000 daffodil bulbs were planted to enhance the Arboretum.

Learn more about this cherished spring bloom. Enjoy a guided tour of our collections and be inspired to add this wonderful burst of spring color to your garden at home.

Walks will be guided by Debbie Lux, Medford Leas Horticulturalist, along with Medford Leas residents.

Helen Green, Pat Lusk, Paula Rottenberg
On display at Medford Leas first floor Art Gallery
March 6th to April 30th
Reception April 3rd, 1:00 pm
with Demonstration Painting Dog Portraits

Pat Kidd

Spring Themed Gifts and Plants!
Something for Everyone

The Annual Lewis W. Barton Lecture

The lecture is a gift from the Barton Arboretum and Nature Preserve in honor of Lewis W. Barton.

Think New Jersey only grows tomatoes? Think again. New Jersey was once the pinnacle for peaches, the ultimate for orchids, the tops for turf. 19th century New Jersey plant nurseries led the nation with their innovative breeding, greenhouse, field, and marketing techniques. Meet the horticultural superstars who made New Jersey their home. Impresarios, hermits, academics, politicos and a cast of unlikely characters will make you a believer—New Jersey is the “Garden State.”

Garden historian and writer, Lesley Parness, has worked in public gardens in America and abroad for the past five decades. She is a popular speaker throughout the mid-Atlantic region, offering illustrated lectures and hands-on workshops to garden clubs, historic societies, Master Gardeners, libraries, and institutions with rare books collections of horticultural merit.

Before she retired, Lesley served as Superintendent of Horticultural Education at the Morris County Park Commission, where she oversaw education, programming and interpretation at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Willowwood Arboretum, and the Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center for fifteen years. Currently, Lesley is a feature columnist for Gardener News Magazine, and contributor to many print and online gardening publications, as well as a Member Emeritus and past President of Garden State Gardens, a non-profit consortium of New Jersey’s public gardens.

Refreshments at 10, meeting at 10:30

Contact Bobbie Del Prete at x3032 to register

Back by Popular Demand!
 
Enjoy the beauty of the spring season and be inspired by the Ilgenfritz Daffodil Collection

Medford Leas bountiful collection of daffodils began when one of its earliest residents, Marjorie (Midge) Ilgenfritz, arrived in 1978 with her collection of prized bulbs from her garden in Mamaroneck, New York. Over the years, Midge’s bulbs were divided and moved throughout the Medford Campus. In past five fall seasons, an additional 4,000 daffodil bulbs were planted to enhance the Arboretum.

Learn more about this cherished spring bloom. Enjoy a guided tour of our collections and be inspired to add this wonderful burst of spring color to your garden at home.

Walks will be guided by Debbie Lux, Medford Leas Horticulturalist, along with Medford Leas residents.

Suzan Preiksat

The Alice Paul Institute is a National Historic Landmark marking the birthplace of Alice Paul, dedicated to continuing Alice Paul’s work toward securing lasting and legally protected equal rights for all.

Our visit to the Paulsdale farm includes a 40-minute presentation followed by time for questions and further discussion. Guests will learn about Alice’s life, the Paul family’s daily life in thehouse, how it was restored and its present-day use as a leadership development center. Time will also permit the opportunity for further exploration of the home and the self-guided outdoor tour.

Registration required, $15/person.

Born Isabella Baumfree, the slave from a small town north of New York City changed hands several times, sold by one brutal owner to another just as harsh. Her life included repeated beatings, rapes and a forced marriage. In 1826, having been promised freedom, but then cruelly denied emancipation, she left her current owners and found her way to the Van Wageners’ home. There she had an epiphany, became a devout Christian, and renamed herself Sojourner Truth, after which she began her travels as a preacher. In 1850, Sojourner began speaking on women’s suffrage, believing the causes of abolition and women’s rights to be intertwined and equally important. Ms. Truth’s most quoted speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?” was delivered at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio.

Dr. Daisy Century and Ms. Sojourner Truth are both powerful singers and very intelligent women, whether self-taught or academically trained. Almost as impressively tall as the woman she portrays, Century gives a commanding performance of Ms. Truth, bringing to life a woman undeterred by incredible obstacles, a woman who mixed with the leading figures of her day, including Susan B. Anthony, Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant.

Contact Bobbie Del Prete at x3032 to register

Back by Popular Demand!

Each year, millions of older adults—those 65 years and older—fall. Statistics from the government show that more than one out of four older adults fall each year, but the challenge is that less than half report this to their health care provider.
 
While many falls do not cause injuries, one out of five falls does cause a serious injury such as a broken bone or a head injury. The result of these injuries can make it difficult for one to go about their normal activities. Many people who fall can become afraid of falling. This fear may cause a person to cut down their normal activities, and when a person is less active, they can become weaker and actually increase their chance of falling.
 
So, what is one to do to manage this challenge of falling?

Join in this interactive Falls Prevention and Balance Training Workshop as Ken Roland, Fitness and Aquatics Manager, Medford Leas, reviews the importance of balance training for older adults, in terms of falls prevention. This class is geared to help you build your strength which will then help you to improve your balance. You will participate in various exercises that challenge static and dynamic balance, as well as learn how to organize your home to prevent falls
 
Balance Training has moved from a trend, to a staple in fitness programs. A core tool in reducing the risk of falls, balance training combined with strength and flexibility activities can help all adults to maintain stability during daily activities.

Ken Roland, Fitness & Aquatics Manager at Medford Leas, has over 27 years of experience in the field of physical therapy, rehabilitation and fitness training for older adults. Ken is certified as a personal trainer, balance trainer and boxing fitness trainer. His areas of expertise include working with special populations, older adults, balance and core strengthening and aquatics.