The Essentials

Unbeknownst to many, Cornell Plantations includes more than its 150-acre arboretum and the 25-acre botanical garden: Nearly 4,000 acres of natural areas support the university as outdoor classrooms and places for recreation. But these natural areas are being invaded by invasive species, such as the hemlock wooly adeligid, a tree-sucking pest, and pale swallow-wort, a [...]

The Ithaca Shakespeare Company presents “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Romeo and Juliet ” July 12–29 at Cornell Plantations. Performances begin at 6 p.m. at Jackson Grove in the F.R. Newman Arboretum. Suggested donation: $10. Bring lawn chairs, blankets and umbrellas; performances will continue during rain.

Cornell Plantations and the Department of Natural Resources will present a workshop to train volunteers to identify and report new hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). This newly arrived invasive insect pest threatens eastern hemlock trees and the biodiversity they support, causing environmental changes for some amphibians, fish, invertebrates and plants in response to the increased [...]

Cornell Plantations presents an exhibition of photographs by Ithaca artist Chris Kitchen – taken at the Plantations’ botanical gardens, arboretum and natural areas – in the Nevin Welcome Center through Feb. 28. Free and open. Kitchen will lead two outdoor photography workshops: Using Your Digital SLR Camera, Jan. 14; and Using your Digital Point-and-Shoot Camera, [...]

This video of Cornell Plantations was taken May 24.