“STIHL TOUR DES TREES” BIKE EVENT’S FIRST STOP IS NATIVE PLANT CENTER; WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ALSO HOSTS A GARDEN CONSERVANCY TOUR ON JULY 19 

 The bikers will arrive at the college at 12:30 p.m. Their tour is raising funds for the TREE Fund whose mission is to identify and fund projects and programs that advance knowledge in the field of arboriculture and urban forestry to benefit people, trees, and the environment. Their stop at The Native Plant Center will include an educational presentation at 1 p.m. with Tim Womick, founder of the Trail of Trees Program. The cycling event will have started with an official kickoff in New York City and ends with a grand finale celebration at the Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island.

Meanwhile, as part of the Garden Conservancy Open Days program, volunteer guides will lead visitors through The Lady Bird Johnson Demonstration Garden and the Stone Cottage Garden. These gardens contain plants that are primarily indigenous to the northeastern United States. In addition to formally planted areas there are wildflower meadows and a newly-installed rain garden that will give homeowners good ideas for their landscape. Experts will be on hand to answer questions about your home landscape from noon until 4:00 p.m.

Are you ready to “Go Native”? Visit and experience how native wildflowers, shrubs and trees can transform your garden into a haven for birds, butterflies and other wildlife.

The Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College is dedicated to educating individuals about the importance of wildflowers and native plants of the Northeast. As the first national affiliate of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas, the college’s Center is extending the educational and environmental concepts of the Texas Center to this region. It shares information on choosing, growing, and maintaining native plants and offers lectures by native plant experts. The Center’s mission is to educate people about the environmental necessity, economic value, and natural beauty of native plants in the Northeast.

The Native Plant Center is a project of the Westchester Community College Foundation. For information on Native Plant Center events, see the web site at www.nativeplantcenter.org or phone 914-606-7870. For details about the Garden Conservancy and its programs, phone 845-265-5384. For information about the Tree Fund and STIHL Tour des Trees, visit their websites at www.treefund.org and www.stihltourdestrees.org/