The mission of the Landis Arboretum
Is to foster appreciation and understanding
Of trees  and other plants and their importance
In our environment.
(adopted November 18, 1998) 

 The educational curriculum is a major component of the Arboretum’s program.  Events and workshops designed for elementary school classes as well as the general public focus on the flora and fauna of the Arboretum.  Associated activities are as wide-ranging as botanical drawing classes, garden and trail tours, astronomy nights, and bird- and owl- watching sessions. 

The Board, together with staff, is dedicated to making the Arboretum a significant regional arboretum and a center of excellence in nature education.  To support that goal, the Arboretum invites interested organizations to design and implement educational events that would benefit from implementation with the 548-acre living laboratory of the Arboretum. 

 In addition to its public gardens, open spaces, and wetlands, the Arboretum facilities include: The William T. Raymond Greenhouse and propagation room; the Harkness Library which doubles as a classroom, Board room, art studio and workshop area, and also features important memorabilia associated with Arboretum founder Fred Lape; the Baim Herbarium that adjoins a propagation room of the Greenhouse,  and the soon-to-be established Wanderland universally accessible gardens that will provide a gateway to the Great Oak and the Arboretum’s three-season Meeting House, constructed in the early 1980s for larger meetings, cultural events, educational programs, and jumping-off spot for the children’s outdoor programming. 

For a comprehensive listing of our classes and other special events at Landis Arboretum, please see
Calendar of Events 

In celebration of their new partnership for environmental education, the Landis Arboretum and Wildlife Learning Company offer national environmental education curriculums through teacher training sessions this Spring at the Arboretum. 

Teacher Trainings for National Environmental Curricula
(to be offered at the Landis Arboretum except where noted).

Saturday, March 22, 9:30 am - 3:30 pm (NYPA, Gilboa)
Flying WILD is an exciting new program that introduces middle school students to bird conservation through classroom activities and school bird festivals. Flying WILD supports educators by providing interdisciplinary, standards-based learning experiences to engage students, helping them understand the importance of migratory birds and their conservation. A 360 page guide contains more than 40 activities along with all the information needed to plan a student-led bird festival at your school. Materials are funded by Return a Gift to Wildlife in New York State. Preference for this workshop is given for formal and non-formal educators working with students grades 6-9. $20/participant

Saturday, April 26, 9:30 am - 2:30 pm
Project WILD (Wildlife in Learning Design), is an interdisciplinary conservation and environmental education program emphasizing wildlife. The curriculum assists students of any age in developing awareness, knowledge, skills and commitment, resulting in informed decisions, responsible behavior and constructive actions concerning wildlife and the environment. Aquatic WILD is an extension of the original Project WILD that addresses aquatic wildlife and serves as an invitation to explore and understand the fascinating world of water and the aquatic habitats it supports. Two curriculum guides are provided: Project WILD, containing more than 120 activities in 525 pages and Aquatic WILD, containing 50 activities in 260 pages. Materials are funded by Return a Gift to Wildlife in New York State. This workshop is appropriate for formal and non-formal educators of grades K-12. $20/participant

 Saturday, May 31, 9:30 am - 3:30 pm
Project WET is a collection of innovative, water-related activities that are hands-on, easy to use and fun! Project WET, a thorough water education program, explores people’s relationships to water and also addresses water’s chemical and physical properties, quantity and quality issues, aquatic wildlife, ecosystems, and management strategies. Created in 1995, the curriculum contains 91 activities in more than 500 pages. Materials are funded in New York State by NYS DEC Division of Water Resources. This workshop is appropriate for formal and non-formal educators of grades K-12. $20/participant

Saturday, June 7, 9:30 am - 4:00 pm
The Leopold Education Project is an innovative, interdisciplinary educational program based on the classic writings of the renowned conservationist, Aldo Leopold. The LEP curriculum was developed to teach the public about humanity’s ties to the natural world and to provide leadership in the effort to conserve and protect the earth’s natural resources. LEP seeks to instill a love, a respect, and an admiration for the land, leading to an ecologically literate citizenry with and intense consciousness of the earth and its inhabitants. Materials are sponsored by NYS DEC and include: LEP Teacher’s Guide: Lessons in a Land Ethic (21 activities in more than 80 pages); A Sand County Almanac and LEP Task Cards. This workshop is appropriate for formal and nonformal educators of grades K-12. $20 per participant

 Time spent on each of these workshops can be used towards in-service credits; participants should obtain approval from their district. Registrations are limited; deadline 10 days prior to each workshop date. Contact Wildlife Learning Company: 607-293-6043