Visitors to the New York Power Authority will receive a coupon redeemable at Landis for a chance to win a beautiful gift basket of gardening and nature-focused items. The wining ticket will be picked at the Arboretum's signature Fall Plant/Used Book/and Bake Sale on September 15 - 16. Visitors need not be present to win.

Visitors to the Arboretum will receive a coupon redeemable at NYPA that can be exchanged for an energy-efficient, 20-watt, mini-spiral light bulb designed to reduce energy consumption.
There are no admission fees to the NYPA grounds or Visitors Center or to the Landis Arboretum (although a free-will donation of $5/person, $15/family is encouraged at the Arboretum to offset upkeep of the grounds). Parking is free at both destinations. The NYPA Visitors Center is housed in a restored 19th century dairy barn that overlooks the Schoharie Creek. The center contains many hands-on exhibits and interactive displays for the entire family to enjoy. We also have miles of nature trails as well as an interpretative wetland. And, best of all, admission to the site is free.

Next to NYPA Visitors Center, guests can find the beautiful Lansing Manor, an early American country estate, built in 1819 by John Lansing, who represented New York as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and the state's Ratification Convention in 1788. Restored by the Power Authority in 1977, the Manor is filled with authentic furnishings from the first half of the 19th century. The house, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is operated by the Power Authority in cooperation with the Schoharie County Historical Society.

The NYPA 2.5 mile Bluebird Trail traverses a rolling hillside between our Visitors Center and nearby Mine Kill State Park, built by the Power Authority and operated by the Saratoga-Capital District Region of the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Its 650 acres include three swimming pools and facilities for softball, basketball, volleyball and horseshoes. Picnic grounds and hiking trails let you commune with nature. The fishing season here runs from April through September.

The NYPA Visitors Center is located about an hour from downtown Albany and is open daily (except some holidays) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Historic Lansing Manor is open May 1 through October 31 (closed on Tuesdays) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information, call 1-800-724-0309 or visit NYPA on the Web at http://www.nypa.gov.

• NYPA SUMMER EVENTS
  July 20 ANTIQUE CAR SHOW AND THE ANTIQUE ROAD SHOW will be back by popular demand at the Blenheim-Gilboa Project's visitor's center. Check out different types of antique cars and also bring your antiques from home and have them appraised by experts.
• August 2 VICTORIAN TEA EVENT HELD AT HISTORIC LANSING MANOR, next to the Blenheim-Gilboa Project's visitor's center. Travel back in time and enjoy the ambiance and pace. Limited seating. Free admission. Reservations are necessary, 1-800-724-0309.
  &Mac183; July-August The HEADWATERS SOCCER CAMP will be held at Minekill State Park, next to the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project. Call the visitors center for more information on registering your child, 1-800-724-0309.
• August 24 Full-Family NATURE PROGRAM with the LANDIS ARBORETUM and the WILDLIFE LEARNING COMPANY on the grounds of the New York Power Authority, 9:30 am -2 pm. Sessions on dragonfly capture and identification, pond exploration, forest ecology, and bird identification, hiking, swimming and fishing (requires a license and pole). Participants of all ages are welcome. Please register by calling the arboretum at 518-875-6935. The NYPA visitor center is located on Route 30, 17 miles south of Middleburgh and 5 miles north of Grand Gorge. Space is limited for programs, but facilities are open to all. (Use of pool at Mine Kill State Park: Parking, $6. Pool, $2/adults; $1/children under 6 years of age.)
• September 27: THE ANNUAL WILDLIFE FESTIVAL & ENERGY EXPO will be held at the Blenheim-Gilboa Project's visitors center. This yearly event is always popular with families. There's something to delight and interest everyone - regardless of age.
• Check the Landis Arboretum website’s special events section for upcoming events at the Arboretum.

Keeping Track of Fun and Birds
Visitors to both the Landis Arboretum and the New York Power Authority soon discover that bird watching is easy -- and fun and offers an instant way for a family to share in a day's free outing anyplace. Seasoned birders like to record what they've seen and where.
Long-time bird lovers Barbara and Stephen Brabetz have created an up-to-date list of birds that one can expect to find over 125 species keyed to the season. The colorful checklist fits easily into a hip or back pocket for bird-spotting ventures. "It's been a labor of love," says Ms. Brabetz who is President of the Arboretum and chair of the Natural Sciences Department at SUNY Cobleskill.
The Brabetz' Bird Checklist, published by the Landis Arboretum, is available at the Arboretum Acorn Gift Shop or via mail. Cost: $2+ postage. Families are encouraged to stop by the Arboretum and sign out our family friendly daypacks, complete with kid-sized binoculars, the bird list, and more to make your trip a nature-loving adventure.