Ladies of Ellicottville Ski Club at Holiday Valley Present $9200 Check to Nannen Arboretum

On February 16, 2018, the ladies of the Ellicottville Ski Club at Holiday Valley held their 13^th annual “ESC Ladies’ Day”.  As a result of the day of skiing, and the dinner complete with raffles and live auction that followed, the women raised $9200 to benefit this year’s recipient, the Nannen Arboretum.

What began 13 years ago as an informal ski day followed by a dinner prepared by the men of club has grown to be an annual fundraising event.  To date, the women have now raised over $71,000 for various area charities. Past recipients include Family Support for Ellicottville, the Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program at Holiday Valley, the Ellicottville Memorial Library, Mercy Flight of Western New York, Susan G. Komen for the Cure of WNY, Almost Home Animal Sanctuary, Alzheimer’s Association of WNY, The March of Dimes of WNY, the Ellicottville Community Food Pantry, and last year’s recipient, Cattaraugus Community Action. 

In addition to donations from ESC members, nearly every local business contributed to this year’s silent and live auction as well as a ticket raffle.  Laura DeCinque, co-chair of the annual ESC Ladies’ Day event commented, “Our event is so successful thanks to the area businesses as well as the ESC members and their generous contributions over the past thirteen years.“

The Nannen Arboretum is an 8-acre sanctuary for hundreds of trees, shrubs, perennial flowers and herbs. Guests are invited to experience the nature walks, bridges, and gardens such as the Japanese meditation garden, and the herb and perennial gardens.  The Arboretum is located at 28 Parkside Drive in Ellicottville, is free to the public and open every day from dawn to dusk.

The $9200 donation from the Ellicottville Ski Club Ladies’ Day directly enables the Arboretum to jumpstart their 2018 goal to ensure that the walkways and paths at the Arboretum become ADA accessible.  Estimates for the project are over $20,000.  Other initiatives the Arboretum has determined for 2018 are a “clean up” day to restore damage done to the trees during a March storm, a redesign of the herb garden, enhancing the Arboretum image through social media, and the recruitment of volunteers.

 Pat Kerl, a member of the Nannen Arboretum Society, stated, “We are overwhelmed and so grateful to all the local businesses and the members of the Ellicottville Ski Club that helped support the ladies in their annual fundraiser.  And we are thrilled to be the recipient this year!”

Anyone interested in making a donation, obtaining information about special events, or volunteering at the Nannen Arboretum may contact either Pat Kerl or Nan Miller at info@nannenarboretum.com.  Visit the Arboretum’s Facebook page, Nannen Arboretum Society, or via Instagram at nannenarboretum

Nannen Arboretum Needs Your Help!!

The recent snow and wind storms have created much damage at the Nannen Arboretum. The Nannen Arboretum Society is in the process of assessing the damage and has identified areas where volunteers can help. The following ‘CLEAN UP’ days have been scheduled, please take a look and let us know at info@nannenarboretum.com when you can help in our clean up effort.

·         Friday, April 20, 2018, 9:00 am – noon cancelled due to weather

·         Saturday, May 12, 2018, 9:00am – noon

·         Thursday, May 17, 2018, 9:00 – noon

In case of rain or snow, the ‘CLEAN UP’ day will be rescheduled. Dress appropriately for the weather and bring your favorite pruning tool or just bring yourself. Pizza will be provided at noon time.

The Nannen Arboretum Society and volunteers have regular work days every Monday from 9:30 am –  noon. We will be in the clean up mode in the early weeks but are also looking for volunteers to assist in other areas such as the Carolyn Lowe Herb Garden. A Volunteer Recruitment Day is scheduled for June 25, 2018 at 9:30 on the arboretum grounds.

For additional information, contact us at info@nannenarboretum.com. Also check us out on our Facebook page, Nannen Arboretum Society.

Thanks and we are looking forward to seeing you at the arboretum.

Join Us for Our Arbor Day Celebration at the Nannen Arboretum

By Pat Kerl

Please join us for our Arbor Day celebration on Friday, April 27, 2018, 11:00 am, at the Nannen Arboretum in the Town Center building. The Town of Ellicottville Supervisor, Matt McAndrew, and the Village of Ellicottville Mayor, John Burrell, will make a proclamation declaring April 27, 2018 as Arbor Day in Ellicottville, NY. An American Larch tree, Larix laricina, also known as Tamarack, will be planted by the Nannen Arboretum Society and the Tree City USA flag will be raised. We will also hear from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) representative Dave Paradowski regarding diseases and pests of trees. Refreshments will be available.

Arbor Day is an annual observance that celebrates the role of trees in our lives and promotes tree planting and care. The idea for Arbor Day in the United States originated in Nebraska City, Nebraska. J. Sterling Morton and his wife, Caroline, were lovers of nature and the home they established in Nebraska was quickly planted with trees, shrubs and flowers. In 1872, the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture accepted a resolution by Morton to “set aside one day to plant trees, both forest and fruit.” The Board declared April 10, 1872, Arbor Day offering prizes to the counties and individuals that properly planted the largest number of trees on that day. More than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day. J. Sterling Morton became known as the “Founder of Arbor Day.”

Shortly after this 1872 observance, other states passed legislation to observe Arbor Day each year with appropriate ceremonies. New York State celebrates Arbor Day on the last Friday in April, the 27^th this year. Planting trees is an act of kindness and optimism. The trees we plant clean the air, beautify our neighborhoods, provide homes for wildlife, conserve energy and topsoil, and help keep the atmosphere in balance. Life is just better when we live among the trees.

The Nannen Arboretum Society is a not-for-profit, volunteer-based.comanization dedicated to providing home garden and natural resource education and an opportunity for nature appreciation and leisure.  The society membership is open to anyone who desires to support the arboretum’s mission. Contact us at info@nannenarboretum.com to join, we welcome new members. You can also check us out on our website, www.nannenarboretum.com, our Facebook page, Nannen Arboretum Society, or on Instagram, nannenarboretum.