Outdoors

WAVE HILL, located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, will present the following outdoor activities during the upcoming week:

• Horticultural interpreter Charles Day will host “Off the Beaten Path–Secret Trees of Wave Hill,” the first session of the Magnificent Trees Walking Series, today, Thursday, June 11, at 1 p.m. During this program, visitors will get to know some of the unusual and noteworthy trees that are quietly nestled in the garden, including an old tupelo hidden in the woodlands, the camellia-like blossoms of a mature Japanese stewartia and some more recently planted trees that will help to ensure a vibrant landscape in the future. This walk will be repeated on Saturday, June 13. The series will continue on Thursday and Saturday, July 23 and 25, and will conclude on Saturday and Thursday, Aug. 1 and 6.
• “Made for the Shade,” a special garden walk and demonstration, will take place on Saturday, June 13, at 1 p.m. Renowned plantsman David Culp will lead visitors on a walk through Wave Hill’s Wild Garden and Shade Border to observe showy perennials and other shade-loving plants in artful combinations.

Both programs are open to the public and free with paid admission to the grounds. Participants should meet in the Perkins Visitor Center. For more information, call 718-549-3200.

PELHAM BAY Park, located at Bruckner Boulevard and Wilkinson Avenue, will host an Orchard Beach History Walk, on Sunday, June 14, at 1 p.m. Participants will learn about the history of Orchard Beach and its surrounding islands, from Native American inhabitants to the impact of Robert Moses. This program is free and open to the public. Visitors should meet at the Pelham Bay Ranger Station. For more information, call 718-885-3467.

THE GREENBURGH Nature Center will host a live outdoor concert by the Yonkers Philharmonic, on Sunday, June 14, from 5 to 7 p.m. For this special show, the philharmonic will present a program of music from nature, including Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, “Spring” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and more, with special guest narrator Robert Sherman. The nature center is located at 99 Dromore Road, just off Central Park Avenue in Scarsdale, N.Y. Admission costs $12 per person, or $2 for ages 11 and younger. In case of inclement weather, the rain date for this event will be the following Sunday, June 21. For more information, call 914-723-3470.

ORCHARD BEACH, located on the Long Island Sound in Pelham Bay Park, is the only beach in the Bronx and it is currently open for swimming, sun tanning and more, now through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1. Throughout the beach season, lifeguards are on duty everyday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Swimming is prohibited at all other times. For more information, call 718-885-2275.

BICYCLE SUNDAYS on the Bronx River Parkway will continue this weekend, with the next event scheduled for Sunday, June 14. A 7-mile portion of the parkway, between the Westchester County Center in White Plains and Scarsdale Road in Yonkers, will be closed to all motorized vehicles from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Only bicyclists, in-line skaters, scooters, walkers, joggers and strollers will be allowed along the route and children under the age of 14 are required to wear a helmet. Future Bicycle Sundays have also been scheduled for June 21 and 28. This program is free and open to the public. For more information, call the County Parks Department at 914-864-7275.

STEW LEONARD’S located at 1 Stew Leonard Drive, in Yonkers, will continue its popular Saturday morning gardening workshops on June 13, at 9 a.m. This free series is held every Saturday, except during holiday weekends, through Oct. 3. Workshops always begin at 9 a.m., last about one hour and do not require pre-registration. The topic for this week’s program, on June 13, is “Low Maintenance Shrubs that Look Great.” Participants should meet at the store’s Garden Center entrance. For more information, call 914-375-4700.

This is part of the June 11, 2009 online edition of The Riverdale Press.

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