The Conservancy and the Monroe County Parks Department celebrate everyone’s favorite tree. Learn about the 75’ wide Katsura; enjoy music, work with Image City photographer, Sheridan Vincent – all this and cupcakes too! GATHER AT THE KATSURA LOCATED NEXT TO THE PATH NORTH OF THE PANSY BED. Free and open to the public.
Join JoAnn Beck, Landscape Architect and president of the BOD of Highland Park Conservancy, to learn about Frederick Law Olmsted’s unique design of Highland Park. During the tour she’ll discuss the layout of the Park including the Children’s Pavilion – the signature element of Olmsted’s original design – and why its reconstruction is critical to make the Park complete once again. All events are free and open to the public.
Join Monroe County Parks Horticulturist Susan Maney on her tour of the Park’s many different types of trees in their amazing array of fall colors. The Japanese maples pictured are especially vibrant! All tours are free and open to the public.
Join Image City Partner Photographer Dick Bennett (http://www.imagecityphotographygallery.com) to learn about capturing the beautiful Highland Park landscapes. Use your phone camera or any type of standard camera. All levels of expertise welcome. All events are free and open to the public.
OUR APOLOGIES - THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED. Discover more about the City of Rochester's water system structures located in Highland Park. Join Kurt Michalski of the City Water Bureau to learn the history and the function of the historic reservoir in the public water system; tour the Upper Gate House. Meet at the Upper Gate House adjacent to the reservoir. Free and open to the public.
Join Milli Piccione, HPC board member, for a garden tour and historic overview of the Warner Castle grounds, a small and special corner of Highland Park. Under the auspices of the Monroe County Parks Department the rehabilitation of the upper level, with its 180' and 150' mixed borders and rose treillage, is complete - 3 gardens done, several more to go! The linchpin of the estate’s 1920s design is the unique Alling DeForest Sunken Garden, c.1930. Free and open to the public.
The Conservancy is again participating in the Play Day sponsored by Common Ground Health’s Healthi Kids initiative. Our site will be the ‘Lilac Adventure Zone’ – the nature playground on Highland Avenue across from the Lilac collection. Come play! Join the games and activities! Healthy snacks provided! All ages welcome. All events are free and open to the public.
Join Brian Eshenaur, Cornell Cooperative Extension Senior Extension Associate, for an early evening tour of Highland's extensive plant collections. Hydrangeas, spireas, barberries, witchhazels, euonymus – to name but a few. All events are free and open to the public.
The Conservancy is teaming with Sarah Ngo, Children’s Librarian at the Frederick Douglass Library, to share woodchuck stories with a walk through the park to spot Highland’s well-fed woodchucks and locate their burrows. Bring a blanket and a snack. All ages, no registration required. Program weather permitting – story time will be in the library (971 South Avenue) if it is raining.
Join Monroe County Parks Horticulturist Susan Maney on a walking tour – see Highland Park’s varied and wonderful trees in their late spring/early summer beauty. The London Plane (Platanus x acerifolia) trees in the image were planted on the south edge of the Reservoir before Highland Park was established in 1888. All events are free and open to the public.
Visit HPC’s tent at the Upper Gate House on Reservoir Ave. Learn about us, our events schedule, our garden volunteer initiative and our signature project – the reconstruction of the historic Children's Pavilion, the anchoring element of Frederick Law Olmsted's original 1888 design. Stop by for a chat! (NOTE: HPC’s tent will be OPEN SATURDAY & SUNDAY ONLY, 10:30-4:00 weather permitting, both weekends.)
Join Mark Quinn, Monroe County Parks Superintendent of Horticulture, and Noelle Nagel, Horticultural Interpreter, for a demonstration on how to correctly plant a tree or shrub. Ask all those questions you’ve been saving up! Free and open to the public.
Join us for spring clean-up! HPC is Highland Park's site host for Monroe County's PICK UP THE PARKS. This is an annual County program that engages the community to help clean up winter trash and debris, raking, weeding, whatever needs to be done. Registration starts at 8:30 am and LUNCH will be provided after 12:00. See www2.monroecounty.gov/parks/pickuptheparks for more information.
This lovely woodland garden was established by The Rochester Garden Club in 1916 to honor William Shakespeare on the 300th anniversary of his death. Stroll the Poet’s Garden with the dedicated volunteer gardeners who care for this unique Park space. Discover many spring bulbs, wildflowers and interesting plants. The garden is especially lovely in April and May. All events are free and open to the public.
Bring your binoculars and walk the park with Connie Kellog and Geof Gretton of the Mendon Foundation Birding Group. Learn to see and hear birds that either live in, or are migrating through, the park. Last year the group spotted and identified: bluejay, brown creeper, cormorant, crow, downy woodpecker, goldfinch, grackle, hairy woodpecker, house finch, junco, mourning dove, red-bellied woodpecker, red-breasted nuthatch, robin, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture, white-breasted nuthatch and yellow-bellied sapsucker.
After the Annual Meeting the Children's Pavilion Reconstruction presents Sara Cedar Miller, Historian Emerita of the Central Park (NYC) Conservancy, formed in 1980. “Transforming Central Park: History of Central Park & Central Park Conservancy” documents the efforts to rebuild, restore and reconstruct the most famous of Frederick Law Olmsted’s designed and built parks. Thank you to SEAC (Southeast Area Coalition) for sponsoring Sara Cedar Miller. And thank you to Friends and Neighbors of Seneca Park for their sponsorship contribution.
Join HPC and the Monroe County Parks Department for our 2019 orientation meeting. All skill levels welcome – interest and enthusiasm the necessary qualifications!
If you'd like to volunteer but can't attend please sign up here and you'll be contacted.
Join speaker Lisa Kleman for her talk on "The Musical Dossenbachs and the Rochester Park Band." The Dossenbach brothers, Theodore and Hermann, directed the band from 1904-1946, performing at many park bandstands in the area, especially in Highland Park. It was here where they celebrated the first Lilac Days, Rhododendron Days, Children's Pavilion, and fantastical Song and Light Festival. Come learn about these famous and well-loved musicians, and their ties to George Eastman, the park, and some of Rochester's most beloved institutions from Lisa, a Dossenbach descendant.
The image, photographed by Charles Zoller, is that of Theodore Dossenbach and the Rochester Park Band, with Parks Commissioner William Riley. Image courtesy of the George Eastman Museum.
Bundle up and join us for a winter trek in the park to see the sites and signs of the animals and birds that are active even in the coldest days of winter. You'll learn some tracking tips to read the stories that animals have left behind and discuss the winter habits of different animal species. No need to wait for spring to get outdoors and enjoy Highland Park. This hike will be led by Lynn Braband, wildlife biologist and Rochester resident, with help from Brian Eshenauer. Walk meets at the Lamberton Conservatory.
Support the Conservancy with this easy fundraising opportunity! Find gifts for birthdays, the holidays, or for yourself! 15% of your purchase will be donated to the Conservancy. Invite your family and friends!
All items at One World Goods are made by artisans and producers from around the world and the USA. Expect to find handmade greeting cards, wrapping paper, semi-precious jewelry, warm knit goods including: hats, mittens, scarves, and sweaters, block printed tablecloths, unique clothing: including dresses, jackets and blouses, holiday ornaments and decor, home decor, fair trade coffee, tea and chocolate, and so much more!
You'll find unique items made in Kenya, Nepal, Columbia, Vietnam, Russia, Swaziland, Guatemala, Thailand, Peru, Indonesia, West Bank, Ghana, Rochester, NY, and more.
One World Goods is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the social and economic conditions of artisans around the world through fair trade by providing a marketplace for their products and increasing awareness of global poverty and economic injustice.
See the park's glorious trees as they present their stunning fall colors. Open to the public and free of charge.
A photo shoot led by Image City partners, well-known local outdoor nature photographers. All skill levels/cameras welcome. The program is open to the public and free of charge.
Join guide Elmer Dustman for a guided walk through the towering trees of the Highland Park pinetum. Open to the public and free of charge.
Join us and Miss Sarah from the Frederick Douglass Community Library for story time and a nature walk in Highland Park. The focus will be on oak trees and animals in the park. We will meet in Poet’s Garden (across the street from the Lamberton Conservatory) for story time and then go for a fun walk. Bring a blanket and a snack. For all ages, no registration required. This program is weather permitting, and story time will be in the library (971 South Avenue) if it is raining.
Learn about the park's unique landscape design and structure, and its Mt. Hope Nurseries "roots." Open to the public and free of charge.
Tour the gardens and learn the historic overview of the Warner Castle grounds, a small and special corner of Highland Park. Open to the public and free of charge.
Tour the inside of the Upper Gatehouse and learn about the history and function of the reservoir in the overall public water system. Open to the public and free of charge.
Tour of one of the oldest public gardens in the United States. Open to the public and free of charge.
Join Monroe County Parks Superintendent of Horticulture, Mark Quinn, and Horticultural Interpreter, Noelle Nagel, as they demonstrate how to prune and care for lilac bushes, and other shrubs and trees. Open to the public and free of charge.
Join us for to see the Park's glorious trees as they present their delicate spring blossoms. Open to the public and free of charge.
Join the volunteer gardeners who care for the Poet's Garden for a walk through the woodland garden to discover the many spring bulbs, wildflowers, and interesting plants. Open to the public and free of charge
Interested in helping to keep Highland Park looking its best? Come learn how you can join our group of dedicated volunteers who lend a helping hand by weeding and mulching in the Park. Volunteers must attend the annual orientation session to participate in this program. All are welcome; no previous experience is necessary.
After the business portion of the meeting, Sue R. Steele, a registered Landscape Architect with over 10 years experience, will provide a presentation on the therapeutic benefits of connecting with the outdoors. Her talk is entitled, "Nature as Therapy: How Contact with the Natural Environment Can Improve Your Health and Well-being." Open to the public.
Grab your binoculars and have fun exploring the Park and identifying the birds that call Highland their home, or who may be migrating through in the spring. Open to the public and free of charge.
Highland Park Conservancy
180 Reservoir Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620
A tax exempt 501 (c)(3)
nonprofit organization
The Highland Park Conservancy works in partnership with Monroe County, who manages, operates, and maintains Highland Park and the Lamberton Conservatory.
Special thanks to David, John and Mary Gaudioso, whose images are used throughout our site to to celebrate the beauty of Highland Park.
© Copyright 2017 Highland Park Conservancy. All rights reserved.
