Come join us for the first annual Beekman Arboretum Nature Walk and Clean-Up event on Saturday, July 16th, 2016!
Join Jacksonville residents Lauren Kemple, Becka Kem and Rhonda Brown for a short nature walk followed by voluntary arboretum clean-up. You’ll stroll through the arboretum, identifying many plants and learn about their origin and medicinal and culinary uses. Afterwards, stay for some weed-pulling, refreshments and good company.
Beekman Woods is one of Jacksonville’s hidden treasures. Behind the historic Beekman House one can find a beautiful trail loop that is family and pet-friendly. The arboretum still houses many native and exotic plants, including the Fritillaria gentneri and trillium.
This summer, with the help of volunteers and support of local groups and individuals, we hope to begin the process of rebuilding a more accessible and sustainable Beekman Arboretum. The first steps include weeding and removing dead trees, followed by landscaping around the waterfall and creating a shaded picnic area next to it.
The next phase will be transforming the current “Seven Climate Zones” to a more maintainable collection of native plants including trees, wildflowers, medicinal and edible plants. The vision of The Friends of the Arboretum is to create a place where residents, visitors and school groups can learn about native species of plants and enjoy a beautifully-landscaped trail system.
The space and species are available. We just need some helping hands with gardening gloves! Please join us on July 16th from 9:00-11am, meet us at the parking lot next to the Beekman House.
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer for specific jobs such as tree removal, weeding, or weed-whacking, please contact Becka Kem at beckakem@gmail.com.