MOUNTAIN TOP ARBORETUM RECEIVES SIGNIFICANT DONATION

Tannersville - Mountain Top Arboretum is the recipient of an additional 21 acres of property, donated by local resident Simeon Bayles. This donation completes one of the Arboretum’s most important ecological features, the Hidden Marsh. The additional property will be open to the public, and with this donation, Mountain Top Arboretum now consists of 200 acres of plant collections, meadows, wetlands, forests, and more. The Hidden Marsh was likely formed by a glacial lake and, today, features a variety of mosses, grasses, wildflowers, and varied wildlife, including beavers, marsh wrens, and eastern red spotted newts. 

Now that the land is owned by Mountain Top Arboretum, it will be forever protected, says Mountain Top Arboretum Board Chair Abby Coffin, “We are so grateful to the Bayles family who have made an extraordinary gift of this special parcel of land. This important acquisition enables the MTA to preserve and protect this pristine land in perpetuity, and generations to come will benefit from the restorative beauty, and important environmental resources the land provides to all. We will be forever grateful for the Bayles Family’s generosity.”

Bayles added, “My family and I are so happy that by donating this land we are both sharing and protecting it for so many generations to come.  This land, which is 80% wetlands, will serve both future generations and the planet with its beauty, natural carbon capture and the habitat it provides for wildlife.  It’s our hope that this gift inspires others to consider supporting and growing those organizations in their own backyards that protect and conserve our natural environment.”

To learn more about Mountain Top Arboretum and the Hidden Marsh, visit www.mtarboretum.org.

About Mountain Top Arboretum

Mountain Top Arboretum is a public garden in the Catskill Mountains dedicated to displaying and managing native plant communities of the northeastern US, in addition to curating its collection of cold-hardy native and exotic trees. Its mountain top elevation of 2,400 feet at the top of the New York City Watershed creates a unique environment for education, research and pure enjoyment of the spectacular and historic Catskills landscape. The Arboretum trails and boardwalks connect 200 acres of plant collections, meadows, wetlands, forest and Devonian bedrock—a natural sanctuary for visitors interested in horticulture, birding, geology, local craftsmanship, hiking and snowshoeing The Education Center is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 AM to 4 PM, and grounds are open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year. Admission is a $5 suggested donation for non-members and free for members of the Arboretum.