Our non-profit, the Jay Heritage Center (JHC) is dedicated to transforming the 23-acre Jay Estate into a vibrant educational campus, hosting innovative and inclusive programs about American History, Historic Preservation, Social Justice, and Environmental Stewardship.
May 4th, 9am to 12 noon
I Love My Park Day!
Show your love of the earth every month – not just April! Save the date for I Love My Park Day on May 4th from 9-12 and volunteer to beautify our park and gardens at the Jay Estate. There’ll be free t-shirts, a geocache hunt, free ice cream from Jimmy’s Soft Serve and more special treats in honor of the NY State Parks Centennial! Ideal for young families and teens interested in community service. Participating groups include the Rye Garden Club and Little Garden Club of Rye who will be planting two paw paw trees, Rye Presbyterian Youth, Stanford Alumni, Yale Alumni, Con Edison and many more! Stay for a free talk by phenomenal forager Tama Matsuoka Wong who will take us “Into the Weeds” with her newest book about gardening. Finally at 2pm, we’ll dedicate benches in our gardens to park champions and enjoy refreshments by the reflecting pool. SIGN UP HERE to volunteer
May 4th, 12 - 2pm
Into the Weeds with Tama Matsuoka Wong
Join us as Tama Matsuoka Wong returns to JHC to share her newest book, Into the Weeds: How to Garden Like a Forager. Tama empowers budding and experienced gardeners alike to embrace a gentler, less rigid and more sustainable approach to tending the land. As a master forager and gardener, she invites you break free from meticulously ordered beds and rethink the way you engage with and value the plants around you. Into the Weeds teaches you to encourage those plants, even if you didn’t plant them yourself, turn invasive vines into simple structures like borders and beds, and transform the bounty of your surroundings into teas, tinctures, and cocktails. The program will include a demonstration of how to make an A frame trellis out of wild wood and natural materials along with a tasting of some of Tama’s favorite foraged recipes. Read more here. The event is free but registration is required.
Garden Club of America Founders Fund Award
JHC Wins $40,000 to Create Edible Native Plant Learning Center!
The Jay Heritage Center is thrilled to announce that it is the 2024 recipient of The Garden Club of America’s (GCA) Founders Fund Award. This national award was established in 1934 to provide financial support, through a competitive grant program, to projects proposed by GCA member clubs. The projects are designed to restore, improve, and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement. This year the $40,000 winning grant was awarded to JHC for the purpose of Replanting Indigenous and Historic Northeastern Species to Create an Edible Plant Learning Center at the Jay Estate. The project was generously proposed by longtime JHC supporters The Little Garden Club of Rye and seconded by The Rye Garden Club. Over 199 clubs across the country reviewed the projects and voted. The award was announced at the GCA Annual Meeting in Hartford, Connecticut on Saturday, April 27th. READ MORE HERE
The Jay Estate in Rye was home to one of our nation's greatest peacemakers, John Jay...
...and today, it is YOUR park
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