Special Event

New York City is famous for many things - hot dogs, the Empire State Building, pigeons. And add to that list cemeteries. Author and funeral director Alexandra Kathryn Mosca leads us on an armchair tour of cemeteries both large and small (and we are talking really small) throughout the five boroughs. Her new book, Gardens of Stone, explores how memorials and monuments help to tell the tale of New York City, from its humble beginnings to its emergence as a world capital. She will be joined by John Rousmaniere, who has compiled an illustrated history of Evergreens Cemetery (which straddles Brooklyn and Queens), titled Green Oasis in Brooklyn, and Richard L. Simpson, who recently published a book on Staten Island's Moravian Cemetery.

Funerals may be as old as mankind, but they are continually evolving to meet the needs and demands of a changing world. Join Amy Cunningham, funeral director and death educator, to explore everything from home funeral options to simple cremation services to "green" burials. The most modern and recent technologies will also be presented. She will provide her insights and answer common questions like, "What if my deceased partner/spouse is of a different faith tradition or cultural background?", "How much direction can I give to celebrants and clergy or to friends and family?", "Is it possible to host my own funeral before I go?" In the course of this friendly hour, you'll get a glimpse of what a funeral can be - and you'll leave with comforting ideas and inspiration for yourself or someone you love.

As home to over 9,000 trees, Green-Wood’s collection of maples, oaks, beeches, and gingkoes is one of the best in New York City. But how can you possibly tell them apart? Arborist Bill Logan leads an intensive five hour workshop that begins with a close study of an array of twigs and leaves, and learning how to classify those using dichotomous keys.

When Joy Doumis and Jeremy Hammond approached Green-Wood in fall 2015 to ask if they could harvest the apples here, of course we had to know why. To make hard cider of course! Spread across 478 acres, our urban orchard has over 150 Malus (aka apple) trees! Using giant tarps to gather apples varieties that include Baldwin, Granny Smith, various crab apples, and a yet-to-be-identified apple variety, they set about turning their harvest into a delicious fermentation of homemade hard cider. In keeping with the sustainable farming movement and a love for all things Green-Wood, join Joy and Jeremy for the story of how they produced over 100 bottles of hard cider (which they call Proper Cider) in their own back yard literally. Naturally, a tasting of the final product is included.