James and Barbara Moore Observatory 2024-25 Viewing Schedule
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Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.  Weekly News September 6, 2024 We are Open for Business! The site will be closed September 17-19 for maintenance work. Due to roadwork on McGregor Boulevard, visitors should access the site through a rear entrance. Click here to view the detour map. Digital Discussions  Digital Discussion: O Say Can You See – The Story of Fort McHenry and the Star-Spangled Banner September 17, 10:30 a.m. Revere the tenacity of those who carried our nation in history! On September 13, 1814, the Battle of Baltimore occurred a few weeks after Bristish troops attacked Washington D.C., burning the United States Capitol, the Treasury Building, and the White House. Join Museum Manager, Holly Shaffer, for this free virtual presentation. Click here to register online. Just for Kids  Homeschool Series – Historical Engineering Marvels: Ancient Egypt Grades 1-3: September 4 and 12, 10 a.m. Grades 4-6: September 5 and 11, 10 a.m. Become acquainted with the unique culture and earliest people through their unique structures! Classes are for grades 1-6 and facilitate homeschool or virtual science education. Advance reg- istration is required. Register online at edisonford.org. Edison Ford members: $15; non-members: $25 Membership  Membership News Membership is the key to unlocking wisdom of what others have created! Join or renew through September and be entered into a drawing to win a Family membership and an Edison Ford cap when you join or renew. You can keep the membership for your- self (your membership will be extended at the family level for a year), or you can give it away as a gift! Become a MEMBER and get unlimited free visits, discounts on purchases in the Garden Shoppe, retail stores, special events and adult education classes! Join today! Ongoing Programs  Piano Performance Takes place every Wednesday 1 p.m. Timeless beauty resides where classical music is performed by Curatorial Registrar, Chet, on Mina Edison’s 1932 George Steck piano in the guest house. Included with admission.  Step into History Presentations Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Cool off inside with our Site Historians. This program is held in the 15,000-square-foot museum. Included with admission.  Yoga by the River Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Class will be held in the River Pavilion (weather permitting). All skill levels are welcome. This class is taught by Bonnie D’Angelo, a certified yoga instructor. Edison Ford members: $15; non-members: $20 per class. Tickets may be purchased online or at the ticket counter. Bring a yoga mat, water, and towel. Admission to the site is not included. Help restore our beautiful gardens. Donate today! What’s Blooming  Tropical Lilac The Tropical Lilac, Cornutia grandiflora, is sheathed with layers of fuzzy purple flowers. This ornamental shrub is native to Mexico and the Caribbean and can reach heights between 12 and 15 feet tall. In late spring through early summer, this garden gem will produce small purple flowers that form in clusters along its tall stems. Before the blooms open, they look like balls of fuzz. The flowers are not scented; however, the velvety leaves that surround the blooms have a fragrance similar to a lilac. This is a great pollinator plant that attracts bees and butterflies. For best growth, plant this shrub in areas that receive partial sun. This shrub is located in the Garden Shoppe.  False Rubberwood The blooms of the False Rubberwood, Mascaren- hasia arborescens, are popping like popcorn! It is a large shrub or small tree that can reach heights up to 20 feet tall. This plant is native to East Africa and Madagascar. From the late spring through sum- mer, it will produce clusters of small flowers with five overlapping petals and a yellow center that are said to smell like buttered popcorn. After blooming, pairs of elliptical fruits will emerge (not edible). Its bark contains a white latex that was used in Mada- gascar to produce rubber in the 1900s. This unique plant can grow in full sun or partial shade. Visitors can find the False Rubberwood next to the Kapok Tree behind the propagating nursery. News  13 Staff members recognized for E-Award Nomination Each year, the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau recognizes people who go the extra mile to generate authentic experiences throughout Southwest Florida, with a focus on quality customer service at the Elaine McLaughlin Outstanding Hospitality Service awards! We were so honored to have 13 staff members nominated for this prestigious recognition. Please give a special shoutout to Horticulture Pro- grams Coordinator and Horticulture Specialist, Karen Maxwell for winning an honorable mention award in the Attractions category for her efforts to welcome and striving to be inclusive to all needs through her work on developing a sensory tour for the deaf/blind community. Congratulations to all of our staff who were nominated. We appreciate your hard work and commitment to the Estates’ mission each day! The nominees for this award include: Ashley Farquhar, Membership Services Barbara Edris, Guest Services Breanna Alexander, Marketing and Public Relations Assistant Dave Foster, Garden Shoppe Manager Karen Maxwell, Horticultural Specialist and Horticulture Programs Coordinator Karen Mejia, Custodian Kathy Arthur, Security Coordinator Lars Cain, Guest Services Lindsey Lutarewych, Events Manager Maisen Clark, Events Coordinator Matt Andres, Curator Michael Flanders, President and CEO Stacy Hoemke, Guest Services On This Day in History  National Read a Book Day Books are one of the most fascinating ways to go to different places and step into someone else’s shoes from the comforts of your own space! It was said that Thomas Edison loved books as much as he loved inventing. Edison had roughly 1,000 books in his library at Seminole Lodge and more than 10,000 books at his full-time residence, Glenmont in West Orange, New Jersey. That did not include the books he took out from the library, which were reported to be entire libraries when he was traveling during his teenage years. Edison attended formal school for only three months and was homeschooled by his mother, who encouraged him to read literature across different subjects. His home was a thought bench, surrounded by a library of reference books, including Watt’s Encyclopedia, which Charles shared was one of Mr. Edison’s most valuable resources. He kept a series of books that covered many topics, stating “I’m on a campaign, and I’ve got to get all the references that I can about a certain chemical or process. He recruited his entire family to go through books and mark any place that mentioned a particular process or chemical he wanted to research. If there was a reference to a book he didn’t have, they made a notation of the source. One of his favorite authors was Thomas Paine, the American Revolution literary patriot. He also enjoyed work by technology hero, Michael Faraday. The knowledge that Edison gained from reading inspired him to implement the concept of corporate libraries, so his employees would have the most up-to-date informa- tion at their disposal. When you tour the estate, you will see newspapers, technical drawings and books crowded around his desk in the main house library.      Copyright © 2024 Edison & Ford Winter Estates, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up to be on our mailing list. Our mailing address is: Edison & Ford Winter Estates 2350 McGregor Blvd Fort Myers, FL 33901 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. |