In the spirit of Olmsted 200, the Frederick Law Olmsted Society and The Seed botanical boutique of Riverside will host a series of community seed hunts and tree plantings. Partnering with a local botanical artist, Shilin Hora, the Society will sponsor free seed collecting adventures in Riverside’s natural areas. The seed hunts, held on the third Sunday of each month in summer, 2021, will be led by local plant experts and honored guests from the art, film, and landscape design worlds.
The seeds will be used in museum-quality botanical boxes, hand-crafted by the artist and featuring historic maps of Riverside. Sales of these boxes will help fund a mammoth botanical box for Riverside’s public library, plus the landscaping of Riverside’s Olmsted Overlook.
Olmsted Overlook, which is being designed in cooperation with the Village of Riverside, is a major initiative for which the Society is accepting ear-marked donations. This naturalistic grove of native trees overlooking the river invites contemplation of the healthful value of nature. To be planted in 2022, the Olmsted Overlook will celebrate the spirit of the earth and humankind – an apt living tribute to Olmsted on his 200th birthday.
