A guided walk through Gifford Pinchot’s Grey Towers landscape and a walking program through the Laurel Hill cemetery are planned for October at Grey Towers National Historic Site, 122 Old Owego Turnpike, Milford, Pike County.

On October 15, at 10 a.m., visitors will get an up-close look at the brilliant fall foliage in the estate gardens during “Evolution of the Grey Towers Landscape: Autumn in Cornelia’s Gardens.”

The walk will feature the fabulous foliage displays of the native shrubs, the Japanese maple, and the European Copper Beeches planted by Gov. Gifford Pinchot, among other favorites.

Grey Towers Horticulturist Elizabeth Hawke will provide an inside look at how some of the landscape plants, trees and buildings were incorporated into the design of the 1886-French Chateauesque mansion estate by the Pinchot family.

On October 22, at 11 a.m., a guided walk through Milford’s original cemetery, the Laurel Hill cemetery located on Old Owego Turnpike on the grounds of Grey Towers, will be conducted by the Grey Towers Heritage Association.

New this year are first-person readings that will “introduce” visitors to some of the individuals buried at Laurel Hill.

Visitors also will learn the meanings of some gravestone symbolism and epitaphs and hear about the restoration and research that is ongoing.

Based on extensive research, the first-person readings will give participants a sense of what life might have been like during the community’s early years.

For both the landscape and the cemetery walks, group size is limited and pre-registration is strongly recommended. Regular tour fees apply and cash is preferred.

Participants should meet in the Visitor Pavilion in the Grey Towers parking lot. Dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes. The walks are held rain or shine.

For more information or to pre-register, call 570-296-9630 or send an email to: greytowers@fs.fed.us.

For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the Grey Towers Heritage Association.  Click Here to sign up for updates from the Association, Like them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, visit their YouTube Channel, become part of their Google+ Circle and follow them on Instagram.

Also visit the Grey Towers Historic Site website and the Pinchot Institute for Conservation website for information on its conservation research and policy programs.  Click Here to sign up for the Institute’s regular updates.

9/26/2016