This summer, GBC’s gallery will feature the quietly expressive photographs of local artist Alexander D'Agostino, on view from June 13 through September 4. Whether you are a longtime admirer of photography or simply someone who pauses to notice the way afternoon light falls across a sidewalk, this exhibit offers something to carry with you.
Artist's Statement: Where We Are explores the quiet poetry of everyday life through photography. Moving between urban streets, quiet landscapes, everyday encounters, and moments of human connection, the exhibition seeks to reveal beauty that often goes unnoticed. The photographs focus on subtle gestures, unexpected color, shifting light, and the atmosphere that shapes how a place is experienced and remembered. The images are rooted in observation and visual storytelling. Some depict the energy and spontaneity of public life, while others embrace stillness, solitude, and reflection. Together, they form a portrait of the spaces people inhabit and the moments that connect them to one another and to their surroundings. At its heart, Where We Are is an invitation to slow down and look more closely. The exhibition celebrates the extraordinary qualities hidden within ordinary moments and encourages viewers to reflect on their own relationship with place, memory, and everyday experience.
Beauty is not embellishment. It is awareness made visible.
About Alexander D'Agostino: Alexander D’Agostino is a photographer based in Stamford, Connecticut. His work explores the relationship between people, place, light, and memory, blending documentary observation with a painterly sense of color and composition. Drawing inspiration from everyday encounters, changing seasons, and the energy of public spaces, D’Agostino creates images that encourage viewers to pause, reflect, and discover meaning in the overlooked details of daily life.
Details: June 13-September 4, 2026
Gallery - Main Building | Greenwich Botanical Center
MEDIA ALERT: Greenwich Botanical Center Hosts 574 Greenwich Public School 4th Graders for “Art in Nature” Field Trip Experience
WHAT:
This fall, Greenwich Botanical Center proudly welcomed 574 Greenwich Public School 4th graders for an immersive Art in Nature Assured Experience Field Trip, designed to spark curiosity and inspire students through the intersection of art and science. During their visit, students painted watercolors while overlooking the pond, used colored pencils to capture the intricate details of natural objects found in the fern forest, and explored the current exhibition in the GBC Gallery while learning the fundamentals ofart gallery etiquette.
Through hands-on observation and creative experimentation, students experienced firsthand how the practices of scientists and artists overlap; both rooted in careful examination, inquiry, and discovery. This year’s program was made possible by a generous grant from the Springer Foundation, which covered all student costs and ensured that these students could participate in this enriching educational experience.
To continue to support GBC, future Field Trips, and community programming for all ages, please consider donating to our Annual Appeal. We are so grateful for your support!
WHO:
Greenwich Botanical Center | GPS 4th Grade Students
Supported by the Springer Foundation, whose generous grant covered all student costs.
WHEN:
Fall 2025
WHERE:
Greenwich Botanical Center
130 Bible Street, Cos Cob, CT
WHY:
To provide equitable, curriculum-aligned, nature-based learning experiences that integrate the arts and sciences—offering students a deeper understanding of observation, experimentation, and creativity in the natural world.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Alana Kontos
Marketing & Communications Manager
Greenwich Botanical Center
130 Bible Street | PO Box 1600 | Cos Cob, CT 06807 | 203.869.9242 Ext. 301
by Sophia Galindo
On the morning of June 27th, parents and children gathered under the historic oak tree at the Greenwich Botanical Center, eager to participate in the "Explore with Me" outdoor immersion class. Designed to foster positive outdoor experiences for children, the day's adventure was initially planned as a fun frog hunt around the lake. However, what was meant to be a simple exploration turned into an extraordinary discovery.
Angie Hartofilis the director of "Explore with Me," took a routine scoop in the pond with her net, expecting to find a frog or turtle. Instead, she was pleasantly surprised to discover an American eel, a rare find in this area.
The American eel Anguilla rostrata is a fascinating native species along the Atlantic Coast, known for its remarkable abundance in large rivers. Unique to Connecticut, the American eel is the state’s only catadromous diadromous species, spending most of its adult life in fresh water but migrating to salt water to spawn. These eels are seasoned travelers, embarking on epic journeys that begin in the mysterious depths of the Sargasso Sea, near the infamous Bermuda Triangle. After hatching, they embark on a slow migration up the Atlantic Coast, eventually settling in fresh water for 10- 20 years before making the long trek back to sea to lay eggs. The American eel like all anguillid eels, hunt predominantly at night, hiding around 5-6ft deep under mud during the day.
While the American eel is common along Connecticut’s coast, the journey of the eel discovered in the Reflection Pond at the Greenwich Botanical Center is nothing short of extraordinary. The Mianus River Pond is crucial for the American eel, as the dam is the first point of entry between salt and fresh water. River dams severely obstruct their migration, but in the fall of 2003, a Delaware-style eel pass was installed at the Mianus River Dam. This pass enables juvenile eels to climb the spillway using a net before entering a resting pool, repeating this process until they enter the pond.
This particular American eel took a different path than most to migrate upstream. Navigating through Brother Brook and other streams, this eel found its way into the Greenwich Botanical Center Pond. This journey is unique, as the week following this eel's appearance, Greenwich, CT, and the surrounding areas experienced large amounts of rain. This rare weather eventallowed the eel to enter streams that are often dry and slither through wet grass, making its journey truly one of a kind.
Rebecca Poirer from the Greenwich Town Conservation Commission remarked on the significance of this discovery. "The path for this eel to have made it all the way up to the Greenwich Botanical Center Pond is incredible. American eels are born in the Sargasso Sea and make their way into freshwater lakes and ponds while still in their juvenile life stage. This eel traveled all the way from the Sargasso Sea, into Long Island Sound, up Cos Cob Harbor into Mill Pond, then up Strickland Brook, which passes through the Bible Street playground and park, all the way to the pond at GBC. That is truly a long journey and an incredible one for such a small animal.”
This eel’s adventure is a testament to nature’s wonders, illustrating the eel's capacity to move overland, slithering through wet grass at night. The heavy rainfall in the week leading up to the discovery created ideal conditions for the eel's journey, assisting in its awe-inspiring appearance at the Greenwich Botanical Center.
This discovery at the Greenwich Botanical Center has the most significant impact on children. It illustrates how accessible scientific exploration can be, showing that even a simple dip in a pond can lead to unexpected discoveries. Angie Hartofilis believes that fostering positive interactions with nature is essential for developing a constructive attitude toward our environment, which is vital for inspiring the next generation of explorers.
Happy Earth Day! It should not come as a surprise that we here at Greenwich Botanical Center consider every day to be earth day. In that spirit, this blog will offer easy and practical tips that could be put to use today and every day thereafter. Working together as a community we have the power to impact the health and future of our planet.
This week we are talking composting with Director of Horticulture, Lisa Beebe and Greenhouse Volunteer, Kathy Kling. According to Lisa, "Composting will build good soil for your garden and is one of the most effective and rewarding ways to reduce waste."
Composting quickly becomes habit and according Kathy, “Once you get into the habit...throwing out lettuce leaves is akin to tossing garbage out of your car window as you drive. It just becomes a major faux pas.” Don't be surprised if you start sneaking table scraps into your purse at dinner parties hosted by non-composting friends. We won't judge.
Kathy insists that no expensive or fancy new equipment is necessary to get started. “Simply keep a bucket by your sink. Fill it up with compostable waste as you clear your kitchen. Keep another 10-15 gallon animal proof trash bin right outside your kitchen door. You should be able to easily lift and carry this bin when it's full of your compostable waste.
In your yard construct a simple 3 foot x 3 foot compost bin using welded wire fencing and four posts. Kathy suggests lining the inside with common concrete blocks to keep the compost from seeping out, but this is not necessary. Composting material can be ready to use as early as one month, depending on what you are composting and what method you choose to follow.
Use your compost to fill in holes in your garden or as a mulch to keep weeds down. The organic matter and nutrients feed your plants and keep gardening costs to a minimum.
"...compost is nutrient rich and will eliminate the need for synthetics fertilizers in your garden, which is helpful for the planet and your wallet."
Lisa Beebe, GBC Director of Horticulture
For Lisa Beebe, one of compostings main benefits, besides reduced landfill waste, is that your "...compost is nutrient rich and will eliminate the need for synthetic fertilizers in your garden, which is helpful for the planet and your wallet." When you consider a bag of compost can cost up to $50, over time your composting pays for itself. This means no wasteful packaging, travel time or added expense of store bought product. Oh, and a beautiful, healthy garden.
Keep us posted. Have you started composting recently? Ask us for help. Send us tips. Post your composting pictures to social media using #GBC1957. We'd love to hear from you and share your story with our community.
