NEWSLETTER
Millbrook, NY (September 9, 2026) — After a season of memorable walks at Innisfree Garden, scientist, writer, photographer, and naturalist Dr. Loren Merrill returns this September for two special early morning programs designed to reveal just how much there is to discover when we slow down, look closely, and ask questions about the living world around us.
Dr. Merrill began leading programs at Innisfree this season and has quickly become a favorite among participants. With a deep background in ecology and animal behavior, an infectious curiosity about the natural world, and an approachable style that welcomes questions and conversation, he has a gift for turning an ordinary observation into the beginning of a fascinating story. He has developed a rich familiarity with the garden’s birds, plants, habitats, and seasonal rhythms, giving returning participants something new to discover each time.
On Saturday, September 12, from 8 to 10 AM, Merrill will lead Seeing with Intent: An Early Morning Walk of Discovery, a program devoted to becoming a more active and attentive observer of nature. Participants will enter Innisfree before the garden opens to the public, when the landscape is especially peaceful, and explore the remarkable details that can easily go unnoticed. Inspired in part by Henry David Thoreau’s desire to “live deliberately,” the walk encourages participants to engage their senses, ask questions, and consider what seemingly ordinary observations can reveal about adaptation, survival, and the relationships among living things. The program is designed for everyone from experienced naturalists to people who simply want to become more observant on their walks outdoors.
Then, on Sunday, September 20, from 8 to 10 AM, Merrill returns for Autumn Migration: A Bird Walk with Dr. Loren Merrill, timed for one of the most exciting periods in the annual cycle of Hudson Valley birdlife. Participants will search the garden for migrating warblers, vireos, thrushes, sparrows, and other songbirds, while also keeping watch for raptors, waterbirds, and Innisfree’s resident species. Along the way, Merrill will explore some of the bigger questions behind the spectacle of migration: how birds navigate journeys that can span thousands of miles, where they stop to rest and refuel, and why a varied landscape like Innisfree, with its gardens, ponds, woodlands, and edges, can provide valuable habitat along the way. No birding experience is necessary, and binoculars are encouraged.
Dr. Loren Merrill holds a Ph.D. in animal behavior, evolutionary biology, ecology, and eco-physiology and has conducted wildlife research on four continents and in ten countries. His academic career included teaching subjects such as ornithology, field ecology, and animal behavior. Today, he works as a science writer, nature photographer, guide, workshop leader, and public speaker, bringing together rigorous scientific knowledge and a lifelong enthusiasm for sharing the natural world with others. He has also led photography and field ornithology workshops for Down East and served as director of Audubon’s Hog Island Photography of Maine Birds and Landscapes camp.
Both September programs offer the unusual opportunity to experience Innisfree before its regular 10 AM opening, with the quiet morning garden providing the backdrop for close observation and exploration. Both walks take place rain or shine, have limited capacity, and require advance registration. Participants must arrive promptly, as the garden gate will close at the start of each program. Both programs are priced at $25 for Innisfree members and $35 for nonmembers. For details and registration, visit innisfreegarden.org/events.
About Innisfree Garden
Innisfree Garden is a nationally significant public garden in Millbrook, New York, where distinctive garden design, ecology, and the surrounding landscape come together across 185 acres. The garden is located at 362 Tyrrel Road in Millbrook, New York. Learn more at innisfreegarden.org.