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Friends of Reinstein Woods Receives Grant to Create a Woodland Garden Enclosure
Friends of Reinstein Woods was awarded a $10,581 matching grant from the Environmental Protection Fund’s Park and Trail Partnership Grants program to build an enclosure that will protect and establish the native forest as well as to improve public access and education related to forest ecosystems. Friends of Reinstein Woods has already raised a 10% match for the project so that work can begin.
“Friends of Reinstein Woods was grateful for the opportunity to apply for a stewardship and public access capacity grant through the Park & Trail Partnership Grant Program,” said Friends Board President Eric Gallo. “We are thrilled to have been awarded the grant! This will help us implement some of the recommendations from the Forest Management Plan we commissioned in 2021 and help ensure that Reinstein Woods is here for all to enjoy for generations to come.”
Reinstein Woods’ 2021 Forest Management Plan warned that the severe pressure from deer predation will cause the forest to regress until there is no longer a mature forest at the site. With this grant, Friends of Reinstein Woods will enclose .81 acre of forest at Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve to protect a portion of the preserve from the deer that inhabit it. The enclosure will protect existing trees and allow the establishment of native forest wildflowers and shrubs that are often eliminated by grazing deer. A trail through the enclosure, to be added once the garden is established, will connect visitors to these plants and offer learning opportunities.
The grant is one of 28 awards totaling $1.8 million (the highest amount awarded in the Park and Trail Partnership Grant program’s 8-year history) for organizations dedicated to the stewardship and promotion of New York’s state parks and historic sites, trails, and public lands. The grants will be matched with private and local funding and will support projects to strengthen Friends groups and enhance public access and recreational opportunities.
Friends groups—nonprofit organizations often made up entirely of volunteers—are essential to the stewardship and promotion of our state park system. These dedicated groups raise private funds for capital projects, perform maintenance tasks, provide educational programming, and promote public use through hosting special events.
The Park and Trail Partnership Grants are administered by Parks & Trails New York, a statewide non-profit organization, in partnership with the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation.
Parks & Trails New York Executive Director Paul Steely White said, “These grants are like rich organic fertilizer for growing the grassroots movement to improve New York’s parks, trails, historic sites, and public lands. Accessible kayak launches, bridge repairs, strategic planning and youth education are just a few examples of the newly funded projects that will bring more nature and more joy to more New Yorkers.”
To view a list of all Round 8 awardees, please visit: https://www.ptny.org/our-work/support/park-trail-partnership-program/awardees
More information on Park and Trail Partnership Grants can be found at www.ptny.org or by calling 518-434-1583 x3.
About Friends of Reinstein Woods:
Friends of Reinstein Woods is a volunteer-led, nonprofit organization that supports the environmental education programs offered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at Reinstein Woods. We provide vital financial and volunteer support for programs aimed at school children, teachers, youth from underserved neighborhoods, and the general public. We also support stewardship projects designed to protect and restore the natural habitats at Reinstein Woods. Our mission is to promote knowledge of nature through awareness, appreciation, and stewardship of the unique and diverse environment of Reinstein Woods and its programs.
AM Buffalo Hosts Learn to Cross Country Ski at Reinstein Woods
Yesterday, AM Buffalo hosts Emily Lampa and Mercedes Wilson came to Reinstein Woods to learn how to cross-country ski! Educator Mike Adriaansen showed them the equipment and gave them some tips before they got into their skis. Check out the action here!
Friends of Reinstein hiring Development & Marketing Associate
Friends of Reinstein Woods is hiring a Development and Marketing Associate to work closely with staff and volunteers to promote the long-term financial well-being of Friends of Reinstein Woods. The Associate will be responsible for diversifying the organization’s funding streams and growing our donor base. This is a full- time position. Occasional weekend and evening hours related to special events required.
For details about the job, see the attached announcement. Application deadline: January 15, 2023.
Reinstein Woods Closed 11/17-18
While we are SNOW excited that winter is here, both the grounds and the Education Center will be CLOSED on Saturday, November 18, to let us safely clear the parking lots and walkways from the recent storm. While it may be nice at your house, the heavy wet snow at Reinstein Woods has jammed our snow removal equipment and made it hard for us to do proper cleanup. And the heavy wet snow isn’t great for skiing or snowshoeing anyway, so please stay home! Have some hot chocolate! Check out a Christmas movie a little early… and we’ll see you soon.
Enjoy Fall Colors While they Last
The forest at Reinstein Woods is glowing with autumn colors! Warm temperatures and full sun have created prime conditions to view the last few days of fall foliage. Today may be your last chance to experience the full vibrance of leaves before the rain and wind leave the trees bare. If you listen closely on your walk, you may even hear leaves gently falling and coming to rest on the ground. Although most red maple leaves have fallen, you can still find golden-yellow and orange sugar maples, as well as beech trees holding on to their green leaves. The best place to view fall colors is west of Hidden Pond and the Beech Tree Trail. Get out and enjoy these colors while they last!
Connecting the Community to Local Waterways
EJ Stewards:
Nine high-school Environmental Justice (EJ) Stewards from around Western NY spent ten
weeks this spring exploring community connections to local waterways and learning about ecosystem-based management in the Great Lakes. The program was funded by a Great Lakes Small Basin Grant through New York Sea Grant and connected students with local experts and professionals involved in water quality monitoring, restoration, and advocacy.
Students learned about emerging contaminants in the Great Lakes from Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, and UB’s RENEW Institute. Students also explored the relationship between people and water through multiple field experiences including debris monitoring at Woodlawn Beach, fishing, and kayaking along the Buffalo Waterfront.
Finally, the team of students worked together to plan and implement a stewardship project. Students were inspired by a presentation by local artist Alexis Oltmer to create an interactive art piece that raised awareness about plastic pollution in our local waterways. The EJ students tabled at the annual Get Outdoors and Get Together Day at Reinstein Woods and engaged members of the public in conversations about plastic pollution and reducing plastic use in their daily lives. Visitors were invited to glue pieces of plastic that the students had collected at Woodlawn Beach on Lake Erie onto fish images to represent the bioaccumulation of plastic and contaminants in our freshwater fish. The final product is currently on display at Reinstein Woods.
Summer Workshops:
Reinstein Woods is offering multiple professional development opportunities for formal
and informal educators throughout the summer. The free Niagara River/Lake Erie (NRLE) Classroom workshop series will guide educators in leading outdoor, standards-based field trips with students, including stewardship projects, beach debris monitoring, and water quality studies. The two-day Summer Teacher Institute will immerse educators in place-based data collection and interpretation using the nationally recognized Project Learning Tree and NASA’s Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) programs. Educators will become GLOBE Certified teachers and take home PLT’s new flagship curriculum Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide as well as a tool kit for schoolyard and community data collection. Interested educators can find out more about professional development opportunities here.
In Support of Our Buffalo Community
Congratulations to the 2022 Great Lakes Data Jam Winners!
Congratulations to the 2022 Great Lakes Data Jam Winners! This year’s competition was made possible through a New York Great Lakes Basin Small Grant awarded by the New York Sea Grant in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
Students participating in the Great Lakes Data Jam will analyze local data to identify trends and patterns. Students will share their findings in a scientific report, but also communicate their findings in a creative way that engages and informs a larger audience. The data communication projects can take many forms, from posters and infographics to songs, poems, and short movies.
2022 Winning Projects:
Grand Prize: “The Bird Population Trend” from 5th Grade students at South Seneca Central School.
View full video here.
High School Honorable Mention: “Which WNY Water? A Phone App For Differential Water Location“ from West Seneca Christian School.
4th-8th grade Honorable Mention: “DDT Song“ from South Seneca Central School.
I’m Interested in the 2022-2023 Data JamFriends of Reinstein Seeking Environmental Educator
Friends of Reinstein Woods is seeking an Environmental Educator to implement environmental education programs during the school year and to administer Kids in the Woods Summer Day Camp at Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve. This is a full-time, year-round position.
Click here for full job description.
Env Ed Position description 2022rev“Reimagined” Fall Festival 2021
More than 250 people attended our “Reimagined Fall Festival.” To provide a safe experience we offered five days of nature activities and hikes instead of our large one-day festival. The event highlighted old favorites such as pond exploration and Forest Ranger demonstrations while adding new guided walks and a “build your own terrarium workshop.” Thank you to our exhibitors and presenters from the Buffalo Botanical Gardens, NYS Parks, Erie County Soil and Water Conservation District, NYSDEC Forest Rangers, Niagara Frontier Koi & Pond Club, Cheektowaga Historical Association, Erie County Park Rangers, WNY PRISM, and our volunteers! We look forward to seeing you at a bigger event next year.
