I recently bought a plug-in hybrid vehicle. Since then, I’ve had many people ask me about my car – both how it works, and what the buying process was like. I can sum it up like this: My car “works” like a regular car except that it runs off of electricity in addition to gasoline, and in the end, I paid less than I would have for a comparable gas-powered vehicle, both in terms of purchase price and long-term operating cost.

Thanks to incentives from New York and the federal government, hybrid and full-electric vehicles are now within reach for most people in the new car market. New York State’s Drive Clean Rebate offers up to $2,000 as a point-of-sale rebate, which means the money goes directly to the dealer and is therefore deducted from your purchase price. The federal government offers tax credits of up to $7,500. The farther a car can go on an electric charge, the higher the rebate and tax credits. And there is a range of cars that qualify, from hatchbacks to SUVs, economy cars to luxury vehicles.

If you are a National Grid customer, you can take advantage of a program that gives electric vehicle owners a lower rate on electricity if they charge their cars during off-peak hours (most electric vehicles can be programmed to charge at a certain time). They estimate this could save an average user $175 in a year!

While there are full-electric vehicles out there that can now go more than 200 miles without needing a charge, there are lots of hybrids like mine that give you the security of a gas-powered backup. And the number of charging stations across New York and the US is growing daily, with phone apps that make it easy to find them. (One thing that has surprised me is how many places offer FREE charging!)

Once you are behind the wheel of your new car, be sure to drive it to Reinstein Woods and take advantage of our solar-powered car charging station. It’s free electricity, powered by the sun! Happy driving.

– Meaghan Boice-Green, Center Director, NYSDEC Reinstein Woods

More than 90 volunteers helped care for Reinstein Woods on the first Saturday in May as part of I Love My Park Day.

These volunteers:

• planted 50 trees,
• repaired 2 trails,
• collected more than 20 bags of garbage and invasive species,
• removed a “new” patch of invasives we found late last fall,
• disassembled a large survival shelter that was an attractive nuisance,
• protected a few dozen trees from beavers by repairing existing wire enclosures,
• spread woodchips on and improved the nature play area, and cleaned our outdoor turtle enclosure.

Friends of Reinstein Woods provided pizza lunch for all the participants.

We are grateful to groups from Geico, Fiserv, Excelsior Conservation Corps, Depew High School Leo Club, Boy Scout Troop 554,  and Cub Scout Packs 451 and 619 who helped alongside individual volunteers. We hope to see everyone again next year!

Friends of Reinstein Woods is seeking a Development Manager to work closely with staff and volunteers to promote the long-term financial well-being of Friends of Reinstein. This  is a flexible part-time position, 30 hours per week. Occasional weekend and evening hours related to special events required. Resumes are due April 6, 2018. For more details and how to apply see the Development Manager Job Description.

Signs of spring are present despite the lingering cold temperatures and snow. Red-winged blackbirds and grackles flock to our bird feeders upon their return. The rattle of belted kingfishers is heard around ponds with open water. Crocuses began sprouting in people’s front yards and pussy willows showed their fuzzy buds during the thaw in late February. Wooly bears were even slinking across the trails at Reinstein Woods. I was optimistic that spotted salamanders might have migrated to their breeding pools, however this cold spell has halted that migration. Photographers have seen the red-headed woodpecker excavating holes in front of the education center. Look for soaring turkey vultures on their migration north. Ring-necked ducks, pied billed grebes, hooded mergansers and green-winged teals are common waterfowl that stop off in our ponds during spring migration.

Members of Friends of Reinstein Woods enjoyed lunch together with a special presentation by Hawk Creek Wildlife Center earlier this month. Guests saw animals such as a striped skunk, porcupine, opossum, red-tailed hawk, screech owl, and turkey vulture during this engaging presentation. The younger ones even got to feed the porcupine carrots on a stick! The afternoon concluded with a visit from Santa. This event is an example of the great member-only programs we offer. See a list of our upcoming Member – Only Programs here.

Photos Courtesy of Henry Ciesla and Mike Adriaansen

Friends of Reinstein Woods is hiring a Summer Day Camp Director for 2018. Please see the attached  announcement below.

Summer Camp Director

1) Champion Beech

The bad news: this year we have officially declared the Champion Beech Tree dead. The tree, located along Reinstein Woods’ Beech Tree Trail, was the largest forest-grown beech tree in New York State’s Big Tree Registry.  It had been in decline from natural causes for several years, and at more than 250 years old, it  lived a good lifespan for an American beech tree.

The good news: In September, Boy Scout Oren Forgette of Boy Scout Troop V completed his Eagle Scout project by building a deer exclosure near the champion beech. The exclosure is protecting several young beech and maple trees from being eaten by deer. Some of the young beech trees may be offspring of the Champion beech.

In other good news related to deer exclosures, a new wildflower was discovered at Reinstein Woods! Hiding in a deer exclosure in the sanctuary area of the preserve is tall rattlesnake root (Prenanthes altissima), a plant that is native to New York and is also called wild white lettuce. The particular deer exclosure it inhabits was also built several years ago by an Eagle Scout. This plant, photographed this summer while in bloom, becomes the 198th herbaceous plant species identified at Reinstein Woods!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) Battle Against Invasive Plant Makes Progress

Friends of Reinstein had help this year as it completed its third year of controlling an invasive plant known as common reed, or Phragmites australis, that threatens habitats at Reinstein Woods.

In the spring, a crew from the Excelsior Conservation Corps planted trees and native wildflowers in areas of the sanctuary where common reed has been greatly reduced. During the summer, volunteers with the local Youth Build program and Curbell employees also helped by removing young stalks coming up in sites where the plant used to grow. Native wildflowers, including spotted Joe Pye weed, swamp milkweed, and beggar’s tick are starting to flourish at some of the sites. A donation from employees at Bond, Schoeneck and King helped supply some of the plants.

Next spring Reinstein Woods will be training volunteers to be part of a “Strike Force” that will monitor areas where common reed was removed and try to stop any reinfestation.