Baltimore Orioles (Icterus galbula) are an average sized songbird with a thick neck and long legs. Males are a brilliant orange and black with a white wingbar. They won’t get their bright colors until their second year. Females color is variable with a brownish to yellowish head and back and yellow tail. They have a long sharp pointed beak like other members of the blackbird family. Each Spring, Baltimore Orioles migrate north from Central America. They usually return to Western NY around the end of April and early May. Baltimore Orioles enjoy ripe fruit, nectar and insects. They also eat many pest species of insects such as tent caterpillars. Some people leave out orange slices or grape jelly to attract them to their backyard during their migration. They are common in open woodlands, forest edges, and along riverbanks. They build a remarkable hanging nest using the fibrous outer bark of plants in the milkweed family, grasses and grapevines. They frequently nest in maple and cottonwood trees. Their nest placement is generally high in a tree. Listen for the Baltimore Orioles Whistling flute-like song.

Created by Mike Adriaansen

White-Crowned sparrows are a large, long-tailed sparrow. They have a gray face and breast. They are most easily recognized by their Bold black and white head pattern. Both the male and female have a similar appearance. White-crowned sparrows migrate through New York in early Spring to their breeding range in Northern Canada. While feeding they will hop across the ground and often use a “double scratching” technique to expose hidden seeds on the ground. Their songs will vary in different parts of the country. Keep an eye out for these striking little sparrows as they pass through each spring.

Created by Mike Adriaansen

Reinstein Woods Environmental Educator Assistant Mike Adriaansen received a partnership award this spring from Houghton Academy, a Buffalo Public School.

Mike has been working with Houghton students since he started with DEC more than 12 years ago. He has helped 128 students from the school attend Camp Rushford. Students have the opportunity to canoe, fish, swim, and learn wilderness skills during their time at camp.

Mike coordinates the campership program and works with the students throughout the year to familiarize them with fellow campers and the outdoors. Mike organizes activities such as planting native seedlings, hiking at Reinstein Woods, and snowshoeing in the months leading up to camp.

It is clear that Mike has had a positive impact on this program. When his name was called for the award, you could hear the excited cheers of many current and past campers! Some of the students Mike has worked with have returned to camp and gone on to become counselors. Mike continues to encourage students to get involved and attend Camp Rushford. He is a champion of connecting kids to nature!

The campership program is supported by Friends of Reinstein Woods. The Friends group pays to transport kids to camp and funds supplies, food, and entrance fees for camper activities throughout the year.  We are so honored to have Mike Adriaansen as a part of the team here at Reinstein Woods!

Congratulations to Mike for a well-deserved award!

Last year, Reinstein Woods received a federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to expand the Day in the Life of the Buffalo River program to include the larger Niagara River/Lake Erie Watershed. The grant allowed us to provide extensive teacher training, classroom learning, and meaningful watershed education experiences for students.

The expanded program uses Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) protocols, a set of standardized water quality measurement protocols that allow educators and students to connect with others and compare data across the world.

The Holland High School 12th graders have done just that! They collected water quality data and prepared a report comparing the water quality in Western New York to water data collected by peers in Kenya. They plan to present their findings at a science symposium.

Other students got creative in educating others about water quality issues. Students from Stella Niagara, led by teachers Margaret Feuerman and former Reinstein intern Julia Kostin, created public service announcements and “wanted” posters to alert their community to the threat of invasive species in the Niagara River.

And after collecting water quality data from nearby Gill Creek, Niagara Falls High School students created video and print public service announcements warning of the dangers of water pollution.

Each year, Reinstein Woods excitedly offers individuals a 3 to 8 month opportunity to gain skills in environmental education. Typically, interns participate in training workshops, lead tours, help facilitate summer camp, and expand their knowledge of the natural environment at Reinstein Woods and beyond.

With the unprecedented changes this year, the intern experience has a different intensity. Intern Theo Berenson has focused on developing his skills as a naturalist by taking frequent hikes to work on plant and animal identification.

Theo also has been researching some projects for Reinstein Woods when we are able to return. Theo is drafting a Zero Waste Policy for Reinstein Woods as well as working on developing a “Sensory Walk” for Reinstein Woods visitors who have autism.

Intern Nick Morelli’s “COVID contributions” to education at Reinstein Woods include a “mindfulness walk”- a series of prompts for visitors to the Lily Pond Loop Trail, a new “EcoTinker” backpack for children to borrow once the education center reopens, and a “Bucket List” of Reinstein Woods activities for visitors to achieve over their lifetime!

He’s also presenting a virtual workshop on nature art to Reinstein Woods’ volunteers.

“I’ve learned that adapting to scenarios to meet the needs and accessibility of the public is one of the biggest priorities in wildlife education,” said Nick. “It’s not always what you teach, it’s how you teach it.”

Around the time that you receive this newsletter, some furry friends will be munching away at invasive Japanese knotweed plants on one of Reinstein Woods’ trails. Retired milking goats from Let’s Goat Buffalo will spend two weeks eating this plant, which grows in dense stands and crowds out native plants preferred by wildlife. During the day, the goats will graze inside an electrified fence. Their activity may result in some trail closures; please respect the “no trespassing” signs if you visit during this time. And watch for videos about their progress on our website and social media. While the goats will not eradicate the knotweed completely, their activity is a non-chemical way to limit the spread of this plant.

Funding for this program is provided by Friends of Reinstein Woods.

Trout lily, white trillium and red trillium are spring ephemeral flowers found in woodlands of the Northeastern United States. They grow best in moist, rich soil with a healthy leaf litter. These flowers take advantage of the abundance of sunlight reaching the forest floor during spring and grow when soil nutrients are high before the trees leaf out. All of these flowers are very sensitive to disturbance. They also have a special relationship with ants. Their seeds have a fatty nodule called an elaiosome which ants carry off to their colony for food. Seed dispersal by ants is called myrmecochory. Ants eat the eliaosome and the seeds are left to germinate underground. However, most of these flowers spreading happens underground through bulb or corm budding. Each spring you have a narrow 2 to 3 week window during April and May to enjoy the splendor of these beautiful woodland flowers. Once the tree canopy closes these flowers will have faded. They are beautiful and are protected in many areas, so please take only pictures.

Created by Mike Adriaansen

This is part of a new series of educational nature videos from Reinstein Woods

Mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies live in streams with cool water, lots of oxygen, and very little pollution. The presence of these insects help biologists determine the health of a stream. All of these insects are important food sources for trout. These videos were taken on a tributary of Cazenovia Creek in Western New York.

Created by Mike Adriaansen.

The spring greening is just beginning. The herb layer of the forest floor is coming alive with sprouting mayapple and trout lily. In wetter seep areas, marsh marigolds are blooming, not to be confused with invasive lesser celandine. Many people have lesser celandine flowering in their yards right now. Wild leeks are also forming dense patches. Spicebush is showing off its small golden flowers and black cherry are beginning to leaf out. The preserve is a bit quieter now that the Canada geese are on their nests. Ruby-crowned kinglets group together and frantically flit about gleaning insects from dense trailside vegetation. Hermit thrush and yellow-rumped warblers have also returned. Large bullfrog tadpoles explore the warmer shallow waters of ponds. The long trills of American toads resonate through the preserve. Garter snakes slither through the sunlit papery leaves on the forest floor. Keep an eye out for Baltimore orioles and ruby-throated hummingbirds returning shortly.

Americans waste about 25% of the food we purchase. The NYSDEC compiled some great tips on how to reduce your food waste. Learn more here.