Challenge 3: It’s a windy day out there! Tie a bandanna, piece of ribbon, or flagging tape to a stick and hold it in the air. Using a compass (or your phone compass), determine the direction of the wind. Wind direction is the opposite of the direction in which the cloth is pointing.

Extension: Make an anemometer to measure wind speed out of cups and cardboard: http://www.reachoutmichigan.org/…/le…/energy/anemometer.html

Challenge 2: Celebrate the spring equinox! Try the old tradition of balancing an egg on its head, sing “Happy Birthday” to spring, or thank all the signs of spring you see on your walk today.

The 2020 vernal equinox- the moment when the Earth axis isn’t tilted toward or away from the sun- occurs at exactly 11:49 p.m. tonight. This is the earliest start to spring in 124 years! Our days are growing longer and warmer as the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun.

Make a list of all the things you observe that show spring is here! This list can include
• Tree and flower buds blooming
• Birds chirping
• Woodpeckers drumming
• Frogs Peeping
• Bees and Butterflies
• Scents of spring returning

Welcome to our virtual “WOODS Walk” series! Every day we will post a challenge on social media- facebook and Instagram– for you to find/do at Reinstein Woods, a local park, or even just around your block or backyard! Together we will discover the beauty of spring as it pops up around us.

Please comment or share a picture of your observations and discoveries to our facebook and Instagram pages, or even right here! And, as always, please practice safe social distancing as you explore.

Challenge 1: Can you find any blooming flowers?

Early garden and lawn bloomers in our area include crocuses and snowdrops, but don’t forget our trees and even the unique skunk cabbage flower!

At Reinstein Woods, our primary concern is the safety and health of our visitors, volunteers and staff.  

To limit the potential spread of the Corona virus, the Education Center and bathroom building are closed until further notice. If you need to contact us, please leave a message at (716) 683-5959, or email reinsteinwoods@dec.ny.gov.

All publicly scheduled events through May 6 are cancelled. Check https://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1837.html and www.reinsteinwoods.org or our facebook page for building and program updates.

We invite you to share in nature’s harmony on a walk through Reinstein Woods. Our grounds and trails will remain open daily from sunrise to sunset. With 292 acres of forest and wetlands, we offer the perfect location to practice “social distancing” (6′ apart) as you enjoy our trails. You can greet other visitors with jazz hands and a smile.

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

– Reinstein Staff

Friends of Reinstein Woods is seeking an energetic Development Manager who will work closely with staff and volunteers to promote the long-term financial well-being of Friends of Reinstein Woods.

This  is a full-time position. Occasional weekend and evening hours related to special events required. Resumes are being accepted until March 8, 2020. For more details and how to apply see the Development Manager Job Announcement.

Friends of Reinstein Woods members came together in the beginning of December to celebrate the Holiday season. They enjoyed chili, soup, salads, desserts and more. Children decorated candle holders, made ornaments, and other crafts. The highlight of the afternoon was the mobile touch tank presentation by the Aquarium of Niagara. Taylor did a great job describing the lives of sea creatures in the intertidal zone. Members were able to touch a large blue Lobster, a sea urchin, a baby horseshoe crab, sea star, sea snail, and clam!

“I feel like a real-life scientist!” remarked an excited middle school student from Bennett Park Montessori School as he dove into his first “Day in the Life of the Niagara River/Lake Erie Watershed” experience.

Thanks to a federal grant from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Friends of Reinstein  Woods  received $66,834 to expand the “Day  in the Life”  program. “We get to provide students and educators with an unforgettable experience that connects them to their local waterways,” said Day in the Life program coordinator, Mary Ronan. “This grant offers the exciting opportunity to focus on our community taking action towards real environmental change through hands on learning.”

On a very gloomy October 3, more than 330 students and educators from local underserved school districts weathered the rain to collect data from 14 sites along the Niagara River, Buffalo River, and Canadaway Creek.

This was the sixth year of the Day in the Life program, and certainly, the biggest year yet. With the additional funds, Friends of Reinstein Woods was able to purchase updated scientific equipment, greatly expand teacher training, and provide bussing to include eight new schools. One of the new groups was Ms. Hart’s fourth grade class from Hillery Park Elementary, a Buffalo Public School.

The 16 fourth grade students in Ms. Hart’s class were assisted by eighth graders from their school who helped complete the assessments. It was a wonderful opportunity for the eighth graders to serve as mentors for the younger students. Mrs. Hart shared her enthusiasm for the active participation in our environment from all of her students.

“So often, the students are not introduced to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topics until high school, so it’s a great opportunity to show them these,” said Ms. Hart. “Also, their data is used by real scientists!”

The students gained hands-on field experience using the Global Learning and Observations to    Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program protocols to collect data that will be uploaded to a global database. This will greatly enhance research and analysis opportunities. They analyzed water quality, examined what critters live in the waterway, and mapped the area to gain a greater understanding of the watershed. Each site also had a scientist from a partner organization including Buffalo Audubon Society, SUNY Fredonia, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, NYS DEC, Erie County Department of Environment and Planning and more. These representatives enhanced the students’ experience by sharing their knowledge of the river, its issues, and restoration efforts. They also provided an introduction to various environmental career paths.

Throughout the 15-month project, participating educators will engage students in classroom learning using resources gained during a four-day Summer Teacher Institute and subsequent support workshops. This training provides extensive resources and training on the ecological, economical, and recreational importance of the Great Lakes. With a focus on the freshwater resource in our backyard, teachers can partake in place-based meaningful education with students.

Similarly,  students completed pre-event activities to learn about their sample site,   the greater Niagara River/Lake Erie watershed, and common water quality issues. In the months following the field experience, classes will participate in a stewardship action project such as continued GLOBE monitoring or habitat improvement projects. For example, students at Math, Science and Technology Preparatory School in Buffalo plan to map pervious and impervious surfaces in the schoolyard to better understand stormwater runoff and demonstrate the skills they learned through the Day in the Life program.

The expansion of the Day in the Life program is very exciting for Friends of Reinstein   Woods and the Lake  Erie Watershed. Through the teacher education workshops,  interactive field experience for students, and stewardship action projects, more individuals are prepared to become stewards of the Great Lakes and understand the importance of  this vital freshwater resource. “We can only ask students to care about what they are familiar with,” said Ronan. “The grant allows us to make connections between water and everyday life while introducing science skills and career opportunities. We are empowering the next generation of environmental stewards in Western New York.”

If you’ve visited Reinstein Woods this summer, you may have noticed people taking photos of themselves with a ten-foot tall, 500-pound metal “flower garden” in the parking lot. “Steel Magnolias” is a sculpture by artist Bryan Lago, generously donated to Reinstein Woods by former NYS Assemblyman Paul Tokasz and his wife, Sylvia Tokasz.

The sculpture was originally purchased by the Tokasz family at the 2003 “Art on Wheels” auction to benefit the Burchfield Penney Art Center and the Materials Re-use Project. The auction involved used cars being transformed into “mobile art” pieces by a variety of artists, while other artists created wheel-themed sculptures using recycled materials. The pieces were to be placed outside “cultural institutions and heritage sites” in the Buffalo-Niagara region.

The auction program stated that Steel Magnolias “reflects some of the scenes painted by Charles E. Burchfield to represent growth, renewal, and the regeneration of the spirit.” The Tokasz family indicated that the metal in the sculpture came from industrial equipment that was no longer in use in Western New York, thus recycling items like old fans and road fixing machines into a thing of beauty.

Reinstein Woods would like to contact Bryan Lago to learn more about his creation. If anyone has any information about the artist, please call (716) 683-5959.

In May, the Buffalo Stars Youth Hockey Organization visited Reinstein Woods to offer their volunteer services and protect natural habitats.

A group of 20 volunteers, comprised of team members, parents, and coaches, repaired the fencing on one of the deer exclosures. This helps protect plants and trees from deer so the plants are able to grow. They also planted pussywillows and a white oak tree at a site that had formerly been taken over by common reed (Phragmites australis), an invasive plant. Native species help promote a healthy ecosystem for the wildlife at Reinstein Woods.

The volunteers collected worms for Clover and Clementine, two resuce turtles that live at Reinstein Woods, to finish their day. The 20 volunteers dedicated a total of 60 hours of service to Reinstein Woods to protect and promote the growth of native plants and wildlife.

We appreciate the Buffalo Stars help with these projects and enjoyed the opportunity to educate these young minds about the importance of native habitats.

If your organization is interested in a day of service, please contact Reinstein Woods at 716-683-5959. We would love to have your help in the woods!

Families enjoyed building fairy houses out of found materials at Amherst State Park yesterday. Children used leaves, sticks, acorns, and other plant seeds to create small shelters and retreats for animals live and imaginary.