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0Youth Programs
Youth Programs
Reinstein Woods Youth Programs
Explore nature on a field trip to Reinstein Woods, or let us bring nature to you through one of our outreach programs! Service projects, badges and Eagle Scout opportunities are also discussed here.
Reservations
Reinstein Woods offers guided tours and outreach programs to children of all ages. A minimum of 10 participants (children and adults) is required to schedule a program. Please contact us a minimum of three weeks before your desired date. Please be sure that the date is acceptable to your group before making the reservation, as we are often unable to reschedule groups. For guided outdoor programs, February, May, June, and October are our busiest months; call early to reserve your preferred dates. After making a program reservation, you will receive a confirmation letter by e-mail or by postal mail.
To schedule a program, fill out a request form.
Guided Tours
Reinstein Woods educators or trained volunteers will lead your group on
an outdoor exploration of nature.
These programs are conducted outdoors, last about 1 ½ hours, and are offered year-round for all ages (unless otherwise noted). Please plan on about a two-hour time frame for your visit to Reinstein Woods, to allow time for arrival, dividing into smaller groups and using the restrooms.
Exploring the Outdoors
Grades preK – 1 A close-up look at nature, emphasizing the development of exploration skills and wonder at the mysteries in the outdoors. Children are encouraged to discover and share the excitement of finding a caterpillar or a chipmunk hole. Hands-on activities help children feel comfortable in the outdoors and appreciate the beauty of our environment.
Animal Signs
Grades 2 and older An introduction to some New York State wildlife and their habitats. Children will search for “clues”-footprints, gnawed trees, and holes-that animals have left and will use these clues to learn about animals’ needs, life processes and interrelationships.
Evening Adventure
All ages Participants will use their senses while experiencing a walk in the woods in the evening. Learn about animals that are active at night, and the adaptations they use to survive. Hands-on activities help children to explore and feel comfortable in the outdoors as the sun goes down.
Winter Challenges
All ages Participants will discover how wildlife survive the cold challenges of the winter season by taking a guided walk on snowshoes to search for animal homes, tracks, and other signs. Minimum of 6″ of snow is required to use snowshoes; if there is not enough snow we will walk instead. Offered December-March only, weather permitting.
Guided Tour Fees
Guided tour fee = $5 / Person.
Winter Challenges (includes snowshoe rental) = $10 / person
Please note: You are responsible for paying for the number of people originally scheduled, even if some are absent.
Payments are preferred by check (payable to “Friends of Reinstein Woods”) or credit card; cash is also accepted. Friends of Reinstein Woods is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization which supports education programs at Reinstein Woods. Groups with financial limitations may fill out a scholarship application to request a fee waiver.
Chaperones
There must be a minimum of one adult chaperone for each field party of children (two is recommended). Chaperones must be prepared to participate fully in all activities, may be asked to assist the instructor with some tasks and are also responsible for the discipline of the group.
Weather
Participants must be prepared to encounter weather! Watch the weather forecasts before your tour date and encourage parents to do the same. Please make every effort to see that children are prepared for any possible weather conditions. We reserve the right to refuse to take anyone outdoors who is not appropriately dressed for the weather.
Cancellations
If you must cancel your scheduled tour for any reason, please contact us at 716-683-5959 at least one hour before the designated time. We reserve the right to cancel a tour in unsafe conditions (e.g. thunderstorms, high winds, extreme cold). If the weather is questionable, please call us to check the weather conditions at Reinstein Woods.
Facilities
Full service bathrooms are available on site. Small groups (maximum 30 people) may use the pavilion or classroom (if available) for lunch upon request. Picnic pavilions and restrooms for large groups are available at neighboring Stiglmeier Park (Town of Cheektowaga) on Losson Road. Contact the Cheektowaga Parks Department at 716-656-2280 for more information.
Outreach Programs
A Reinstein Woods educator will bring nature to your group in these exciting educational programs, which last about 45 minutes.
To ensure a quality, interactive session, a maximum of 25 children per session is allowed. There is a requested donation of $50.00 per outreach program session. Payments are preferred by check (payable to “Friends of Reinstein Woods”) or credit card; cash is also accepted.
Amazing Owls
Owls are amazing creatures of the night. Participants will learn about the adaptations that make them so well suited to their nocturnal lifestyle through hands-on activities.
Animal Tracks
Participants learn about tracks and traces of local wildlife through interactive activities.
CSI: Critter Sign Investigation
Examine evidence left by insects, birds and mammals and interpret these “clues” to learn about local wildlife.
Fantastic Frogs
Through hands-on and whole-body activities, participants take an in-depth look at the adaptations of New York’s frogs.
Nature’s Recyclers
Learn how red wiggler worms take food scraps and make compost to use in gardens. This presentation will include other creatures living in compost bins, how to make a compost bin and what foods you can feed your worms.
Skull Science
Using skulls from New York State wildlife, participants will explore how the physical features of different species help them to survive in their environment.
Trash Talk
Participants will learn about the three “R’s” (reduce, reuse, recycle), explore the impact of garbage on the environment, and find out ways to reduce, reuse and recycle at home.
Watershed Works
Participants will learn what a watershed is, how water can become polluted and ways to help protect our water resources, using a 3-D watershed model and hands-on activities.
Service Projects
We can accommodate groups looking to complete service hours with trail maintenance work and other small projects; call to arrange a work day at Reinstein Woods. Groups can also participate in the Annual Spring Cleanup held on the first Saturday in May.
Badges
We are usually able to accommodate groups of scouts who are looking to work on a specific badge requirement, for example: tree identification, wildflower identification, birdwatching, etc. If you have scouts who are looking to work on a badge, please inform the staff when you call to schedule a program. You may be asked to provide a copy of the requirements to Reinstein Woods staff prior to the program.
Eagle Scouts
We have limited Eagle Scout project opportunities available. Past Eagle Scout projects have included coordinating stream cleanup, constructing deer exclosures, building a composting bin, and rehabilitating trails. Call 716-683-5959 to learn more and to schedule a meeting with the service project coordinator.
More Info
Tours and Programs
We offer lots of opportunities to share in nature’s harmony.
Tour Information
