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Reinstein Woods dedicated to Old-Growth Forest Network
The Old-Growth Forest Network (OGFN) added the forest at Dr. Victor Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve in the town of Cheektowaga to its network of protected forests in a ceremony September 11, 2015. Forests in the Network are permanently protected from logging and are open to the public.
“A visit to Reinstein Woods’ mature beech-maple forest introduces you to the majesty of large, old trees and the wildlife that call them home,” said Reinstein Woods Center Director Meaghan Boice-Green. “We thank the OGFN for bringing attention to the need to protect forests like Reinstein Woods for future generations.”
OGFN Executive Director Dr. Joan Maloof said, “It is our hope that those who experience the beauty and the spirit found in ancient forests will be inspired to protect them. When we protect forests we also protect biodiversity, clean water and clean air.”
Dr. Maloof presented a sign and certificate to the Center Director at a ceremony attended by Friends of Reinstein Woods officials, local partners and volunteers who help maintain the forest. The ceremony was followed by a walk on the beech tree trail to see the Champion Beech tree, the largest American beech tree in New York State.
Reinstein Woods is the 49th forest to be dedicated in the Old-Growth Forest Network, and the eighth in New York State.
Reinstein Woods was donated to DEC by the estate of Dr. Victor Reinstein in 1986. The property includes more than 70 acres of mature beech-maple forest, as well as a series of ponds, wetlands and immature forest that are home to a variety of wildlife. More than 3.5 miles of trails through the woods are open to the public year-round.
The mission of the OGFN is to connect people with nature by creating a national network of protected, mature, publicly accessible, native forests. The goal is to preserve at least one forest in every county in the United States that can sustain a forest, estimated to be 2,370 out of a total of 3,140 counties. The Network’s website provides a place for nature-lovers to seek out public forests in their area and to learn more about what they can do to protect them.
