Goats recently visited Reinstein Woods to help control an invasive plant. Reinstein Intern Nick Morelli prepared this video to explain why our furry friends were needed, and chatted with the goat’s owners to learn more. Click on the picture to view Goat Video.

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.

Snowshoeing in September…faux fly-fishing…pond critters… and exotic animals from the Buffalo Zoo. While these are some perennial Fall Festival favorites, we thought we’d share a little about new things at the 2017 Fall Festival, happening Saturday, September 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Did you know Mrs. Julia Reinstein, Dr. Victor Reinstein’s second wife and a patron of Friends of Reinstein Woods, was the Cheektowaga Town historian for many years? We think Mrs. Reinstein would be excited that one of this year’s new exhibitors is Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village. Another new exhibitor is the US Department of Agriculture’s APHIS program, a group that works to protect the United States from illegal imports of exotic species.

Friends of Reinstein has invited the Yogurt Shack to provide a cool, sweet treat to top off your meal from Boy Scout Troop 500’s food stand. A portion of the Yogurt Shack proceeds will support Friends of Reinstein Woods.

This year’s festival theme is “The Great Outdoors,” and so we’ve added a Wildlife Spotter’s Challenge to the outdoor fun, along with Nature Play Stations for kids! Additional, we’ve invited some special guests to lead short hikes through Reinstein Woods (see the schedule of events).

If you like making things to take home, several exhibitors are offering crafts for kids this year, including Buffalo Audubon Society and Cheektowaga Youth & Recreation. That’s in addition to the nature craft-making sponsored by Reinstein Woods, including pine cone owls and wooly bears!

Like other years, there will be something for everyone, rain or shine. Click here for all the details, and we’ll see you on the 16th!

Thanks to a grant from the New York Power Authority, Friends of Reinstein Woods will be beginning a two-year effort to control common reed in some portions of Reinstein Woods. Common reed, also known by its Latin name Phragmites australis, is an aggressive species that is impacting cattail marshes in the southern half of Reinstein Woods.

A certified pesticide applicator will cut stems and directly apply chemicals to the plants in early fall, when the plants are moving sugars down into their roots. The treatment will be followed by mowing a few weeks later. Most of the work will happen in the sanctuary in the southern half of the preserve, away from the public trails. The treatment will be repeated next year, in the hopes that only spot treatments will be needed after that.

You may notice that common reed is common in other parts of Reinstein Woods as well. If the project is successful in protecting our cattail marshes, similar methods may be used to combat common reed in other parts of the preserve.

Reinstein Woods is all about nature, the changing seasons and team work. Teamwork is an important part of a favorite American spring pass time: baseball.   Reinstein Woods and baseball may not seem to tie together, but this year there’s a definite parallel: I’d like to introduce our new board of directors’ Garlic Mustard Challenge team “The Mustard Maulers.”

Most sports are based on traditions, and at Reinstein Woods we conduct an annual Garlic Mustard Challenge as an important tradition.  Baseball has a season, and a league. Our season runs from April 18 to June 18 and we are part of the Invasive Species league.  Baseball games are generally played in stadiums; most of our “games” are held at places like Flattail Lake, Secluded Swamp and Muskrat Marsh.

Nicknames play a big role in baseball and throughout the years I recall names like “The Babe,” “Rocky,” “Catfish” and “The Mick.” Our roster includes, “Vida Blue Vinod,” “L A Banks,” “Terry the Pirate” and “Casey” our leader, to name just a few.

Our team “The Mustard Maulers” held opening day on Sunday, May 17 when we pulled 40 pounds of garlic mustard from Reinstein Woods.  Our team color is, naturally, mustard yellow. We have a young [?] talented team, we play to win, but we are not Hot Dogs. The Garlic Mustard plant is a tough opponent!!!

The GMC continues through June 18, so there is still time for you to join the league. More information is available at the League office, 93 Honorine Drive Depew, NY or by calling Matt at (716)683-5959.

• Mike Gettings [aka, Johnny Mustard Seed]

WNY Nature Preserves and DEC Join Forces to Combat an Invasive Plant Species

Scout groups, civic organizations, families and individuals are invited to participate in the “Garlic Mustard Challenge,” a friendly competition to remove a harmful plant from Western New York. The Buffalo Audubon Society, Western New York Land Conservancy, Friends of Reinstein Woods, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) have joined forces to improve the habitats of three natural areas by ridding them of garlic mustard. The challenge starts Saturday, April 18.

“Garlic mustard is an invasive species that is harming forests in Western New York,” said Reinstein Woods Center Director Meaghan Boice-Green. “The Garlic Mustard Challenge gets people outside in nature and uses their collective volunteer power in an exciting and effective way.”

Garlic mustard was originally brought from Europe as a source of food, but it escaped from gardens and has invaded forests throughout the eastern United States, crowding out native wildflowers like trillium and Dutchman’s breeches.

Fortunately, garlic mustard is easy to identify and easy to remove by hand, even for a child. Last year, hundreds of volunteers participating in the challenge removed more than 5,100 pounds of garlic mustard. This year, volunteers can sign up to remove garlic mustard at three locations:

• Buffalo Audubon’s Beaver Meadow Nature Center in North Java (Wyoming County)
• DEC’s Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve in Cheektowaga (Erie County)
• Western New York Land Conservancy’s Kenneglenn Preserve in Wales (Erie County)

Buffalo Audubon and Reinstein Woods will hold kickoff events on Saturday, April 18 at 11 a.m. Participants will learn how to identify and remove the plant, as well as how the competition will work. Entire groups may attend or send a representative and begin pulling garlic mustard that day. Groups will be welcome to remove garlic mustard as often as they like until the final pull date of Thursday, June 18.

The teams that pull the most garlic mustard throughout the season will win prizes, including a weekend stay at the cabin at Beaver Meadow, snowshoe and ski rentals at Reinstein Woods and more.

The nature preserve that harnesses the most volunteer power will be crowned the “Challenge Champion.” The winners will be announced during an award ceremony on Saturday, June 20, 2015 at Kenneglenn Nature Preserve in Wales.

“This is a great way for people to become stewards of their local environment,” said Land Conservancy Stewardship Director Kathleen McCormick. “Everyone’s a winner when we help the land.”

Attendance at the April 18 event is encouraged but not mandatory. Groups interested in participating can call the numbers below to register for each site.

• Beaver Meadow Audubon Center, North Java: (585) 457-3228
• WNY Land Conservancy’s Kenneglenn Nature Preserve, Wales (716) 687-1225
• Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, Depew (716) 683-5959

For more information, contact Matt Nusstein at Reinstein Woods (716) 683-5959 or search for “Garlic Mustard Challenge” on Facebook.

On Saturday June 14 at Beaver Meadow Audubon Center, Reinstein Woods’ Cara Politi announced the  winners for the fourth annual Garlic Mustard Challenge. More than 300 volunteers removed 5,100 pounds of the invasive garlic mustard plant from three nature preserves in Western New York, improving hundreds of acres of habitat! The Challenge is a joint effort of Friends of Reinstein Woods, NYSDEC’s Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center, Buffalo Audubon Society and the Western New York Land Conservancy.

To increase their impact , 17 volunteers also removed garlic mustard at the Lewiston Plateau Habitat Area in Lewiston, Niagara County, during a one-day “Super Pull.” Volunteers pulled 277 pounds of garlic mustard in just three hours.

Beaver Meadow Audubon Center claims bragging rights as “Challenge Champion” for harnessing the most volunteer power (pounds of garlic mustard per person) of the three nature preserves. The organization’s 52 volunteers pulled more than 2,394 pounds of garlic mustard!

Thank you to all of the volunteers who participated in the Challenge!

Garlic Mustard Challenge Winners

 Reinstein Woods:

First Place: Riptide Plus, Buffalo (168.75 pounds)
Runner Up: Pack 592, Orchard Park (123.75 pounds)

Beaver Meadow Audubon Center (North Java):

First Place: Olivia’s Mustard, Lancaster (1,113 pounds)
Runner Up: East Pembroke Grange, Pembroke (769 pounds)

Kenneglenn Preserve:                 

First Place: Boy Scout Troop 513, East Aurora (1,016) pounds)
Runner Up: Cub Scout Pack 514, East Aurora (348 pounds)

Lewiston Plateau Habitat Area ‘Super Pull”:

First Place: Unicorn Troop, Kenmore (151.5 pounds)
Runner Up: Daemen YALT, Daemen College (55 pounds)

Pull. Weigh. Win:

Volunteers needed for fourth annual

“Garlic Mustard Challenge” to remove invasive species

Get outside this spring with an exciting volunteer opportunity to help make the local ecosystem healthier! Sign up your scout troop, volunteer organization, friends or family for the “Garlic Mustard Challenge”!  Garlic mustard is an invasive species that is negatively impacting the environment here in Western New York.  Fortunately, garlic mustard is easy to recognize and remove, which is where YOU come in! Last year, hundreds of volunteers removed more than 4,000 pounds of garlic mustard in Western New York.  Volunteers can sign up to combat this invasive species at four locations: Beaver Meadow Audubon Center in North Java, the Land Conservancy’s Kenneglenn in Wales, Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve in Depew or the Lewiston Plateau Habitat Area in Lewiston.

Teams will be challenged to pull the most garlic mustard from their site between April 12, 2014 and June 12, 2014. All teams are invited to an informational “kickoff event” at Reinstein Woods on April 12^th at 11:00 a.m. Attendance at this event is not mandatory. Prizes will be awarded to the teams that pull the most garlic mustard at each site.  This is a perfect opportunity for people of almost any age or ability to make a difference. Interested volunteers must register their team for any of the “pull sites” by calling Cara Politi at Reinstein Woods (716) 683-5959 x210. For more information, search “Garlic Mustard Challenge” on Facebook.