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!

If you attended Winter Wonderland, you may have seen the Coalition of Positively Charged People‘s unique battery chute that was helping folks recycle alkaline (normal household) batteries. While Reinstein Woods is no longer accepting alkaline batteries, we do accept the following materials for recycling:

• rechargeable batteries
• sneakers in usable condition
• clean, empty skin care, hair care and cosmetic containers that otherwise wouldn’t be able to be recycled
• toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, floss and deodorant containers through Tom’s of Maine and Terracycle
• PERFECT #6 styrofoam (the kind electronics come wrapped in- must be in perfect condition)
• Cell Phones (for Soldiers)

You can bring these items to the “recycling station” inside the Education Center Monday through Friday 9 am to 4:30 pm and Saturdays from 1 pm to 4:30 pm.

Additionally, you can bring used clothing and blankets any time and place them in the Hearts for the Homeless bin in the main parking lot. Clothing doesn’t have to be in perfect condition (items can be sold to markets for industrial rags, for instance) but should be clean and dry.

To find where to recycle other items, visit earth911.org.

Spring and “springtime” bring to mind three R’s: rebirth, renewal and regrowth. There are also the three R’s of waste management: reduce, reuse, recycle….but let’s gets back to spring! The spring season is full of transformations. The temperature rises to a more bearable degree, and the trees once again bud into lush, green, picture-perfect plants. Aside from the weather’s transformation, Reinstein Woods also transforms as local nature lovers and area schools merge upon the woods to witness the amazing spring awakening. Just like Nature starting another season of new growth and beauty, people often want to try something a bit different from their usual activities.

If you’re at the point of shaking things up in a spring awakening, why not join a Friends committee? We have several active committees that are the lifeblood of our organization, including membership, finance, development, and events committees. Currently, our Events Committee could use a few more helpers. This committee meets bi-monthly to plan great events like Nature’s Gathering.  You can learn more and find meeting dates and contact info on our web page, or you can contact me at president@reinsteinwoods.org. If you aren’t up to joining a committee, we can always use members to help set up and work at Friends- sponsored events like Get Outdoors! Community Day.

In closing, I’m a firm believer in trying on “different hats.” You’ll never know how it fits if you don’t try it on!  In my years of volunteering at Reinstein Woods, I’ve worn many hats (most recently the squirrel hat in the photo) and none that I’ve regretted!

Enjoy and respect the outdoors and I hope to see you soon at Reinstein Woods.

-Terrence Boyle, President, Friends of Reinstein Woods