The Town of Amherst Youth and Recreation Department has teamed with Wegmans supermarkets to provide a “Passport to Family Wellness” program that includes Reinstein Woods. The passport highlights Williamsville and Amherst trails, waterways and parklands as well as a few “Trails of Western New York” locations like Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve.

Passport holders visit each site and make a rubbing in the passport as a souvenir of their outdoor adventure. Look for the passport post near the Nature Play Area at Reinstein Woods.

Passports can be picked up at the Amherst Senior Center, area Wegmans supermarkets and Amherst Youth & Recreation Department.

Friends of Reinstein Woods, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), is renting snowshoes and cross-country skis to the general public at Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve on several Sundays this winter.

Weather permitting, snowshoes and skis will be available between 1:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on four Sundays: January 19, February 2, February 16, and February 23, 2014. The fee is $5 per pair of skis or snowshoes. Members of Friends of Reinstein can rent for the discounted rate of $2 per pair. Friends of Reinstein will accept only cash on Sundays.

Visitors can also rent snowshoes and cross-country skis during Reinstein Woods’ normal business hours: Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. During regular business hours, credit cards can be used for rentals totaling $10 or more.

Reinstein Woods is located at 93 Honorine Drive, off of Como Park Boulevard in Depew. The nature preserve has several miles of wide, relatively level trails through forests and wetlands, providing an ideal location to try snowshoes or cross-country skiing for the first time. In addition, Reinstein Woods also offers many “Learn to Ski” and guided snowshoe experiences during the winter months. For a schedule of events, visit www.dec.ny.gov or call Reinstein Woods at (716) 683-5959.