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New bridge at Chapin's nature preserve dedicated to conservationist Mark Volpe

By Howard B. Owens

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Mark Volpe loved nature, and as that became apparent to CEO Jim Campbell, Campbell gave him a job only suitable to a conservationist -- manager of the private nature preserve behind the Chapin Manufacturing factory on Ellicott Street in Batavia.

Volpe worked for Chapin for 35 years with much of that time dedicated to the care and maintenance of the 70-acre preserve. He died in November 2018.

In addressing visitors at the conservation area Friday, Campbell stressed the importance of staying on the marked trails while explaining the slice of nature Volpe tended.

"This 70 acres encompasses meadows, hardwood forests, lowlands, wetlands, and actually open water," Campbell said. "It's quite a diverse ecosystem."

Volpe's dedication to the preserve was marked today with a ribbon-cutting by his widow Louise Volpe on a bridge that now ties together the east side and the west side of the property. 

Volpe's children and grandchildren were also present to walk with Louise across the bridge for the first time.

"He just enjoyed coming out here," Louise said. "I would come out here with him. He loved nature, the earth, and everything about it. He was just that kind of person who is an outdoorsman. He loved it. That's why he jumped at the opportunity to take over out here when Jimmy asked him, so I think that was kind of special what Jim did."

The bridge was actually Mark Volpe's idea.  The property is divided by a wide, shallow stream, so to access the conservation area, one would have to come in either from the east or west side and not be able to cross over.

"Mark did plan this before his passing," Campbell said. "He was working with his good friend Jeff McGivern. Jeff and his crew actually built this bridge. This bridge is actually a repurposed dragline. For those who don't know what a dragline is, it's really like a big crane. This was the boom of a dragline that Jeff repurposed. It's 110 feet long. Maybe it doesn't look that great, but it actually can hold probably about seven or eight tons. So it's very safe."

Mark's brother is John Volpe, who is also active locally in environmental causes.

Volpe's daughter Melissa Miller closed the private ceremony with a thank you message for Campbell and everybody at Chapin.

"We would like to thank everyone at Chapin's who created this memorial in honor of my dad," she said. "As you all know, he devoted his life to his family and his job here at Chapin's. He also had many hobbies and activities that he loved. One of his favorites was spending time outdoors with nature. He was extremely passionate about it and found profound meaning in all things relating to nature. We are extremely grateful and honored that you are remembering him in such a beautiful and special way in a way that embodies who he truly was, and in a place that he loved so much. This tribute means so much to all of us. And I know my dad would be honored and so happy to be remembered this way."

Employees of Chapin's are welcome to visit the conservation area at any time. The rest of the public is allowed to hike the property with the company's prior permission.  There is no hunting or fishing permitted on the property.  Visitors are required to stay on trails, both to protect the environment and for their own safety.

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Genesee County Park offering 'Winter Wonderland' hikes

By Press Release

Press Release:

Enjoy the forest in winter and track the secret lives of wild animals on a guided hike! Winter Wonderland Hikes are held at the Interpretive Nature Center at the Genesee County Park & Forest on the following Saturdays:

January 8th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm
February 12th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Hikes will go, snow or no snow. Snowshoes may be used, weather permitting, and are available for rent or you may bring your own. Snowshoeing lesson provided, no previous experience needed! Rental is included in the price, $5/person, $15 max/family. Recommended for ages 3 and up! Space is limited! Pre-registration is required, call 585-344-1122! Masks must be worn whenever unable to maintain 6 feet of social distance.

Join us for Winter Fun Night Hikes from 7:00 to 9:00 pm on the following Saturdays:

January 8th Meet at the Interpretive Nature Center
February 12th Meet at Pavilion A

Enjoy the tranquil beauty of the forest at night! Park guides lead you on a night hike for ages 18 and over.

Snowshoes may be used, weather permitting, and are available for rent or you may bring your own. Snowshoeing lesson provided, no previous experience needed! Rental is included in the price, $5/person, $15 max/family. Space is limited! Pre-registration is required, call 585-344-1122! Masks must be worn whenever unable to maintain 6 feet
of social distance.

Make a memory this winter with your own Private Group Snowshoe Hike! A Naturalist guides your group through peaceful woodland trails and open meadows. Listen to winter’s quiet beauty and find signs of wildlife in this 431-acre park. Private hikes are available on Saturdays in January and February from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm by reservation only at the Interpretive Nature Center. No previous experience is needed; snowshoes provided or bring your own. Rental is included in the price. Limit group size of 10 people. $5/person, minimum group fee is $50. Call 585-344-1122 to book your own adventure!

Snowshoe Rentals are available at the Genesee County Park & Forest Interpretive Center 10:00 am – 3:00 pm on Thursdays and Fridays, 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays December through March, weather permitting. Snowshoes must be used in the park. Fee is $5/pair and all proceeds go to ACORNS, the nonprofit organization that supports the parks!

Call (585) 344-1122 to register. For more information visit our website at
http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/parks/,

Rudy, the painting turtle, puts on an educational show for children at Interpretive Center

By Howard B. Owens
Video Sponsor
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"Rudy" is an artiste. She has her own expressive way of coloring a canvas and today, area children got to help her make individual pieces of art for them to take home.

The art event was held outside the Interpretive Center at Genesee County Park & Forest.

The children also learned about 14-year-old Rudy and her fellow red-eared slider turtles, which hail from the Southern United States.

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Photo: pigeon with a bracelet

By Howard B. Owens

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Angela Schlaggel spotted this white pigeon in the parking lot of The Salvation Army in Batavia and noticed it was wearing a bracelet. 

The pigeon had been at the location for the last two hours at the time Schlaggel sent us the picture this morning.

"It has a bracelet and isn't bothered by my presence at all so I think it may be someone's escaped pet," she said. 

Photo: A butterfly

By Howard B. Owens

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Anna Fenton shared these photos of a butterfly she found in her back yard.

Can any readers identify it?

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Photo: An oriole in the morning

By Howard B. Owens

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James Elmore shared this photo from Thursday morning of an oriole eating some jelly in his backyard.

Photos: Happy Earth Day

By Howard B. Owens

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Photos submitted by Jason Smith, taken in his back yard in Batavia.

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Photo: Caterpillar

By Howard B. Owens

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I spotted this caterpillar inching over the asphalt of our driveway so I grabbed my macro lens to try and make a picture of him (or her).

Photo: Bald eagle in Pembroke

By Howard B. Owens

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Jason Bell sent us this picture of a bald eagle he spotted in Pembroke yesterday.

Enjoy wintertime hiking in snowshoes with naturalist at county Park & Forest

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Discover secrets of the wild this winter and/or the serenity of hiking on moonlit snow with naturalist-guided hikes at Genesee County Park & Forest! 

Winter Wonderland Hikes are held on Saturdays from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Hikes begin at the Interpretive Nature Center and end with hot chocolate and snacks.

Topics:

  • Saturday, Jan. 13th: Animal Tracks
  • Saturday, Feb. 3rd: Whistle Pigs (and other squirrels)

Snowshoes may be used, weather permitting, and are available for rent or you may bring your own. Snowshoeing lesson provided, no previous experience needed! Rental is included in the price, $5/person, $15 max/family.

Moonlight Hike and Winter Walks -- for adults only -- guided by a naturalist are offered from 7 to 9 p.m. on the dates below. Meet at Pavilion B.

  • Saturday, Jan. 27th
  • Saturday, Feb. 24th

Enjoy the tranquil beauty of the forest on a full moon night! 

Moonlight Hikes begin and conclude with refreshments by a warm fire! For ages 18 and over. Snowshoes may be used, weather permitting, and are available for rent or you may bring your own. Snowshoeing lesson provided, no previous experience needed! Rental is included in the price, $5/person, $15 max/family.

Pre-registration is required for ALL naturalist-guided hikes; call 585-344-1122.

Make a memory this winter with your own Private Group Snowshoe Hike! A naturalist guides your group through peaceful woodland trails and open meadows. Listen to winter’s quiet beauty and find signs of wildlife in this 431-acre park. Private hikes are available on Saturdays in January and February from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. by reservation only at the Interpretive Nature Center. No previous experience is needed; snowshoes provided or bring your own. Rental is included in the price, $5/person, minimum group fee is $75. Call 585-344-1122 to book your own adventure!

Snowshoe rentals are available at the Genesee County Park and Forest Interpretive Center 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, 12 – 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays December through March, weather permitting. Rented snowshoes must be used in the park. Fee is $5/pair and all proceeds go to ACORNS, the nonprofit organization that supports the parks!

Call (585) 344-1122 to register. For more information visit our website at http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/parks/, or contact Shannon Morley at Shannon.Morley@co.genesee.ny.us or (585) 344-1122.

Genesee County Park & Forest Interpretive Center is located at 11095 Bethany Center Road, East Bethany.

Lunch on the Lawn – Solar Eclipse

By
Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross St., Batavia presents “Lunch on the Lawn—Solar Eclipse” on Monday, August 21 at 1:00 pm. Bring your own sandwich and lawn chair or blanket to view the first American solar eclipse in almost 40 years. Although Batavia is not on the direct path for the total eclipse, we will be able to view a partial eclipse covering about 70% of the sun. Protective glasses are provided free to those attending the program. (You may then choose your own viewing location.) For more information, call the library at 585-343-9550 or visit www.batavialibrary.org.
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Oakfield Alabama Lions Club Childrens Fishing Contest

By
Free for: Children up to 16 yrs. old with an Adult Grand Prize: Second Chance Prizes: Longest Fish—2 winners (1 Girl/1 Boy) for all fish entered Come join us for an afternoon of fishing fun at one of Genesee Counties beautiful parks! All participants should bring their own fishing gear. Only fish caught at Dewitt Pond will be eligible for prizes.
Event Date and Time
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Butterfly fans: Register for 'Watching Monarchs' at GC Park & Forest Saturday

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Monarch Butterflies -- "Masters of Migration" -- travel through New York during the month of September!

Seize the last few days of summer with a visit to a butterfly meadow and a journey into their world! Join us for "Watching Monarchs" from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9th, at Genesee County Park & Forest.

Take part in a nationwide Monarch conservation project, see how they are tagged and released, and meet these masters of migration up close and personal Learn all about their fascinating lives and discover what you can do to help them out!

Price is $5/person, $10/family. Space is limited, preregistration is required! Call 585-344-1122 to register.

GC Park & Forest is located at 11095 Bethany Center Road in East Bethany.

For more information visit their website here or contact Shannon Morley at Shannon.Morley@co.genesee.ny.us or (585) 344-1122.

Behold the trout lily! Hike with naturalist Saturday at GC Park & Forest's Wildflower Walk, must preregister

By Billie Owens

Submitted photo and press release:

Cutleaf toothwort, trout lily, mayapple...Hike with a naturalist guide on our Wildflower Walk May 6th and learn the names, growing habits, and adaptations of the forest’s first flowers.

Seize the day and enjoy the magic of spring while it lasts! Cameras are recommended!

Wildflower Walk takes place on Saturday, May 6th from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Genesee County Park & Forest. The walk begins at the Interpretive Nature Center, located at 11095 Bethany Center Road, East Bethany.

Cost is $5/person, $10/family. Preregistration is required. Call 585-344-1122 to reserve your spot.

For more information visit our website at http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/parks/, or contact Shannon Morley at Shannon.Morley@co.genesee.ny.us or (585) 344-1122.

Winners announced in Iroquois photo contest

By Howard B. Owens

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The Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge have announced the winners of their annual photo contest. First Place in the habitat category went to Dan Heale (top photo) and First Place in wildlife went to Kathy Owen (bottom photo). For more winning shots, click here.

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Photos: Earth Day cleanup and nature walk at DeWitt

By Howard B. Owens

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As part of an Earth Day observance, volunteers came out to the DeWitt Recreation Area in Batavia to help with spring cleanup.

The walk around the park was about more than just trash pickup. It included a guided nature walk led by Amy Jessmer, from Albion, with a degree in environmental science from SUNY Brockport, where she is currently working on her master's degree. Jessmer spoke about native and non-native species and the environmental balance of the lake and surrounding habitat.

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The water level of DeWitt is exceptionally low. George Squires, retired from the county's soil and water department, said he doesn't believe he's seen it this low since the 1980s.

Batavia NY a warm winter destination

By James Burns

You  may not consider Batavia a warm winter retreat, but chances are you are not a snowy owl.

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So far this season we have one wintering snowy owl at the Genesee County airport. With the Great Lakes getting colder and starting to freeze over, we could have more spending time here with us. As the lakes freeze, more snowy owls could push inland looking for food and that could mean better bird watching for us in Batavia.

If you have not had a chance to drive by and see it you should make and effort and try. She likes the west end of the airport on most days.

If you cannot make it out this winter you may not have another chance to see one here for awhile. About four years ago there was a very large lemming baby boom due to the arctic being unusually warm. This led to a boom in the snowy owl population. Since the arctic has remained warmer than normal the lemming population has burned out. The young owls are forced to fly as far as 7,000 miles away from home in the winter to find easily found food. As the owls mature, and become better hunters, they will be able to stay in the artic all winter. In the past, this cycle of snowy owls coming this far south for the winter has lasted about three years. This is the third year for them in Batavia. They may not be back again for awhile. Since there is only one snowy owl in town, instead of three to five like the last few years, it may point to the cycle ending. 

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Photo: Bird Feeder

By Howard B. Owens

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Some of the activity at our bird feeder this afternoon.

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