Male American Toad Trilling!

Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve

Culminating EE Week, about 500 people attended the Earth Day Celebration at Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve and EE Center on Saturday, April 19th. The event kicked off with a stream cleanup cosponsored by Western New York AmeriCorps and Hands On Greater Buffalo. Displays and exhibits in and around the education center provided ideas for how to conserve and protect our water resource. Children were able to explore new hands-on exhibits relating to pond life, make a dragonfly craft from recycled materials, and play a "Conservation Clue" game where participants learned how they can save water or energy in their everyday lives. Many visitors brought their used athletic shoes and ink-jet cartridges to be recycled. Outdoors, the thermometer reached almost 90 degrees! Hybrid and compressed natural gas vehicles and center Director Meaghan Boice-Green's straight vegetable oil (SVO) fueled car were displayed with information about the mileage, annual fuel costs, greenhouse gas and air pollution ratings for each. Friends of Reinstein Nature Preserve sold shade-grown organic coffee in biodegradable, corn-plastic mugs, along with organic snacks. The beautiful weather enabled participants to take a "Trees of Reinstein Woods" tour, and then bring home a tree seedling to plant. Highlighting the day was the chorus of American Toads trilling in the pond outside the education center. Many visitors were able to view the toads up close while the males exhibited their mating call.