From two Great Lakes to our amazing parks, the Western New York region is blessed with an abundance of natural beauty. Sometimes those serene spots are not quite so obvious — they're hiding in plain sight.
Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve lies tucked away in the midst of a bustling suburban development in Cheektowaga. Surrounded by businesses and a residential neighborhood, the preserve may have been lost long ago if it hadn't been for Dr. Victor Reinstein, a local physician.
He bought the nearly 300 acres in 1932, beginning the process of preserving a natural gift to the community that has now spanned decades.
" At one point he owned most of the land in the Town of Cheektowaga, and he gradually, over time, sold it off to developers, but he kept this area here as sort of his backyard sanctuary," said Meaghan Boice-Green, director of Reinstein Woods.
Dr. Reinstein was quite dedicated to this land. He enhanced the original property in many ways.
"A lot of the forest here was planted by Dr. Reinstein. We have several areas where he planted, depending on which source you believe, 30-40,000 conifer seedlings," explains Boice-Green. "He would come in here and use a bulldozer, and he built several miles of roads as well as nineteen ponds and wetlands."
Reinstein died in 1984. As per his wishes, his widow, Julia Boyer Reinstein, donated the land to the State of New York, which assumed control of the property in 1986.
The Dr. Victor Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve was officially dedicated in August of 1989. The preserve is now managed by the NYS DEC and the non-profit group, Friends of Reinstein Woods.
"We provide opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to come out learn about nature, just enjoy nature. We do different public programs in every season. We have several thousand school children that come here every year on guided field trips," said Boice-Green.
Once you're hiking in Reinstein, it's hard to believe you're surrounded by a busy community. The beauty and silence create the illusion of travelling in a hidden forest. Boice-Green says that there are old growth trees here, birds galore, and lots of wildlife.
"We have fox, and we do have coyote that use the property. In the winter, if you're lucky, you can spot muskrat and mink in some of our ponds. We've had a lot of sightings of those, and a couple of years ago, we even had a river otter that came upstream and hung out here for a little while," said Boice-Green.
2 the Outdoors Reporter Terry Belke asks, "You never know what you're going to see out here do you?" "No, you never do," said Boice-Green.
This lush green sanctuary is a gift that all of the Western New York community should be grateful for. Dr. Reinstein's generosity has left a legacy for all of us to enjoy.
"His daughter lives in California and still visits every couple years, and according to her, she thinks her parents would be happy with how we're managing it and the fact that it is providing an opportunity for so many Western New Yorkers to experience nature and to fall in love with it the way her parents loved it," said Boice-Green.
For more information, visit Reinstein Woods' website by clicking HERE.