Halloween at Tinker Nature Park

Thanks to the volunteers from R-H High School!

Fall Harvest Festival At Tinker Park

Always a favorite

Harvesting the Honey

Tastings of Honey Treats

BEES!

This year has been a banner year in bee swarms. As of today we have recovered 5 swarms, which brings the park up to 10 hives. Not to bad since we came out of the winter with 4 hives.

We travelled to Liberty Hill on Lehigh Station Road to grab this swarm.

Just as we were getting into position to recover the Liberty Hill swarm, it broke.

We followed the swarm about 1/3 of a mile before it occupied a low lying bush. Here is Tim maneuvering the girls into a hive box.

This swarm and the one below originated from two of our very own established hives.

DiPrimo Eagle Scout Project

Joey DiPrimo from Boy Scout Troop 171 completed his Eagle Scout Project on 23 May 2009. He was boarded on 25 June and awarded his Eagle Scout. Congrats!

Joey and crew fixing up the flower beds around the gazebo.

Joey relaxing on one of the four benches he built for the gazebo.

The finished project

Children's Fishing with the Avon Anglers

On 23 May, the Avon Anglers volunteered their love of fishing to the park. They also donated and cooked lunch for the 100 folks who attended.

Tim handling a true monster of a frog. This year we saw a lot of bullhead and some bluegill.

Ken from Avon Anglers calling out door prize winners.

One of the Avon Anglers cooking hot dogs.

No event is official with out "Ranger Bob".

Fighting the Tinker Pond fish

Winners of the biggest and most fish caught.

New Flag for the Park

Our local Cub Scout Pack purchased a new flag for the park.

The pack with the new flag.

Taking down the old flag.

Raising the new flag.

Our new "ole glory."

BABIES, BABIES, BABIES

Spring is the time for new life, and the park hosts quite the diverse population of wildlife.

A Downy Chested Woodpecker feeds her young just off the boardwalk on the inner trail.

A doe gives an impromptu bath while her fawn nurses.

This fawn was left on a dry spot off the outer trail. The doe was out feeding. This is a very secure spot surrounded by water which makes it tough for predators to track the doe and her fawn.

Mallard ducklings scrounging for food.

Goslings and parents off the boardwalk near the pond.

A vixen had her four kits under the Nature Center shed. Of course we are still finding animals parts all over the park.

THEY'RE BACK!

Spring opens the school tour season. So if you were looking for the park staff, more than likely you did not find us. On any given day we will host over 200 kids at the park. Many are school tours guided by the park staff. Others are self guide like the huge Pinnacle Lutheran crew that came by with parents below.

Our Fowl Friends

A lucky shot of a pair of Wood Ducks on the outer trail, female on the left and male on the right. Did not even know I had the female in the picture until we brought it up on the computer. Of course these crafty and very private critters have alluded all attempts to photograph them again.

This Turkey wandered out on the fitness trail one dreary afternoon and walked down the trail like he owned the place.

Turkey walking over to the pull up station.

Another lucky shot, this time of a Pileated Woodpecker in the open. Usually these guys flitter around in the woods making a good clear shot impossible. We were working in the Apple Orchard when I noticed a pair of Pileated working over a dead stump. One flew off and this one stuck around.

Critters of the Spring

With the impending change of the weather, more and more critters are coming out of their winter homes.

Pair of Green Frogs enjoying an uncommon warm spring day.

Painted turtles sunning themselves in the cattails.

The turtle log is the social heartbeat of the marsh for the Painted Turtles.

Nesting Canadian Goose. This nest fell victim to predation.

First Goslings of the season. This particular family is down to two Goslings.

Bluebird in early spring.

The kings of the marsh have returned, Red Wing Blackbird claiming his territory.

A clutch of snakes sunning themselves off the outer trail.

EARTH DAY/ARBOR DAY

The Tinker Nature Park celebrated both Earth Day and Arbor Day on the 25th of April. There were plenty of activities to keep anyone busy.

The Environmental Science Department from Rochester Institute of Technology donated their time to conduct pond studies with any who were interested.

Girl Scout Troop 142 earned their Bronze Award by volunteering their time. The troop handed out instructions, advise and seeds for vegetables and flowers.

In honor of Arbor Day we planted an Oak tree to replace a tree that fell down near the museum.

Carol Tinker Aldridge dedicates our newest addition with the assistance of Troop 142.

The World of Wildlife Educational Encounters (W.O.W.E.E.) conducted two shows and brought many critters to visit the park.

Music by Dean Santos

EASTER AT TINKER NATURE PARK

We conducted our annual Easter celebration this year on Saturday, April 4th. Even though the weather did not necessarily cooperate, the turn out was good. The kids cleared the fields around the park of all Easter eggs in roughly 3 1/2 minutes.

Scouring the field for eggs.

Crafts in the Nature Center

One tired Easter Bunny with helpers.

As always, this event would never have been successful without the Henrietta Recreation Department and the efforts of a strong cadre of volunteers. Helping out this year was the volunteers from the Hansen Nature center, Tinker Homestead Museum, Rush-Henrietta Asset Team, Rush-Henrietta Rotary Club Interact and interns from Finger Lakes Community college.

Hansen Nature Center is pleased to host the US Fish and Wildlife Service's traveling exhibit:

The American Bald Eagle: Road to Recovery.

The exhibit will be on display for 3 months and documents the Eagle's reclassification from Endangered to Threatened Species as defined by the Federal Government. Included in the display is a replica eagle nest, a life size model of an eagle in flight and information of the eagle in N.Y.













The Annual Lunar Ski Event at Tinker Nature Park was once again a big hit.
Over 100 outdoor enthusiasts enjoyed a warm evening of skiing and snowshoeing. Friends of Tinker Volunteers made and served 6 crocks of chili to our guests as well as provided guided snowshoe walks.

Winter 2009 Continued...

10 point buck that visited the Park during mating season. He actually had competition this year, we also observed an 8 pointer and two 6 pointers.
(Photo by "Ranger Bob")

Henrietta Senior Center visited for snow shoeing.

Local Girl Scout troop out shoeing as well.

Another Park intern from Finger Lakes Community College conducting a program with the Girl Scouts.

Cub Scouts enjoying some crafts.

Boy Scout Troop 171 having a winter activity day at the Park.

FALL/WINTER 2008-2009

Despite the cold wet weather, the Park remains active with maintenance and visitors.

This tree was slowly falling down over the boardwalk on the inner trail so we had it cut down.

One of the guys from Smith Tree Service hooking up a pulley to the offending tree.

Cutting up the tree.

During the late fall, our local Cub Scout Den came in and cleaned up the auditorium.

First snow shoe of the season.

On January 10 & 11 the Park hosted our annual Christmas Tree Recycling. The chipper and a worker was donated by Baker Tree Service. The x-mas tree mulch will be used for trail maintenance. Food was also collected for the Rush-Henrietta Area Food Terminal.

Volunteer "Ranger Bob" helps load up the chipper with another victim.

Group shot of a local Brownie Troop that visited the Park.

The Brownies learn about nature from one of the Park's interns from Finger Lakes Community College.