Memorial to longtime ACORNS volunteer Dennis Wood to be dedicated Saturday
File photo (submitted) of Daisy Klein, Lee Johnson, Barbara Easton, George Squires, George Wood, Jennifer Wood and Sharon McWethy.
At 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4, the memorial created in May 2017 to honor the late Dennis Wood, an artist, professor and longtime ACORNS volunteer, will be dedicated.
ACORNS is a nonprofit "friends of the park" group that enhances the public’s experience at the Genesee County parks and fosters environmental stewardship and education.
His widow, Jenny Wood, announced that the ceremony will take place at the Genesee County Park & Forest Interpretive Center. It is located at 11095 Bethany Center Road in East Bethany.
Everyone is welcome; feel free to bring picnic goodies and stay for brunch or lunch!
Dennis Wood was known to be very generous and good friend of the Genesee County Parks in many ways.
He gave his time by participating in ACORNS meetings and field trips, and attending many educational programs. Dennis donated some of his own collections to the Interpretive Nature Center and funded the purchase of children’s field binoculars for use during kids' programs at the park.
Dennis was a very talented artist, and he provided beautiful note-cards for the ACORNS to sell as a fundraiser. The cards feature some of his landscapes and wildlife paintings, and are available for purchase at the Interpretive Center.
Dennis loved to share the joys of art as a professor at GCC, and taught a beginner drawing class to the ACORNS as a volunteer training day. Dennis was a delightful person to be around and is remembered for his quiet way of making people smile and laugh.
His memorial is a fully functional artist's easel that was paid for with funding from ACORNS and a donation from Jenny Wood. It is located in the ACORNS Outdoor Learning Center at Genesee County Park & Forest.
The easel's design was created by Paul Osborn, parks supervisor, and Kurt Schwab, Genesee County Highway Department sign maintenance mechanic. It was then laser cut by Oxbo International. Genesee County Highway welder Rob Barone adapted the donated easel to install the newly created art platform, which was then painted by DJ Desjardins in the paint shop.
