Genesee County Park & Forest

Press Release:

Come enjoy the winter season at the Genesee County Park and Forest! Join us this February and March for a variety of walks, hikes, and programs. 

Programs include:

• Saturday, February 8 – Moonlight Snowshoe Hike
• Saturday, February 15 – Great Backyard Bird Count
• Saturday, February 15 – Through the Year: Stories from the Oldest County Forest in New York State. Presented in partnership with the Letchworth State Park Humphrey Nature Center. This program is free!
• Wednesday, February 19, Thursday, February 20 and Friday, February 21 – Mid-Winter Break Adventures
• Saturday, March 15 – Junior ACORNS Orientation and Trail Ranger Training
• Saturday, March 22 – Early Spring Woods Walk at DeWitt Recreation Area
• Saturday, March 29 – Amphibian Adventure

Walks are led by a guide who takes you through forest, meadow and wetland habitats. Each will explore a different topic. Walks are approximately 1 - 2 miles long over easy terrain and all are family friendly. 

Cost is $5 per person, $10 per family unless otherwise noted. Please pre-register to receive exact meeting location and other details! Register by visiting https://bit.ly/GenCoParkRegistration or by calling 585-344-1122 

For more information visit our website at www.geneseeny.gov/parks or contact Claudia Nusstein at Claudia.Nusstein@geneseeny.gov or 585-344-1122.

When you find there isn't much of a punk rock scene in your hometown, you create your own. That's the DIY ethic of the punk movement, after all.

That's the inspiration behind the second annual Punk Rock Picnic on Sunday in Genesee County Park & Forest.

"We come from Batavia, and we don't really fit in the Rochester scene or the Buffalo scene," said Ronald Ratulowski, one of the organizers of the picnic. "I'm old enough to know we're not going to create a scene in Batavia so this our scene."

There will be five bands playing on Sunday, the two Ratulowski plays in, Cowboy Vampires and Election Day, plus two bands from Buffalo, Space Cowboys and Bastard Bastard Bastard, and a fifth band, Privatized Air.

"We've played with the bands in Buffalo and liked them and wanted them to join our party," Ratulowski said.

The picnic starts at 11 a.m. in Pavilion 2, with the first band taking the stage at 1 p.m.  Each band will play an hour-long set.

Ratulowski and fellow Cowboy Vampire Chris Humel worked together to organize the event.

There aren't many venues in Batavia that book bands playing original music so this is a chance for people to come out to the park and hear local bands playing their own songs, Ratulowski said.

"They can hear music they might not otherwise hear," Ratulowski said.

Submitted photos from 2023.

A group of 25 6th through 10th graders from throughout Genesee County celebrated on Friday the completion of a trail bridge in Genesee County Park & Forest.

It's the 10th project members of Camp Hardhat have completed in the park in the past eight years.

"This is part of bringing this park into the community," said instructor Rich Monroe. "These kids are part of this community as if they were CCC workers way back in the 30s. This is your park kids. It's your park forever."

The names of the participants, along with business sponsors, are enshrined on a metal sign attached to the bridge.

The program introduces the students to the building trades, combining math, process thinking skills, the use of power tools, safety, and the advantages of teamwork.

They also learn the principles of design and construction from area industry leaders such as Bill Hayes from Turnbull HVAC, Keith Berlinski from Hot Wired Electrical, Joma Akana of the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (NASRCC), Dustin Beardsley from Rochester Davis-Fetch Corporation, Lindsie Cook from Livingston Associates, and Taylor McCabe from McCabe Enterprises Electrical Contractor.

Press Release:

Come enjoy the summer season at the Genesee County Park and Forest! Join us this June, July, and August for a variety of walks, hikes, and environmental education programs. 

Programs include:

• Saturday, June 1, July 6, August 3 – Guided Dog Walks
• Saturday, June 29 – WNY PRISM Volunteer Workday (Free)
• Saturday, June 29 – Free Family Fishing Day at DeWitt Recreation Area (Free)
• Friday, July 5 – New Moon Stargazing Walk
• Saturday, July 6 – Diving Deep into Black Creek
• Monday, July 15 through Friday, July 19 – Environmental Science Summer Camp ($95/camper) 
• Saturday, August 3 – Music in the Park at DeWitt Recreation Area (Free)
• Saturday, August 10 – Kayaking at DeWitt Recreation Area ($25/person with kayak rental)
• Saturday, August 17 – Painting in the Park at DeWitt Recreation Area (Free)

Walks are led by a guide who takes you through forest, meadow, and wetland habitats. Each will explore a different topic. Walks are approximately 1 - 2 miles long over easy terrain and all are family friendly. 

Cost is $5 per person, and $10 per family unless otherwise noted. Please pre-register to receive the exact meeting location and other details! Please pre-register by visiting https://bit.ly/GenCoParkRegistration or by calling 585-344-1122.

Environmental Science Summer Camp information can be found at http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/parks. Register your 7th - 10th-grade student by July 8 for a week-long adventure exploring the environment and environmental science careers at the Genesee County Park!

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

Press Release:

The Genesee County Parks Department is excited to announce the launch of a new e-reservation system for pavilions at the DeWitt Recreation Area and the Genesee County Park and Forest. The system is now available on the county website and can be accessed directly at this link.

With the introduction of the e-reservation system, residents can enjoy the convenience of booking a specific pavilion entirely online 24/7. The system offers real-time availability, ensuring users can quickly and easily see which pavilions are available for their preferred dates and times. 

“At Genesee County Parks, we are committed to modernizing our services to better meet the needs of residents," said Paul Osborn, Deputy Highway Superintendent. "The new e-reservation system is a testament to our dedication to providing convenient, user-friendly options for our community to enjoy our beautiful park facilities.”

For those who prefer the traditional method, pavilions can still be reserved by filling out a form at the Genesee County Highway Department, located at 153 Cedar St, Batavia, NY, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In-person reservations can be paid by check or cash. The new online system only accepts debit or credit card payments and charges a convenience fee of $3 for transactions up to $100 and 3% of the total if the amount is over $100. This fee is collected by the system provider, not the county.

For more information or assistance with the new e-reservation system, please contact the Genesee County Highway Department at (585) 344-8508.

Photos by Philip Casper.

The first photo ever of the total solar eclipse was taken by Johann Julius Friedrich Berkowski in Russia on July 28, 1851.  Almost 200 years later, photographers throughout parts of the United States, including Western New York will have their own opportunity to capture their own picture of the rare astronomical event.

The rest of us will be content to slip on ISO 12312-2-rated sunglasses and take in the perhaps once-in-a-lifetime scene. (Be advised, your camera also needs a special filter to get photos of the eclipse, or you risk damaging the censor.)

One place eclipse gazers can go to enjoy the event is the Genesee County Park and Forest, which has prepared for many activities on Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  A partial eclipse starts at 2:06 p.m., with totality lasting from  3:19 to 3:23 p.m. The partial eclipse will then last until 4:30 p.m.

Claudia Nusstein, conservation education program coordinator, said memory lane will be one-way, and the public will have to enter off Bethany Center Road.

She suggested visitors start at the interpretive center, where some activities indoor and outdoor activities.

Pinhole viewers, a telescope to look through, slide shows, different clay and paper models to create, along with sundial, corona eclipse hat, bookmarks, and chalk art are to name some of the many activities throughout the day. 

As you follow the trail around, there are six stations between the center and end at the Raymond Road exit. The parking fee is cash only and is $10.00 per vehicle; however, solar eclipse glasses will be available for free. 

Areas Fleming, A, and B will also host events. There is a map and directions to follow at the gate, and staff will direct people.

Press Release:

Come enjoy the spring season at the Genesee County Park and Forest! Join us this March, April, and May for a variety of walks, hikes, and environmental education programs.

Programs include:

• Saturday, March 23 - Amphibian Adventure
• Saturday, April 6 - Eclipse Stories, Myths, and Science Walk
• Sunday, April 7 - GeneSEEtheEclipse Story Time and Craft
• Sunday, April 7 - Springtime Woods Walk
• Monday, April 8 - Exploring the Eclipse at the Genesee County Park
• Saturday, April 13 and May 4 - Guided Dog Walks
• Saturday, April 13 - Indoor Lecture: Stewardship at Home
• Wednesday, April 17, April 24 and May 8 - Migration Morning Walks
• Saturday, April 20 - Earth Day Spring Sweep Cleanup at DeWitt Recreation Area (Free)
• Saturday, May 18 - Genesee Valley Birding Cup (Free)
• Saturday, May 25 - Full Moon Owl Prowl

Walks are led by a guide who takes you through forest, meadow, and wetland habitats. Each will explore a different topic. Walks are approximately 1 - 2 miles long over easy terrain and are family-friendly. 

Cost is $5 per person or $10 per family (unless otherwise noted). Please pre-register to receive the exact meeting location and full details! Please pre-register by visiting https://bit.ly/GenCoParkRegistration or by calling 585-344-1122.

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

If you’re planning to visit Genesee County Park to see the total solar eclipse on April 8, you might want to take some refreshments, a blanket, and for certain — Alexander Hamilton.

County Highway officials have suggested charging $10 per vehicle for parking that day due to the expected surge in visitors and the need for additional staffing, overtime, traffic control, and related additional expenses. 

“So we're on the list with the Chamber of Commerce. We're also on the list with Rochester Museum and Science Center. We received a telescope from them, and then we also received eclipse glasses, 1,000 eclipse glasses to hand out, so we'll be doing that at the gate when we collect the fee to park,” Deputy Highway Superintendent Paul Osborn said during Tuesday’s Public Service meeting. “Since it's April 8, it's a month earlier than we normally would open the park, so we have to turn the water on ahead of time. Plus, we're going to have it at three o'clock when the actual event takes place. So we have staff that has to do traffic control and whatnot, so we're gonna have additional overtime.”

Parking will be directed to fill several lots, he said, and on Memory Lane, with no clearcut way to know just how many visitors will actually come to the park that day.

“There’s no perfect thing. I mean, we’re anticipating a quarter of a million people added to the county area, so we’re hoping that it could be less, it could be more,” he said. 

Assistant County Engineer Laura Wadhams added that the Chamber of Commerce staff has said to expect the day to be busy.

“The Chamber of Commerce is telling us they are expected to come to this region that day, they’ll be split up between Rochester and Buffalo and all those places, but Genesee County is in the path of totality,” she said.

The path of totality — when the moon completely covers the sun, creating a total eclipse -- will provide a few minutes of eerie and atypical darkness for the region, given it will be around 3 p.m. in the afternoon. 

The park’s path will be one-way in and out, from Bethany Center Road in and out the Raymond Road entrance, Osborn said. The parking fee is to generate $14,000 of revenue for the county park, which would offset that extra staffing expense, he said.

“So there has been a lengthy process with the Rochester Museum and Science Center and the Transportation Authority, looking at how many cars came into the one out west in 2017. And the traffic patterns in and the traffic patterns out, along with the fact that we are a day trip from the greatest population centers, and all of the hotels in Rochester and Buffalo are already booked out,” Legislative Chairwoman Shelley Stein said. “That kind of supports the math that has gone into their estimates.”

If you check out most charts of the path of totality for the impending eclipse, it travels from the southwest United States and hits nearby locales of Rochester and Buffalo, though Genesee County Chamber staffers have listed several local sites for viewing, including Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Corfu, East Bethany, Oakfield, Pembroke and Stafford.

For more information about the eclipse, additional viewing locations and related events, go HERE.

Press Release:

Come enjoy the winter season at the Genesee County Park and Forest! Join us this January and February for a variety of walks, hikes, and environmental education programs. 

Programs include: 

• Saturday, Jan. 20 - Morning Bird Walk
• Wednesday, Jan. 24 - Winter Woods Walk
• Saturday, Jan. 27 - Moonlight Snowshoe Hike
• Saturday, Feb. 3 - Groundhog Day Walk
• Saturday, Feb. 17 - Great Backyard Bird Count
• Saturday, Feb. 24 - Moonlight Snowshoe Hike

Walks are led by a guide who takes you through forest, meadow, and wetland habitats. Each will explore a different topic. Walks are approximately 1 - 2 miles long over easy terrain and all are family-friendly. Cost is $5 per person and $10 per family. 

Snowshoe Hikes include snowshoe rental, cost is $5 per person and $15 per family. Please pre-register to receive the exact meeting location and other details!

Please pre-register by visiting https://bit.ly/GenCoParkRegistration or by calling 585-344-1122 For more information visit our website at http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/parks/, or contact Claudia Nusstein at Claudia.Nusstein@co.genesee.ny.us or (585) 344-1122. Like us on Facebook at: Genesee County Parks, Recreation & Forestry.

Press Release:

What better way to greet the New Year than with a hike in the forest? 

On New Year’s Day 2024, ACORNS (Association for the Conservation of Recreational and Natural Spaces) is offering a First Day Hike at the Genesee County Park & Forest! Hike starts at 10 a.m. at Pavilion B on Raymond Road at the Genesee County Park & Forest. This FREE guided hike is for you and friends of all ages to welcome the coming year in the outdoors while getting healthy exercise and connecting with nature.

This casual recreational event offers 2 hiking options! Hike 1 is approximately 3 miles over rolling hills with moderate terrain. Hike 2 is approximately 1.5 miles over easy terrain. Both hikes begin and end at Pavilion B and feature time in the forest, beautiful natural scenery and snacks by a fire in an enclosed pavilion. 

Trails are not stroller-friendly and may have tree branches overhead. All ages are welcome, dogs are also welcome and must be on a leash at all times. 

Seize the day and enjoy the natural beauty of the Genesee County Park & Forest! We hope you’ll make hiking a habit for a healthy 2024! Please pre-register by FB message @GeneseeCountyACORNS or by email geneseeacorns@gmail.com. Walk-ins are also welcome.

While a gathering of bees and woodpeckers have been welcomed visitors by Mother Nature at the Interpretive Center at Genesee County Park & Forest in East Bethany, they weren't so appreciated by county highway staff once they saw the damage.

The woodland creatures ate their way through the Center’s natural siding, and the price for the replacement of that and a new roof left County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens with a bit of shopper’s discomfort.  

“I was a little shocked at the price of the project, to be honest with you, but the low bid we received was $248,350. I think with the original, volunteers did it, and the original siding was cedar lap siding … and the bees and the woodpeckers have just literally destroyed that. I mean, there’s physical holes in the roof. It needs to be done,” Hens said during the county’s Public Service Committee meeting Monday. “The problem from a municipal standpoint is it’s too small of a project for your general construction people to get involved because they have to suck everything out, and they don’t make any money on it. And it’s the subs that would do the work and don’t want to be the (general contractor) because they don’t want to have to take up the bonds, and the insurance is required to be the person in charge. So it’s kind of in this purgatory gray zone area between a big project and a small project.”

The cedar siding would be replaced with a fiber cement siding, which is appropriate for the building, he said. Vinyl could be used, but it wouldn’t really look appropriate on that building, and “you’d lose a lot of the character,” Hens said. Using vinyl would have saved about $10,000, and everyone involved is comfortable spending the extra money “to do it right,” he said.

“It will make it so that it’s maintenance-free for the next hopefully 30 or 40 years,” Hens said.

And the bees and birds should leave it alone since it’s almost like concrete, similar to what’s used at the airport terminal. 

“It’s not prone to bugs and insects and woodpeckers,” he said.  “It’ll be architectural shingles on the roof. They’re going to be rewrapping some of the soffits and aluminum, and then the main part of the building will be shake fiber cement siding, and then the higher part in the center will be a false stone application. It’d be really sharp when it’s done. It’s just the pricing sometimes, in a municipal sense, blows my mind. I saw $240,000. We had $205,000 originally for the budget. I thought we were gonna be great, but this is what it is.”

“We’ve used metal on some of the pavilions and whatnot, but we didn't consider it in this place, just again from the cost standpoint, it's a bigger building, bigger roof, and then Paul wants to keep it kind of a cabin in the woods type of a setting,” he said. “It was put together almost 100 percent by volunteers and by county staff, so it's 25 years old.”

He has recommended Kircher Construction Inc. of Mount Morris for the job and expects it to be completed by this fall. 

Press Release:

Camp Hard Hat, a week-long day camp that provides local students ages 12-15 the opportunity to learn and participate in community-based construction projects has expanded from two to seven locations for the 2023 summer and has space available at each location in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston, and Monroe counties.

As a result of the success of the program over the past decade, 400 students have participated have completed over 10,000 hours of training and learning, organizers decided to expand into Monroe and Livingston Counties and are already working on expanding to even more locations throughout the Western New York region for 2024.

Camp Hard Hat is a collaboration between the Genesee County Business Education Alliance (BEA) and Livingston Associates, a business consulting firm that offers a unique range of specialized business infrastructure solutions. Courses are taught by BOCES Building Trades instructors and past Camp Hard Hat graduates. 

Campers are taught the principles of design and construction, project safety, and the power of teamwork. These skills and hands-on construction practice will propel the campers into future careers. 

“Livingston Associates is an active partner in construction-related workforce opportunities throughout our community and Genesee and Wyoming County officials have built an effective youth workforce model that others want to be a part of,” said Anthony DiTucci President and CEO of Livingston Associates. “Camp Hard Hat provides an opportunity for area youth to learn about the many career path opportunities available in the construction and skilled trades industry.”

The camps run Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. daily on the following dates and locations:

• July 10 – 14 at the Wyoming County BEC at Perry Park (Warsaw, NY)
• July 17 – 21 at the Lollypop Farm (Fairport, NY)
• July 24 – 28 at the Genesee Country Village and Museum (Mumford, NY)
• July 31 – August 4 at Genesee County Park (East Bethany, NY)
• August 7 – 11 at Monroe Community College FWD Center (Rochester, NY)
• August 14 – 18 at Monroe 2 BOCES (Spencerport, NY)
• August 21 – 25 at Rochester Rotary Sunshine Camp (Rush, NY)

The program was originally created by the Genesee County Business Education Alliance in 2013. 

“Our goal as workforce leaders is to introduce students to as many careers and workforce opportunities that they may not even be aware of as a majority of the skills offered through Camp Hard Hat are not available within our local school districts,” said Genesee County BEA Director Karyn Winters.

“Not only are we providing students career exploration opportunities, but also instilling practical life skills that they will take with them whether or not they decide to take on a career in construction or skilled trades.”

Sponsorships opportunities are still available for Camp Hard Hat, which help cover the cost of tools, equipment, instructors, transportation, lunch, and full camp scholarships for individuals that qualify.

There are sponsorship opportunities for the Toolbox ($5,000), Toolbelt ($2,500), Hammer ($1,000) Saw ($500), Flashlight ($250), and Nail ($100) levels. Businesses and individuals may also sponsor a camper.

Registration is open for all seven locations and is offered at $95/camper with full scholarships available to low-to-moderate families that qualify. Visit https://www.camphardhat.org/about-1-1 to learn more or register today!

Press Release:

Spots are still open for Environmental Science Camp at the Genesee County Park & Forest! This hands-on outdoor camp is for students entering 7th - 10th grade. Camp meets Monday through Friday, July 17 - 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Interpretive Nature Center at the Genesee County Park & Forest. 

This week-long adventure includes wildlife surveys, field and stream studies, outdoor recreation, a field trip, and more! The cost is $95/camper for the entire week. All materials and a camp T-shirt are provided. 

Transportation is provided from Batavia High School to and from camp each day. Maximum 20 campers. The registration deadline is Wednesday, July 5.

To register, download the registration form. Return completed forms with payment to:

Main Office  
Genesee County Park & Forest Interpretive Nature Center  
153 Cedar St.  
Batavia, NY 14020

Maximum 20 Campers  
Registration ends Wednesday, July 5th.

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

Press release:

"Tomorrow's Birding Walk and Spring is Here Hike at the Genesee County Park & Forest have both been POSTPONED due to high winds and will take place on Saturday March 25th.  The Birding Walk is FREE and will take place from 7 am to 10 am and meet at the pavilion A parking lot.  The Spring is Here Hike will take place from 10 am to 12 pm and meet at the Interpretive Nature Center, $5/person, $10/family.  Call 585-344-1122 to register!"

Press release:

New York State’s First County Forest has an Environmental Education Assistant Internship and a Watershed Education Assistant Internship position open for May to August of 2023. Both positions are administered through the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and are located at the Genesee County Park & Forest in East Bethany, NY. Applicants must be a US citizen and at least eighteen years old with a high school diploma or GED. SCA interns earn $175/week and are eligible for an education award of $1,718 that may be used for student loans, tuition, classes or future college costs at upon completion of the internship. Both jobs require 40 hours/week for 14 weeks of service from May through August of 2023. Hours are 6 am to 5 pm Wednesday through Saturday. Flexibility is given to cover prescheduled programs outside of normal working hours within the 40-hour work week.

Interns develop, organize, plan and lead environmental education programs for audiences of all ages in a wide variety of settings under the guidance of park staff. Interns also coordinate the efforts of park volunteers.

Additional job duties include but are not limited to:

• Providing customer service to park visitors
• Planning volunteer and park events
• Writing articles for the parks seasonal newsletter
• Marketing for park events, programs and resources
• Providing training and orientation to new park volunteers

Additional benefits:

• CPR/First Aid/AED certification training provided
• Experience and on-the-job training in Environmental Education and Volunteer Coordinating
• Deeper knowledge of natural history and ecology
• Job duties include recreational volunteer outings
• Networking with professionals in Environmental Science and Education

The application deadline is March 17, 2023

Apply online at https://www.thesca.org/position/environmental-education-intern-western-ny- regional-candidate-only-po00735001/ for Environmental Education Assistant and https://www.thesca.org/position/environmental-education-intern-western-ny-regional-candidate- only-po00735053/ for Watershed Education Assistant. For additional information contact Shannon Lyaski, Conservation Education Program Coordinator at Shannon.Lyaski@co.genesee.ny.us. 

Press release:

Genesee County Emergency Management Services is pleased to announce the deployment of a MedLite Transport Bed for use by the Town of Bethany Fire Department. This equipment was obtained through the procurement of Homeland Security grant funding, is the property of Genesee County and is being deployed to the Bethany Fire Department for use at the Genesee County Park and Forest.

The State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) and the State Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program (SLETPP) are the two-core homeland security grant programs in New York State. Every county in the State, along with the City of New York, receives funding under these programs.

“The MedLite Transport Bed was deployed with Bethany Fire Department because they are the first responders to the County Park. The equipment fits their UTV and allows Bethany and Mercy Flight to more efficiently make extractions of injured individuals in the rough terrain of the County Park,” said Gregg Torrey, Genesee County District 6 Legislator.

The MedLite Transport Bed is a medical rescue skid unit for Utility Task Vehicles that has the ability to transport one patient on a long board or stokes basket and one attendant in a seat. The equipment also has the ability to be fully removed from the vehicle in the field. A video of the MedLite Transport System can be seen here.

Paul Osborn, Deputy Highway Superintendent, spoke to the use of the equipment at the Genesee County Park and Forest, “The use of it in a UTV will allow for access into areas of the park that aren’t accessible by a standard vehicle, and ultimately provide more safety for the guests of the park.”

Submitted photo: From left to right, Tim Yaeger (Genesee County Emergency Management Services), John Szmkowiak (Bethany Fire Department), Gregg Torrey (Genesee County Legislator) Paul Osborn (Genesee County Highway), and Jeff Fluker (Bethany Fire Department).