Carol Cobia loves exploring the outdoors with her husband. A few years ago, Carol had to start relying on a scooter to get around and now has a special van that can carry it. She often struggles to find new local places to visit that work for her mobility needs.

In the past few years the Cobias downsized from a 10-acre farm to a small place in Hilton that’s easier for them to manage, but they so miss watching the birds and wildlife in their backyard.

So when Carol heard about the September opening of Genesee Land Trust’s new Salmon Creek Nature Preserve, she wanted to check it out!

At the opening celebration she smiled throughout the bird walk with Greg Lawrence, a SUNY Brockport research scientist and Genesee Land Trust board member. Carol’s scooter easily navigated the wide grassy trails. “They’re a little bumpy, but I managed just fine.”

When the ground softens, the land trust team plans to roll the trails to smooth them out. In the next couple years, depending on funding, we have plans for a hardpacked stone dust trail across the meadow and a boardwalk around the pond that will make that trail accessible during the wet seasons.

We’ve also budgeted for snow plowing the parking lot to make it possible to visit all year round – looking for birds, snow shoeing, and cross-country skiing.

“I was really impressed that you were making a real effort to be handicap accessible,” Carol said. And with it so close to home, she plans to return as often as weather allows. “It’s so beautiful here. I can’t wait to come back!”

eBird monitoring shows 120 species of birds spotted on the preserve.

REMARKS FROM OPENING EVENT:

RETURNING THE CORNFIELD BACK TO A WILDFLOWER MEADOW:

Click here to read the story from our Summer 2022 newsletter.

PLEASE SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK

Creating an accessible nature preserve will take several years and significant investment. At Salmon Creek Nature Preserve the basic plan is there – paved parking and mown trails as well as a newly planted wildlife meadow and a few benches. You are welcome and encouraged to visit from dawn to dusk all year round.

We’re now making plans for future improvements and need your feedback. No idea is too small or too creative. We want to know what works for you now and what doesn’t. What would make Salmon Creek Nature Preserve more accessible for you? What would be a fun or important addition so you would come back and recommend it to your friends?

Please share your ideas with us, as well as anything you notice needs fixing or improvement, at https://www.geneseelandtrust.org/public-spaces/salmon-creek-nature-preserve, where you can also find the current trail map.