The town of Rush is home to a park that boasts 100 natural acres — acres that some residents are determined to rewild, which means restore to its uncultivated state.
A stunning piece of land complete with old-growth forest spreading across one mile along the Genesee River is being championed by a group of volunteers committed to rewilding the parts of that expanse made up of fields.
Janet Chaize is the Vice President of the Rush Recreation and Park Association (RPA), a group that has been named stewards of that land.
“One of our goals is to have a field where birds that need to nest in fields would have a place to go, because those are the most endangered,” said Chaize.
RPA received an in-kind grant from the U.S. Forest Service, with support from Monroe County Soil and Water and the Department of Environmental Conservation.
“We began planting trees with the help of volunteers about a year ago,” she said. “And we have a lot of different trees. We have red maple, we have hackberry, we have red oak, we have one pawpaw. We have sugar maple, birch, tulip tree, white pine, balsam fir, douglas fir, and all kinds of bushes.”
The in-kind grant took the shape of 480 trees, to be planted over 3 or 4 seasons. That’s a lot of trees, and the plan is to plant 160 of them this fall — with the help of volunteers, says Chaize, adding that she’s actively seeking more.
“We want to have this be a showcase for native plants,” said Chaize. “And there are other places that do that, but we hope to have forums and workshops right on the land about this, as well as being able to have this very healing walking through the forest. Everyone can go there for recreation.”
To volunteer with the RPA, visit rushrpa.org.
