President’s Letter
by Anna Taylor, President Friends of Webster Trails
2025 has been a year of BIG WINS for Webster trails. Friends of Webster Trails focus on the Hojack Trail resulted in being awarded the Ralph Wilson, Jr. Trail Maintenance Grant. The award was made in July, and if you have been out on the Hojack Trail, you have already seen dramatic improvements, and more are coming. The grant includes surface improvements to the sections of the trail from Holt Rd to Drumm Rd. These sections, over the years, were the most challenging sections to maintain due to their poor condition and drainage issues. That is no longer the case, the new surface is complete!
As I write this, new bollards at Hojack Trail road crossings have been installed by our amazing FWT Board members and Trail Stewards. Coming soon, you will see benches, kiosks, and information panels, as well as new wayfinding signs featuring a new Hojack Trail logo, all of which will tie all the sections of the trail together from Phillips Rd to Lake Rd.
This grant award would not have been possible had it not been for the leadership of FWT Board member Ben Wisniewski, the support of a wonderful Webster resident who was able to provide the necessary matching funds for the grant; our FWT Hojack Trail Grant committee of Pat Smally, Chris Peterson, Sarah White, Denise and Rich Bilsback, Linda Siple, and Mike Carmondy; and our partnership with the Town of Webster, Webster Parks and Rec Department, and RG&E. All the stars truly were aligned for this success. We look forward to celebrating the completion of the project in early 2026.
Another win on the Hojack trail is the award of the New York Forward Grant to the Village of Webster in May 2025. One of the projects awarded is for $289K to create a Hojack Trail Gateway at the intersection of the Hojack Trail and North Avenue. FWT looks forward to working with the Village of Webster in the months to come to see this project become reality.
Another notable Webster trail win for 2025 occurred in August, as FWT, NYS DEC, and the Town of Webster celebrated the ribbon cutting at Herman Road Forever Wild Forest. If you have not had a chance to explore these trails, we invite you to take an hour or so from your day to do so. We are certain they will become your new favorite trail.
Regarding trail work planning wins, our Trails Chair Linda Siple and Trail Steward John Boettcher completed the FWT Trail Inventory Report this year. This new tool is an in-depth survey of all the structures FWT maintains in our Webster open spaces and their condition. This includes every item from boardwalks to benches to platforms and categorizes them by age and condition. For 2025 we implemented this document as tool to prioritize our trail projects. This report will be updated twice a year and will be a living document/tool for years to come. Thank you, Linda and John.
In conjunction with all the good work you will read about in the following articles of this newsletter, I would like to highlight the projects completed by Scouts and students this year. They have been impressive, and I would like to acknowledge the youth, their families, and our Scout/Youth Coordinator Patrick Fulkerson. Patrick works with the scouts who have requested a trail project. He assists them in identifying a project, coordinates with the them to attend an FWT Board meeting to present the project for funding approval, and assists them through project completion. Thank you, Patrick.
As always, I would like to recognize our Trail Stewards, as each has done remarkable work on their trails this year and every year. They are truly the magic that keeps the Webster tails and preserves so beautifully maintained.
We will celebrate all our successes and our volunteers at our FWT Annual Board Meeting. Please consider joining us on Monday Nov. 10, 7pm to 9pm at Finn Park Lodge.
Upcoming Events
Summer may have faded to autumn, but there’s still plenty of events happening on the trails. Follow the event links for more information and to register.
Sat. Oct. 19 – Boos and Brews 5k – Join Willow Running at the inaugural Boos and Brews 5k in Charles E. Sexton Memorial Park! Celebrate the season with a run on some of Webster’s finest trails. Costumes are not required, but are encouraged!
Sat. Oct. 25 ReTree Tree Planting Day – Meet at 9am at Whiting Road Nature Preserve to add more trees to ensure the future of Webster’s forests. This annual event is fun for the whole family.
Sat. Nov. 8 Scavenger Hunt – Gosnell Big Woods Preserve is the site of this year’s Scavenger Hunt, from 10:30am to 11am. Please register online for this popular event.
Sat. Nov. 8 Hot Cocoa Hike – This year’s evening hike is at Finn Park at 7pm, just days after the full Beaver Moon, so the conditions should be excellent! Register online so we know how much cocoa to make, and bring your own cup and flashlight.
Hojack Trail Improvements
by Michael Carmody, Hojack Trail Committee Chair
We hope you are as excited as we are about the reopening of the Hojack Trail after the resurfacing work that was completed with funding from a grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr Trail Maintenance Fund and a generous private donor.
And there is more to come! Look for additional and improved signage, benches, plantings, and road-crossing barriers. All of these improvements are meant to implement the vision for the Hojack Trail we crafted in late 2024 and detailed in the Spring Newsletter.
With the surface work done, we’re turning our attention to the other improvements. Efforts are underway to construct and install removable bollards at road crossings which will restrict access of motorized vehicles but which can be removed when RG&E needs to work on their power lines. In addition, large boulders will be placed flanking the bollards to keep vehicles from driving around the edges.
The road crossings will also get new signs indicating what road is being crossed and distances towards important destinations along the trail. The final designs and content for these are yet to be determined. All of the signs will have a consistent look and feel, and be on the lookout for the big reveal of a new Hojack Trail logo! Some crossings will also have kiosks with trail maps and rules for trail use.
Some new plantings have already been done along the Hard Road to Klem Road section, with plants donated by RG&E. The FWT Habitat Preservation Committee and ReTree are partnering with RG&E in this center section to create a “Pollinator Pathway” composed of native shrubs, small trees and wetland plants that can safely grow under the power lines. Watch for more plantings in October and others in the months to come, extending out from this center section.
In anticipation of increased trail use, the grant includes funding for construction of additional benches along the trail, and the creation of several point-of-interest/history story boards to be placed at appropriate places.
The Hojack Trail was the first significant trail in Webster in 1997, and it links the past and present with a bright future.
Membership Report
by Denise Bilsback, Membership Chair
We currently have 253 members, and donations received through memberships this year total approximately $6,700 — a wonderful show of support for our mission.
It’s hard to believe, but Friends of Webster Trails has not adjusted membership costs since our founding more than 20 years ago, and dollars just don’t go as far as they used to. As a result, we are finally faced with the need to slightly increase the cost. Beginning October 2025, our annual membership rates will be:
- Individual Membership: $15
- Family Membership: $20
Even with this small increase, FWT remains an outstanding value compared to similar organizations. The additional revenue will help cover rising costs of building materials for boardwalks, bridges, and other trail improvements. Take a walk along our trails and you’ll see the results of your support—2025 has been a year of exciting upgrades and enhancements!
Join or renew your membership or donate today at https://webstertrails.org/become-a-friend/
Treasurer’s Report
Receipt of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr Trails Maintenance Fund grant, and generous matching funds, have made this year a bit out of the ordinary in terms of finance, but it’s a good situation to have!
The funds made possible the significant improvements to the Hojack Trail, but that wasn’t the only major work done on the trails this year. As you can read below, ten scout/student projects added amenities to the trails, and that work was funded by your memberships and donations.
To help make finance tracking more effective, Friends will be implementing a new Finance Committee with additional standard accounting controls. These changes will put Friends in an even stronger position for the years to come.
Scout and Student Projects
by Pat Fulkerson, Scout/Youth Coordinator
It has been a great year enhancing our preserves with many improvements for the community to enjoy as they walk/hike/ride through the parks.
We have had nine scouts and one student volunteering their time and effort to build projects to make the experience more enjoyable with benches to rest on, kiosks to display information, boardwalks to help make the trails safer, and puncheons to help keep the water and mud off your shoes while enjoying nature. Read on for descriptions and some photos, with additional photos in the Steward Reports below.
One question I get is: what is a puncheon? Well, when there is a low area on a trail, it’s a great idea to have some wood planks on the ground to raise the trail and keep our feet dry. Basically, that is what a puncheon is: wood planks with cross supports to attach them to and wide enough to walk across.
Whiting Road Nature Preserve. Two old boardwalks were removed, and new boardwalks installed. The boardwalks were installed higher to help with water runoff to help them last longer. Another project installed a bench and table for people to relax and enjoy the scenery.
Hojack Trail Start at Lake Road. A new kiosk was added, replacing one removed during the reconstruction of the trail at Lake Road. Additional projects will be done in the next several months as part of trail improvement grant.
Vosburg Hollow Nature Trail. The most complex project of the season was replacing the bridge over Shipbuilders Creek. The previous bridge had served more than 20 years and had reached the end of its life. The bridge is an essential part of this trail, carrying walkers from the parking lot to the trail system.
Bird Sanctuary Trail. This trail gets the most traffic of any in our preserves, and it was time for some maintenance. Two benches were replaced, and a table was added to be with one of the benches.
State Road Nature Preserve. This is one of our newer preserves, and it has several new projects. Three new benches and a table were installed, with the bench/table combination at the pond to enjoy the wildlife. There were also three boardwalks installed along the creek, replacing small broken walks over drainage ditches. Finally, a new kiosk was built at the parking lot.
Four Mile Creek Preserve. This trail system saw some major maintenance. One puncheon section was rebuilt and another section was added. Also, a bench was repaired, and a table was added.
A really big THANK YOU to all the volunteers who participated to help the scouts and students make our preserves safer and nicer for the community to enjoy.
Kiosks Sport New Look
by Denise Bilsback, Membership Chair
Our trailhead kiosks are getting a fresh, more professional look! Thanks to Webster Parks and Recreation, all kiosks have been newly stained and will include updated rules and regulations panels.
Meanwhile, Friends of Webster Trails board members have been hard at work revising maps and history panels to make them clearer and more informative. McAllister Signs has produced the new panels, and over the next few months you’ll see them installed across the trail system.
While the kiosks will feature improved maps, the most up-to-date versions will always be
available on our website: webstertrails.org.
Keep an eye out for the upgrades on your next walk. You might learn something new while
exploring your favorite trails!
Trail Counter Studies Continue
by John Boettcher and Richard Murray
We have gathered our results into a report, and there is information on nearly all the trails. Some of the results are impressive. How about nearly 1000 people every week using Gosnell Big Woods Preserve (GBWP) and close to that many using Whiting Road Nature Preserve (WRNP)?
Some of the results are surprising. Both GBWP and WRNP have a loop trail at their respective parking lots. In the case of GBWP, this loop trail is the major destination. In the case of WRNP, the loop trail is simply a way to access other trails and the entire loop is little used.
One of the objectives in the future will be to get information on the individual trails in the large preserves like GBWP and WRNP. This is complicated because some of the trails or portions are simply used to access other trails as was discussed above.
Another objective is to determine who the users are. The counter doesn’t help with this. What is needed are observers counting the different categories of users which we have preliminarily designated as hikers, dog walker, bikers, and other. If you are interested in helping with this, please contact John Boettcher at john2w3b@gmail.com
Growing Future Forests with ReTree
by Norma Platt and Sarah M. White, ReTree co-chairs
There are a lot of new trees in town! In the last three years, ReTree has planted nearly 600 native trees and shrubs in Webster’s preserves. We’re adding diversity and vigor to Webster’s forests and improving habitat.
This season was a busy one:
- Earth Day Event: We potted more than 300 seedlings and installed them in our nursery so they can grow bigger and be planted in the field.
- RGE Spring Planting Day: RG&E and FWT volunteers planted 30 larger pollinator-friendly specimens along the Hojack trail between Klem and Hard Roads. The plants were donated by RG&E.
- Nursery Maintenance: We repotted seedlings as they outgrew their pots, kept the nursery weeded, and watered everything throughout the very dry summer.
If you missed it, the spring potting and RGE planting were reported on earlier this year.
Grant Award
To further our work, the Rochester Birding Association awarded ReTree $2000 to continue work in two of the favorite birding spots: Whiting Road Nature Preserve and Four Mile Creek Preserve. Those funds will be put to work removing invasives and adding more trees and shrubs to those preserves.
Upcoming ReTree Events
- The October Planting Workday on Oct. 25 at Whiting Road Nature Preserve
- RG&E Fall Planting Day, to plant more trees and shrubs donated by RG&E along the Hojack Trail. Watch for more details.
Thanks to all volunteers who have helped with ReTree projects this year. Watch the website and your email for news of more opportunities to help.
Habitat Committee Completes Another Year
by Norma Platt, Habitat Committee Chair
Our goal: Improve the nature of the Webster’s Open Spaces by removing invasive plants and planting natives.
What we do: Meet Friday mornings to work while enjoying nature and each other’s company. This year we worked 148 hours pulling invasive garlic mustard, planting numerous trees and shrubs, and tending previous plantings.
Here’s a huge thank-you to this year’s hard-working bunch: John Boettcher, Chris Brick, Carolyn Brown, Eric Brown, Rick Brunette, John Boettcher, Mary Dangler, Paul Dangler, Sharon Galbraith, Karen Mischler, Judy Slein, Thomas Tyson, and Sarah White.
The Habitat Preservation Committee has been making consistent and substantial improvements to Webster Open Spaces for 16 years. The cast of characters has changed year-to-year, but an amazing core group has been active since the start. I want them to know how much I appreciate their work and companionship: John Boettcher, Sharon Galbraith, Nancy Poeth, Carolyn Brown, and Eric Brown.
Online and on the Trails
by Sarah M. White, Secretary and Social Media Coordinator
With so much going on with the trails, it’s important to share the news as broadly as possible. That was especially important this summer with the temporary closures on the Hojack and Vosburg Hollow trails, but it is important year-round to share what’s going on with the trails and to highlight the important work Friends does.
Friends maintains an active Facebook presence to help meet that need, and posts are frequently shared to other groups that expand their reach.
The posts feature trail users in all seasons, trail alerts from icy conditions to infrastructure repairs, work projects, habitat information, and upcoming events.
Online feedback is almost uniformly positive, with these being just a small sample:
- “Thank you so much! My husband and I greatly enjoy all the well maintained trails that Webster has to offer. One of the main reasons we moved here!”
- “It is wonderful to see these improvements in the trails at State Road Nature Preserve! We were walking the trails yesterday and thanked this crew for their work. We live bordering the Preserve and helped on a couple of work crews as the trails were being established. The evolution since then is remarkable.”
- “Was just out on the Hojack and it looks amazing! All the low, wet and rough spots are now all filled in and level. Thank you!”
- “One of our favorite trails [Yellow trail in Whiting Road Nature Preserve]…will have to test out the bench. Thanks for your hard work!”
You can expect to see a few posts every week, so be sure to follow the group on Facebook to stay on top of everything Friends has going on.
Steward Reports from the Trails
Bird Sanctuary Trail – by Linda Siple
Bird Sanctuary Trail has had several improvements. The kiosk at Orchard Street is getting new information panels on both sides. It is anticipated that work will be completed in the next couple months.
The two very old benches, one in the woods and one by the pond, were replaced by Aiden Pashalidis as part of his community service project. The new benches are taller and more stable, and make a good spot for a rest on the trail. Aiden did a commendable job!
The third bench and table farther down the trail have been sanded and sealed. This should keep the bench in good form for several years to come.
Hickory Bark Trail – by Sharon Galbraith
Because of the drought, there have been almost no mosquitoes (YAY!). The hickory nuts have fallen – the squirrels and chipmunks have made short work of them – the shells crunch as you walk.
Some autumn color has started: maples and Virginia creeper and some wildflowers, plus jump seed, golden rod, swamp loosestrife and white wood asters.
The trail continues to be a lovely place to walk.
Hojack Trail Southeast – by John Boettcher
This is the stretch of the Hojack Trail from Holt Road to Phillips Road, and there isn’t much to report. Last year there was substantial commercial development near Phillips on the south side. Two commercial driveways now cross the trail. I gather the village has some substantial improvements in mind for this section of the trail.
John Ungar Nature Trail and Michael A. Johnson Nature Preserve – by Norma Platt
The newly resurfaced Hojack Trail is great, but all the clearing under the power lines has left the entrance structures – the stairs at John Ungar and the arch at Michael A. Johnson – completely bare. Here’s to spring when the plant growth will return soon to provide some nice green frames!
There’s no wait to use the newest trail in town. Thanks to Scouts from Pack 107, as of Oct. 4 there is a new side trail in the Michael A. Johnson preserve. It drops down from the main trail and skirts the low area to the south. Ben Wisniewski first suggested the new trail and headed up the removal of some major timber.
I want to renew the invitation to visit John Ungar and Michael A. Johnson. Peace and beauty await, along with flowing waters, wildflowers, birds, mushrooms, lichens and sedges.
State Road Nature Preserve – by Paul Dellapietra and Tim Young
It has been a transformative spring and summer at SRNP, aided by the great weather, many folks from FWT, and some energetic Eagle Scout candidates.
We created a viewing area on the west side of the pond and a clearing under two old apple trees on the east branch of the Red trail, allowing for some infrastructure to make those areas more inviting.
Scout Ava Hatfield built a bench and table for the pond west-side viewing area (perfect for bird watching!) and a bench along Four Mile Creek.
Scout Andrew Naiko built a bench under the apple trees as well as our parking lot kiosk. Watch for new signage on the kiosk soon.
Scout RJ Schickler built three boardwalks over drainage ditches along Four Mile Creek, making for a smoother walk along the creek.
We held a work party to blaze the balance of the Blue trail, which is now fully open. Permanent trail markers were handcrafted and installed by FWT volunteers Denise and Rich Bilsback.
As this is a fairly young trail system, we have been working continuously on removing trip hazards (mostly small stumps, roots and grape vines). We made great progress this year and expect to finish before the snow flies.
We also thank the ReTree committee for planting shrubs and trees in the grassy area around our parking lot.
All of this is in addition to the regular maintenance to keep the trails mowed and clear of downed dead ash trees and encroaching vines and brambles.
Finally, if you stop by this fall, especially if it’s around Halloween, be sure to look for the ‘ghost’ tree (hint: where the Red trail opens up by the creek)!
Vosburg Hollow Nature Trail – by Rich Bilsback
The bridge over Shipbuilders Creek is being replaced through an Eagle Scout project. This project is one of more than 10 projects which will be completed by scouts this year!
While the bridge work continues, please respect the yellow barrier tapes across the ends of the bridge. During construction, the Vosburg Trail can be accessed from the Hojack Trail or from the intersection of Vosburg Road and Baker Road. The project will be completed later this fall.
Whiting Road Nature Preserve – by Ron Happ
Now that the great fall weather is here, I am seeing many people out enjoying the trails at Whiting Road Nature Preserve. When I have cool weekday mornings, I am still trying to get the summer growth cut back from the sides of the trails. Next up will be blowing the leaves off the trails.
In May Nate Weston built a boardwalk on the new yellow trail leading to Herman Road Forever Wild Forest for his Eagle Scout project. In September Evan Willis built a bench and table on the same trail for part of his Eagle Scout project.
Many thanks to those of you who have alerted us to fallen trees and problems on the trails. This really helps us to clear the trails and remedy any problems. I also want to give a shout out to Fred Keck who transported stone in from Whiting Road with his tractor on a Sunday morning in September.