Genesee Land Trust opened a new observation deck at Salmon Creek Nature Preserve on Bennett Road in Hilton with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, October 28. The observation deck is the latest – and largest – step in Genesee Land Trust’s ongoing commitment to create more welcoming and inclusive outdoor spaces.
“The observation deck at Salmon Creek Nature Preserve in Hilton is an exciting improvement that benefits everyone,” says Lorna Wright, Executive Director of Genesee Land Trust. “We couldn’t do it without the support and generosity of our members and community partners. Together we’ll keep protecting the places people love and continue working to create opportunities for folks of all ages and abilities to enjoy nature for generations to come.”
The elevated deck features an accessible ramp, benches, and shade. It’s located one-third of a mile from the parking lot along a wide grassy trail that is still bumpy in places. Genesee Land Trust plans to smooth the trail and make other accessibility improvements to Salmon Creek Nature Preserve and other properties.
Since 2023, the Land Trust has partnered with Rochester Accessible Adventures to improve access at nature preserves, community events, and throughout the organization.
“Improving accessibility is an ongoing journey that requires truly operating through a lens of inclusion all of the time, and Genesee Land Trust is making real progress,” says Anita O’Brien, Founder and Executive Director of RAA.
Over the past two years, Genesee Land Trust has improved access to its 19 nature preserves in a variety of ways. In addition to the accessible observation deck, the Land Trust has created or expanded six parking lots, built six benches for scenic resting, built one shade structure over a bench, and updated one boardwalk
Community support for these improvements has been inspiring. Rochester Birding Association provided funding to help create the accessible observation deck and volunteers from Rochester Davis-Fetch and the Carpenters Union Local 276 built the deck as part of their workforce development training.
Representatives from those organizations attended the ribbon cutting ceremony alongside Parma Town Supervisor Jim Roose, State Assemblyman Josh Jensen, and staff from the offices of Congressman Joe Morelle and NY State Senator Rob Ortt.
“Every time the outdoor places I love to visit improve their trails, it’s like another wonderful world that opens to me… Even little things like a ramp make a really big difference,” says Carol Cobia, a resident of Hilton that uses an electric scooter. “While I never let my disability stop me, it’s really wonderful that the Land Trust is working to make more local places available to folks like me.”
Carol is one of more than 300,000 people living with a disability in Greater Rochester, but this number doesn’t reflect the full impact of people who need better and more welcoming access to nature.
“We know that when we create more welcoming nature experiences it opens the doors for families and friends to share the joy of being outdoors,” says Kevin Farrell, Director of Conservation Programs for Genesee Land Trust.
For information about the Salmon Creek Nature Preserve and trail map, visit https://www.geneseelandtrust.org/public-spaces/salmon-creek-nature-preserve.
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