Genesee Land Trust

10/14/2026

As Hispanic Heritage month wraps up, we want to highlight Helia Bravo Hollis 🏵️

She grew up in Villa de Mixcoac outside Mexico City, a contemporary and classmate of Frida Kahlo. Her Sunday walks with her parents inspired her to study living beings and led to her passion of studying cacti in adulthood.

Helia was a pioneer in her field, becoming:
🌵 The first certified biologist in Mexico in 1927
🌵 Founding president of the Mexican Society of Cactology
🌵 The director of the botanical garden at UNAM for over 3 decades until her retirement at age 90
🌵 Published in 170 articles & the author of 3 books

Today, the desert section of the Botanical Garden at UNAM is named for her, as well as the Helia Bravo Hollis Botanical Garden in Puebla, which is home to many endangered cactus species. The species Opuntia bravoana plus the genus Heliabravoa were named in her honor.

Opuntia bravoana blooms a vibrant yellow flower and bears the prickly pear fruit (tuna) that may sometimes color your drink a bright fuschia. It's paddle-shaped stem bears short spines and grows outwards into a shrubby plant, and you can find it growing across most of the United States.

Bravo Hollis' impact reverberates across the Americas, including the United States.

📷: Acervo del Instituto de Biologia, UNAM; staff; The Cactus Explorer

10/13/2026

Indigenous culture and history is overwhelmingly ignored in public spaces, and when it is acknowledged, it's usually misrepresented. New York State has a rare opportunity to do better.

This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor the people who have stewarded these lands for millennia and named their rivers and hills, yet continue to fight for recognition. In Gaʼsgöhsagöh / Rochester, and across this continent, Indigenous peoples have been erased from the landscape and their languages severely harmed. Still, some place names endure, connecting language to land.

Recognizing Indigenous place names in public spaces can support language revitalization and make that history visible. Join us in calling on New York State to name the new park Gaʼsgöhsagöh State Park. Sign the petition and contact your legislators:

bit.ly/gasgohsagoh

09/15/2026

09/11/2026

Progress is coming! Today, in coordination with Genesee Land Trust and the Town of Parma, we marked the future story trail! Again, a huge thank you for the grant funding through The Rural Library Grant powered by Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and coordinated by the Western New York Library Resources Council - WNYLRC and Rochester Regional Library Council.
We don't have a installation date scheduled yet, but look out for that soon!

09/03/2026

Please join us in welcoming Madison Perry to the Genesee Land Trust team!

In her free time, her favorite outdoor activities are hiking & camping. She is currently trying to collect as many hobbies as possible – rock climbing, scrapbooking, baking, and pottery, among others.

In her role as Farmland Protection Manager, Madison manages all farmland protection projects & grants, and leads efforts to preserve agricultural lands through project management, stakeholder engagement, and policy advocacy.

Welcome to the team, Madison. We're excited to have you!

08/27/2026

Today is World Lake Day!

How lucky are we to live near Lake Ontario?

Home to over 120 species of fish, between 30-40 species of waterfowl, many amphibians, mammals, and more.

A canvas for auroras, ice volcanoes, stargazing, water recreation, and sunsets. What a gift it is to enjoy!

📷 Gay Mills, Staff, Nigel P. Kent, Jack Kelly

08/20/2026

🌿 Love the outdoors? Turn your passion for nature into a paid opportunity!

Maplewood Nature Center is hiring for part-time and seasonal positions! Join a team that inspires others to explore the outdoors and connect with nature.

💰 Pay: $17.53–$18.80/hour
📍 Maplewood Nature Center
📩 Contact Sara Scott at 585-428-8820 or [email protected]

Apply today and turn your love of nature into a rewarding opportunity! 🌳

08/19/2026

Please help us welcome our newest board members!

🌱 Cassie Rich believes that our natural world, both the land and animals, needs to be preserved and cared for. Growing up in Brockport, she developed an appreciation for farming and nature by watching her grandparents care for their horse, horse barn, and large household garden. Cassie is a Real Estate Attorney with Barclay Damon LLP.

🌱 Kate McCurdy has a particular passion for Environmental Law, is an avid scuba diver in her free time, and loves escaping to warm waters to dive. Kate is an Attorney and Counselor focused in Trusts & Estates and Elder Law.

🌱 Patricia Marcaida is passionate about water protection and biodiversity. She has visited six continents, is an avid paddler and hiker, and loves animals – especially dogs! Patricia is Director of the Rochester Procurement Expansion Program at the Rochester Area Community Foundation (RACF).

🌱 Ralph Black worked as a back country ranger and wildlands firefighter earlier in his career before beginning his 30-year profession as a writer and English Professor. Ralph loves doing anything that gets him outside in nature. He is a writer and Professor Emeritus at SUNY Brockport.

We are both excited and grateful to have them join our team, and looking forward to the insights they will bring.

08/14/2026

It's World Lizard Day! 💚 There are only 3 species of lizards that you can find in the wild in New York.

The Northern Coal skink (Plestiodon anthracinus) pictured in the first slide is a long-tailed, sleek lizard with short legs, with no distinguishable neck, and smooth scales.

The two wide stripes that run down the sides of their bodies are their most identifying features.

🦎They can regrow their tails after a loss
🦎They like forested areas near wetlands or swamps
🦎They eat insects like crickets and spiders
🦎They are most likely to be found under leaf litter in humid weather
🦎Hatchlings/young coal skinks have a blue tail that fades with time

📷: Riley Stanton