Tinker Nature Park

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Tinker Nature Park Tinker Nature Park is a 68 acre, ADA compliant park. Tinker Nature Park is open daily 7:00 am until Sundown Closed Sunday, Monday and Holidays.

It features a 1.2 mile walking/exercise trail, a 1/2 mile nature trail, and several museums on the property. Hansen Nature Center open Tuesday - Saturday, 9am to 4pm. Admission is free, donations accepted. Tinker Nature Park open seven days a week from 7am until sundown. Dogs are not allowed in the park.

10/13/2026

Spooky Season is upon us!

10/10/2026

Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, Monday, October 12th

7 am - Sunrise Ceremony
Location - White Pine by Cobbs Hill Reservoir, Rochester

11-5pm - All Day Music, Dance, Craft Demonstrations, Vendors & Displays
Location - Rochester Museum & Science Center campus, 657 East Ave., Rochester

6 pm - Sunset Ceremony
Location - Rochester Museum & Science Center, old front steps on East Ave.

Schedule -
11:00 am - Borinquen Dance
11:30 am - Strawberry Happy Hoops
1:00 pm - Cornbred Blues Band
2:00 pm - Seneca Alleghany River Dancers
3:00 pm - Le Bleu Beaver Duo
4:00 pm - Oneida Singers & Dancers
4:45 pm - Native Classical Music

Spotted Lanternflies Spotted at Tinker! STOMP ON SIGHT!Native to parts of China and found in adjacent countries in Asia ...
10/09/2026

Spotted Lanternflies Spotted at Tinker! STOMP ON SIGHT!

Native to parts of China and found in adjacent countries in Asia (south Korea and Japan) where they were most likely introduced, they have spread dangerously and unregulated to our local states.

Why are they a problem? And why murder them?

They are plant hoppers and like all plant hoppers they suck the sap from plants, piercing the tissue of foliage and stems, and producing honeydew (sugary waste fluid.) The lantern flies do so both in their early and adult life stages, but the older- the more dangerous. The lantern fly’s produced excretion promotes the growth of sooty mold. It covers the plant below where they’re feeding, which is not pretty, but it’s not just an aesthetic issue. This mold damages the plant’s ability to photosynthesize and will make affected crops inedible. In its native habit it is regulated by parasitic wasps here, however, there is no such balance.

The Spotted Lantern Fly’s preferred host plant is the invasive Tree of Heaven, but it’s known to also feed off more than 70 other plants, including other trees, ornamentals, and crops, both native and economic, including soybean, grapes, stone fruits, domesticated apple and willow trees. Maple trees, which grow prolifically here at Tinker Nature Park, are a special target, because of their sweet, sweet sap. Impairing its growth by almost 50% and leading to long term damage in the tree’s stored energy, that can last seasons.

Its effects lead to a decrease in its host plant’s health as well as possibly killing them, posing a major risk to plants and crops, the balance of the ecosystem, and your comfort in nature. Pennsylvania State University estimated statewide costs to be $99 million in agricultural losses, and $236 million in the forest industry, ranging to $554 million if they were to continue to spread to all of Pennsylvania.

With no current specified way to treat this invasive insect here in NY, the best we can do now is stomp them on sight, or with other deadly methods (like slapping).

10/09/2026

Calkins Road project update!! The MCDOT has scheduled to install the top course of pavement on Monday, 10/12. They plan to close off side streets as the paver goes by and direct traffic to the next street up. Streets will be reopened after a short time once the asphalt is rolled and cooled.

10/08/2026

Don’t stop be-leafing! Week 4️⃣ of the I LOVE NEW YORK Fall Foliage Report has dropped! You can read the full report at the link in the comments. 🍂

The transition to stunning fall colors quickened over the past week and is expected to bring pockets of peak foliage to six of New York State’s 11 vacation regions this weekend. Joining the Adirondacks, which has already seen some peak conditions, localized peak colors will pop up in parts of the Capital-Saratoga, Catskills, Central New York, Finger Lakes, and Chautauqua-Allegheny regions.

10/08/2026

Join us at 2pm on October 18th for the Historical Society Program

Manifest Destiny: How America Came to be “Sea to Shining Sea”

Presented by Dan Cody

How did 13 former British colonies that were sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and the Appalachian Mountains reach across an entire continent? What were the events and who were the people that made this possible?

Dan Cody is a former adjunct American History teacher at Finger Lakes Community College and the former registrar and Collections Manager for the Rochester Historical Society.



Meetings are held at the Henrietta Senior Center, 515 Calkins Road

All programs are free and handicapped accessible.

In case of inclement weather and for directions, please visit

October's Artist in the Bob Hodge Memorial Gallery is Michaela from Cecropia Studios ! Her work will be on display all m...
10/02/2026

October's Artist in the Bob Hodge Memorial Gallery is Michaela from Cecropia Studios ! Her work will be on display all month and is available for sale! Don't see your favorite insect? Contact Michaela or swipe through her Instagram and see if she captured your critter in all its glory already!

Interested in displaying your work here in the Nature Center? Contact us or visit: https://www.henriettany.gov/community/page/bob-hodge-memorial-gallery to learn more!

It's Day 1 of the Week Without Driving with Reconnect Rochester! Have you explored any forms of alternative transportati...
10/01/2026

It's Day 1 of the Week Without Driving with Reconnect Rochester! Have you explored any forms of alternative transportation today? Have you tried slowing down and exploring your neighborhood as you run errands?

As a reminder, Tinker Nature Park has TWO auxiliary connections to the nearby neighborhoods, as well as sidewalks all the way up Calkins Rd. to our main parking lot. If you are a local, check out all the different routes you can walk to Tinker!

Want to get multi-modal? RTS - Regional Transit Service & RTS Transit Center has several routes to and in Henrietta that you can combine with either walking, e-bikes/scooters, or cycling to get you to Tinker!

Show off your routes, your pictures, and your smiles and come collect your special edition Pudge Stickers this week, available only during the Week Without Driving!

You want to come see us anyways, this is a great week to challenge yourself to make the trip using an alternative form o...
09/30/2026

You want to come see us anyways, this is a great week to challenge yourself to make the trip using an alternative form of transportation. Not sure what routes to take? Call us! Our phones are working again 😅 Interested in committing to the whole week? Sign-up here: https://reconnectrochester.org/week-without-driving/

Or at the link in Reconnect Rochester 's bio.

If you make the trip, come see us in the Nature Center during business hours to claim your SPECIAL EDITION PUDGE STICKER

UPDATE: the phones are working again!
09/29/2026

UPDATE: the phones are working again!

Address

1525 Calkins Road
Henrietta, NY
14534

Telephone

(585) 359-7044

Website

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