The Mendon Foundation would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to the many volunteers that participated with us during the United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes ‘Day of Caring’ event this month. Over two dozen volunteers helped clear sections of the Lehigh Valley Trail east and west of East River Road. A job well done! Thank you!
The Mendon Foundation would like to introduce our newest Board member, Mike Stachura, who joined our team this month. Mike has lived in Honeoye Falls for 15 years. He and his wife Allyson have seven grown children and six grandchildren. Mike recharges himself by being outdoors. He enjoys running, golf, hiking and especially organic gardening on their 5-acres just outside the village. He is currently also Treasurer of the Pittsford Food Cupboard. Mike said “I Read more
The Mendon Foundation would like to give a big shout out to Honeoye Falls Scouts BSA Troop 410 HFL. The scouts built nearly twenty (20) bird houses, and today they installed them at the Mendon Foundation’s Sibleyville Nature Reserve and Taylor Road properties. The scouts selected three bird species that they wanted to design and build nest boxes for including Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and Eastern Screech Owls. We are so excited to have these Read more
The Mendon Foundation announces its 20th annual Bird Walk Series for 2026. Save the dates and come join us for these wonderful Spring events! Bird lovers, families, and hikers come and join us for bird walks along the Lehigh Valley Trail, Sibleyville Nature Reserve, Lewis Nature Preserve, Oak Openings and Great Bend Park. Geoff Gretton and Connie Kellogg, long-time bird enthusiasts, will lead the walks. Identify and observe a variety of birds by song and Read more
This past Saturday, the Mendon Foundation hosted approximately twenty-five (25) volunteers and spouses for its annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at Flaherty’s Honeoye Falls. The food and service were great, and we were especially appreciative of the company and conversation we shared. A group of like-minded individuals that care about preserving and maintaining green spaces and establishing educational events in our surrounding communities. We are so thankful for all the time and effort our volunteers give to Read more
Dear friends, neighbors, and outdoors lovers, Happy Holidays! I hope you all have had a wonderful 2025. The Mendon Foundation has enjoyed a spectacular year continuing to successfully manage numerous green spaces in our surrounding communities including our land trust properties and over 16-miles of the Lehigh Valley Trail. Our six land trust properties are in better shape than ever. Hiking trails have been cleared and maintained throughout the year. Extensive water mitigation projects were Read more
In 2007, Honeoye Falls Troop 10 scout, Stefan Napp, worked with the Mendon Foundation on his Eagle Scout project. Specifically, Stefan and his team of volunteers built a trailhead, stairs and a foot trail on the south side of the Lehigh Valley Trail to the Honeoye Creek. This path is known as the Totiakton Trail and is located between Rochester Junction and Great Bend Park. Since that time, Mendon Foundation volunteers have maintained the Totiakton Read more
This month the Mendon Foundation voted unanimously to officially name one of its land trust properties. The Mendon Foundation had received 26-acres of beautiful wooded land from Dr. Evelyn Lewis back in December 2001. This property remained unnamed over the last 24-years and was often referred to as the Mendon Foundation’s “Pittsford-Mendon Center Road property,” “Lewis property,” or “Honeoye Haven.” This month the Mendon Foundation officially named the property the “Lewis Nature Preserve” in tribute Read more
A team of Mendon Foundation volunteers worked diligently this week to install a French drain on the entrance trail to our Taylor Road property. This Spring was exceptionally wet and as a result a short section of the trail had standing water and mud until the month of June. This prevented us from being able to mow the hiking trail loop until much later in the season than we wanted. We hope that this water Read more
A successful week of the long anticipated informational historical signage at Rochester Junction on Plains Road has been completed. Bud Grindle and Diane Ham, assisted by Rod Ham, have designed and installed twelve 10” x 12” site signs as well as a large overall informational sign at the location where the Lehigh Valley Railroad mainline crossed the tracks going north to Rochester and south to Hemlock giving it the name–Rochester Junction–beginning in 1892. These signs highlight Read more