Rochester celebrates National Trail Day

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) – The Rochester community celebrated National Trail Day on Saturday, June 4.

Genesee Land Trust, the City of Rochester, and the Ibero-American Development Corporation hosted the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Thomas R. Frey Trail at El Camino. The Corner Park is located at 92 Conkey Ave. Rochester.

Thomas R. Frey, a long-time board member of the Genesee Land Trust, started building community support in 2001 to turn an abandoned Rochester Running Track Railroad bed into a nature trail.

It took 10 years for the City to secure the land, and hundreds of volunteers to open Conkey Corner Park in 2008 and the trail in 2012. El Camino and Conkey Corner Park are City of Rochester parks, and Genesee Land Trust and Ibero-American Development Corporation hold multiple work parties and community events like the annual Harvest Fest.

The land trust also trains and employs 12 local teens to work on the park and trail throughout the summer as part of its Environmental Ambassadors youth workforce development program.

“The trail connects residents and helped create identity in the El Camino neighborhood. The city and local organizations like the Ibero-American Development Corporation added onto the investments with housing and infrastructure improvements. El Camino is a shining example and demonstration of the power of connecting to nature. We will continue to do more of that in this city,” said Miguel Melendez, City Council President.

For more information on the Genesee Land Trust, click here.

Speakers included the following:

Congressman Joe Morelle

County Executive Adam Bello

City Council President Miguel Melendez

City Councilman Mike Patterson

Genesee Land Trust Executive Director Gay Mills

Commissioner of the City’s Department of Recreation and Human Services Office

Dr. Shirley Green, representing Mayor Malik Evans

El Camino Resident Leverett Copeland

Conkey Cruisers Founder Theresa Bowick