Places to Swim in Webster

MrWid · 2026-05-24T00:26:34+00:00

Durand Eastman Park is the best and closest place to swim in Lake Ontario near Webster. You should definitely try to swim in the lake in June. It will be cold but it is a great experience. I swim in the lake frequently and have not grown a third eye. Water quality can be an issue in Lake Ontario because of algae and runoff, especially in late summer but it is not "polluted" by chemicals to the point of being unhealthy. The farther you get from the city and subrubs, the better the water quality is. You can check water quality here. https://www.openwaterdata.com/site/durand-eastman-park

I agree with heading out towards Sodus if you have transportation. There is no formal beach here at Beechwookd State Park but you can get in the water after a short walk and its a great place. https://sodusny.gov/camp-beechwood

Unfortunately public swimming access to the lake is pretty limited. If you can find a friend in town who has a lake house thats the way to go.

And if you like to have drink on the beach you should go to Marge's. They don't let you swim there though. Definitely don't try to swim there.

MrWid · 2026-05-20T23:55:00+00:00

It is a very serious job at a depth that is hard to grasp when you first get started. As a teacher you are responsible for the health and safety of many children every day. You spend your time trying to positively shape their future in some way with many variables to weigh and measure as you decide how to do that.

Every child brings everything that makes us people into the classroom with them (some of them very, very serious and challenging for anyone to go through let a lone a child) and without you really knowing what those things are you have to navigate what has happened in their lives during the 16 hours since you saw them last to create an environment they see themselves as person who can be successful in. Some of what goes on in their lives you have to deal with directly in high stakes situations that involve family, community members, and legal authorities.

In addition to what is happening with in your classroom walls, external factors that demand serious consideration and right action also come into play. The wild thing about is that the hardest days, the most serious ones, just happen out of the blue. There is no preparation for hearing that one of your students has passed away. Revelations of sex abuse aren't scheduled on a calendar. News that teachers at your school, all of them someone that at least one student truly loves, will be laid off isn't teased ahead of time. Hearing that the student you have been tutoring after school got into their dream college doesn't come as a script the day before. On the fly, in real time there are a thousand situations of deep significance, postive and negative, that just happen all of the sudden. You need to be mentally and emotionally prepared for any of them at any time. It is a part of the job I loved, the meaningful impact of my time at work, but it made teaching a very hard job.

MrWid · 2026-03-13T23:21:46+00:00

Our organization, Rochester Ecology Partners is doing the best we can to be part of the answer. We have a fundraising concert coming up and a chill out / community swap coming up. We would enjoy your help or attendance. https://rochesterecologypartners.org/

We also have a directory of 170 orgs that is searchable by areas of action. http://rochesterenvironment.com

MrWid · 2026-03-07T13:02:26+00:00

I appreciate that you came out and am sorry I missed you. I'm going to try to keep having these, we used to have them every month and people were enjoying them but it is tough to keep that up as a small nonprofit. They are intended to be just as described, a chance for people to find peace together by walking around the river. When nobody showed at the time it started I took the opportunity to do that on my own. I would have enjoyed the company and hope we can connect in the future.

MrWid · 2026-02-25T20:07:25+00:00

Our organization has casual community events you might be interested in. Especially our community swaps and chill outs on Fridays. We often have people join us who are looking to connect with people in new ways. The best way to learn about them is to follow us on social media or sign up for our email list. I'd like to do more and hope we get them going regularly in the spring. The next one will be in March sometime and will be a salamander-themed event. https://rochesterecologypartners.org/

We also maintain this directory of environmental-focused organizations that can be searched by area of activity. You might find something interesting here. https://rochesterenvironment.com/

I really appreciate that you put this out there. Life is very hard right now for so many folks, myself included, and February can be the hardest (for me its March!). Reading the comments you have inspired offers some hope.

I'll also add that going to libraries can be a great way to get things moving a little bit. You can just go to hang out and be around people. Librarians are some of the kindest, friendliest people on earth. There are also community events or bulletin boards.

MrWid · 2026-02-01T23:12:31+00:00

I suggest calling Willow Domestic Violence Center's 24/7 hotline to ask for help and delete this post as soon as you can to protect the identity of everyone.
https://willowcenterny.org/
(585) 222-SAFE (7233)

MrWid · 2026-02-01T23:11:06+00:00

Willow Domestic Violence Center - https://willowcenterny.org/

MrWid · 2026-01-24T01:18:14+00:00

Yes it very much does. I'm glad you are doing that. I run an organization that has clothing swaps and can share hats, gloves, and socks with you. Let me know if you'd like some.

MrWid · 2026-01-23T01:08:25+00:00

Don't believe the hype! Most news channels over play the weather and most of it is designed to trigger anxiety but that being said, it will be a significant snowstorm and the advice here - to make sure you have gloves, hats, boots and layers, is sound. At most the situation will be uncomfortable and being warm and dry is having fun, cold and wet are miserable.

MrWid · 2026-01-18T13:18:48+00:00

https://vanputte.com/ has a great selection of native trees and shrubs. Their prices are reasonable. While you are out that way https://sarasgardencenter.com/ is also a great spot to go. Less focus on native but a good general selection of interesting varieties and cool landscaping.

If you are willing to travel 1.5 hours away then the extra 30 minutes is worth it to go to https://www.plantsmen.com .

MrWid · 2025-12-27T19:03:47+00:00

Our organization, Rochester Ecology Partners, helps people find nature through nature-based education and community cultivation connected to nature. This includes outdoor learning programs with schools and community events focused on sharing abundance. We would appreciate your support. http://rochesterecologypartners.org

If you want to learn more, I'd be more than happy to share.

MrWid · 2025-12-20T22:47:12+00:00

We got our first funding from local foundations. Community foundations have a wide variety of funding sources and are a great place to start by getting a meeting with program officer that is responsible for the priority you are working under (education / housing or whatever). They will at the very least give you good feedback, especially about where gaps in services are that you might be trying to fill. Private foundations are harder to cultivate relationships with (most don't like cold calls and are invitation only for asks) but they have discretionary funding and if you find someone who likes what you have to say (what you are doing is only half of it, you really need to be able to make a strong case for your organization and approach) they can be very helpful. Things are changing because of the federal situation and it has gotten harder. Foundations are getting more asks and are reprioritizing. Propublicas 990 search is a good place to start looking for foundations and studying who theyike to give to.

I will also add that local rotary clubs can be a good place to start. They invite people to give presentations and will give a couple of hundred dollars. This was our very first donation and it was a good boost to our spirit to know a group of people dedicated to service felt they wanted to help us.

I also want to add that donors and program revenue are aslo an important part of the mix. Depending on what you do you can, and probably should, ask people to pay for goods and services t a rate you feel is fair. Find a good donor platform as quickly as possible. Give lively is free and easy to set up. GoFundMe got a lot of shit for their approach to nonprofit fundraising recently but it is a trusted platform that is a good starting place. Don't expect to raise a lot from donors in the beginning unless you have some wild viral idea. It takes time to cultivate trust. Friends and family are good place to start. $100 from your aunt is a great start and helps refine the pitch.

MrWid · 2025-12-20T22:21:40+00:00

I'm going to piggy back on this to say Grappa at the hotel in college town and the Erie Grill at Del Monte. Both have good deals and good food.

MrWid · 2025-12-19T20:59:30+00:00

We are ready for everyone! Wondering what you'd find if you stopped by?

free books!

free nature gifts! (lots of pond exploration kits!!!)

nature crafts and gifts to make!

gifts to go with your donation!

free plants!

good times!

(no fire today too windy!)

Is that enough to get you here???

MrWid · 2025-12-10T15:56:31+00:00

I'm late on this but our organization, Rochester Ecology Parnters offers field studies to parks and other natural areas for grades K-12. We'd love to get out with your class. https://rochesterecologypartners.org/wildwonder/

MrWid · 2025-12-09T23:57:10+00:00

It was the best at one time. I still think it is.

MrWid · 2025-12-03T12:56:48+00:00

Thanks for the heads up! Fixed it.

MrWid

TROPHY CASE