Next time you take a walk through the Webster Arboretum on Schlegel Rd., you might find yourself stopping for more than just the flowers and trees. You might just lose yourself in rhyme.
Placed along the Arboretum’s gracefully winding paths is a series of five poems, the work of area authors, posted on handsome plaques adjacent to some of the park’s most picturesque features. They’re part of the Arboretum’s Poetry Trail, a community-driven space that blends the natural beauty of the park with local literature.
Opened in May 2025, the trail was spearheaded by Rochester-area poet Ron Friedman, who worked closely with the Arboretum’s Board of Directors to determine which poems would be used, where they would be placed and how the plaques would be designed. Ultimately, 11 poems were selected from hundreds submitted the previous spring, the chosen poets reflecting a variety of ages and talents, including one near the pond, called “If I Were a Butterfly,” written by preschoolers.
The trail currently features five of the chosen poems, each printed on a handsome brown plaque. In addition to the poem, there’s also a QR code which links to a recording of the poet reading his or her work. Reading the poem along with the author is a very calming experience. (The preschoolers’ poem doesn’t have a QR code, but you can see a video of the children reading it here.)
The trail itself stretches for a little less than a half mile, winding past the pond and the smaller gazebo, and across the covered footbridge. It only takes about 20 minutes to walk its length, depending on how long you pause to contemplate each poem. Most of the plaques are placed right on the gravel trail, which makes them very accessible. They’ve been installed at natural resting points, highlighting several of the Arboretum’s most beautiful locales.
In addition to the preschoolers’ butterfly poem, the four other poems are “Messages From the Garden” by Heidi Nightengale of Auburn, “Haiku Spring” by Rachel Ikins of Baldwinsville, “She Who is Sealed is Plastic” by Karen Faris of Rochester, and “Dear Arboretum in Webster” by Bobbie Dumas Panck of Malone.
Ron has six additional poems in reserve, which are currently “on the road,” having traveled to the Webster Schroeder High School library, the Webster Library, Monroe Community College, and the Before Your Quiet Eyes bookstore on Monroe Ave. He plans to rotate five of those into the Arboretum soon, to keep the trail engaging and feature a greater variety of poets. The posts themselves will remain in the same locations.
The map indicates the approximate location of each poem (click on it to enlarge it). The Webster Arboretum is located at 1700 Schlegel Rd.
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(posted 7/13/2026)
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