The Fairy Godparents
Installing a bit of magic into our lives
By Lynette M. Loomis
Betsy and Chris Marshall have created a world of wonder and magic in Mendon Ponds Park through the creation of more than 50 fairy houses and doors.
Originally, some of the houses were in Tinker Park. They drew so much attention and so many visitors, the park couldn’t manage the traffic. With 2,500 acres and the extremely popular Birdsong Fairy Trail, the fairies relocated to their permanent home in Mendon Ponds Park about two years ago.
While they have a contract with the county, they create the fairy homes as a gift to the community and receive no monetary compensation.
“Our pay is the comments we receive and the stories and memories that are shared between generations. Nothing makes us happier than to bring some joy into the community,” said Betsy, 55.
This magic is the result of a team effort.
Chris, 58, is director of facilities and operations for Victor Central Schools and a talented woodworker. Using natural materials, he integrates his creations into nature — a hole in a tree or on the top of a stump or rock. If a space is too small, Betsy might paint a fairy door into the opening. As a parent educator for the Rush-Henrietta School System, Betsy appreciates the need for a unique destination for families. That includes the trail being part of many camp programs for kids from urban and suburban areas.
As parents themselves, they watched their own children’s fascination with magic and fairies. They built a few houses for Tinker Park and then added a few more and a few more.
The move to Mendon Ponds Park was a natural fit for them as they are avid birdwatchers, wildlife photographers and hikers. People love to walk Birdsong Fairy Trail and feed the chickadees from their outstretched palm. If the birds are not “dining” at that time, there is still magic throughout the trail.
The fairy magic takes place in their Rush home.
“We work in the garage and when it’s too cold, we do what every person does — we move the projects to the mudroom and then to the dining room table,” Betsy explained.
The houses often need repair or replacement. The two “fairy godparents” try to install and repair when traffic in the park is light, so they don’t spoil the magic for the children. In their wagon of repair tools, they also add to the book boxes for children. They use natural materials with the aid of nails and screws and acrylic paint.
“A glue gun just won’t work, and we stay away from anything that could be toxic to the animals,” Chris said.
Betsy has probably painted 1,000 rocks in this journey. Children are often eager to take home a souvenir, but parents and grandparents are encouraged to help the little ones create their own fairy rocks for their own yard. People are generally very respectful of the creations. Together this talented couple has created more than 150 houses and doors.
During the pandemic, Betsy and Chris installed several houses and doors well above the ground to make sure things could not be touched and spread germs. It adds a bit of intrigue because people try to find all 50 houses and doors. To do so, one must be part believer and part sleuth. It also helps to “go back the way you came” so that new things appear from the other direction.
To make sure the houses and doors are as durable and natural as possible, as well as not be a hazard to animals, birds and guests, the park asks that well-meaning admirers do not “contribute” to the village.
Chris and Betsy use pinecones, milkweed, bark and driftwood. They also source at garage sales and flea markets.
Betsy said horseshoes are particularly easy with which to work. Inspiration comes from the trail itself as well as the materials available. They discovered that the squirrels eat antlers, so they have stayed away from using them in their designs.
“It is the trail itself that inspires the design—we have to understand and work within the natural constraints of the terrain, trees and rocks,” Chris said.
One of Betsy’s favorites is shaped like a heart and another one has a bridge. On the side of the Little Free Library is a window that one can peek into to see how the fairies live, complete with tiny furniture.
Chris’ favorites include the Little Free Library with miniature door and a screech owl box that also includes a fairy door.
In addition to the houses in the park, Betsy and Chris have contributed elaborate fairy villages for the campus at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut. The couple had vacationed there several times and spoke with the art director about incorporating some of their fairy houses into the display. Some of the installments take months to create due to the intricacy of design and the very tiny pieces to build and paint. It also can take days to install.
Children aged 2 to 7, the true believers, are especially intrigued by the fairy houses and doors, but people of all ages appreciate the magic, the imagination and the craftsmanship that Betsy and Chris put into their fairy world.
Photo: Betsy and Chris Marshall maintain the Birdsong Fairy Trail located at Mendon Ponds Park.
The Magic of the Fairy Trail in Mendon Ponds Park
People can see more than five fairy houses and doors at the Birdsong Fairy Trail are in Mendon Ponds Park. They are the work of Chris Marshall, the director of facilities and operations for Victor Central Schools and a talented woodworker, and his wife Betsy Marshall, a parent educator for the Rush-Henrietta School System. While they have a contract with the county, they create the fairy homes as a gift to the community and receive no monetary compensation.
“Our pay is the comments we receive and the stories and memories that are shared between generations. Nothing makes us happier than to bring some joy into the community,” said Betsy, 55.