Agency Details:

Tifft Nature Preserve

The mission of Tifft Nature Preserve…
…is to protect and manage the natural resources and historical value of a remnant wetland and reclaimed brownfield.
…is to connect environmental education with authentic scientific research.
…is to provide a nature preserve for public enjoyment in an urban setting.
…is to be part of a revitalized and sustainable South Buffalo community.

Description:
Tifft Nature Preserve is a 264-acre nature refuge dedicated to conservation and environmental education. Tifft Nature Preserve maintains a natural setting. Animals from the entire region take advantage of its ponds, marshes and woodlands. It has become the urban sanctuary many people envisioned over twenty years ago.

Visitor Highlights Include:
Five miles of nature trails – trail map and rules available at Visitor Center
Three boardwalks with viewing blinds in and adjacent to cattail marsh
Trails open year around during daylight hours
Guided walks— Thursdays 10 am– 12 pm
Official “Important Bird Area” offers outstanding bird watching
Fishing at Lake Kirsty Only (Except North Shoreline)
Snowshoe rental
Discovery Kit Rentals
Cross-country skiing permitted
Opportunities to observe local wildlife in natural habitats
School Group tours and workshops
Scout Programs
Public Programs

History:
The Preserve was created in 1972 from land purchased by the City of Buffalo for a landfill site. Concerned citizens recognized the ecological importance of the site and convinced the city legislators to plan for the area’s preservation. The completed landfill incorporated many safety measures, allowing the land to have a new purpose, a nature preserve which opened in 1976.

The land that comprises Tifft Nature Preserve has a fascinating history. It was once part of a huge dairy farm owned by George Washington Tifft and later became a transshipment center, primarily for coal and iron ore. During the 1950’s and 1960’s, Tifft's land was a dumpsite for city refuse.

Tifft began its transformation to a nature preserve in the 1970s. Nearly two million cubic feet of solid municipal waste was enclosed in clay and covered with soil excavated from another section of the Preserve. Ponds were enlarged, and trees and wildflowers were planted. Conservation of Tifft’s large cattail marsh helped attract a variety of animals.

In 1982, Tifft Farm Nature Preserve became a department of the Buffalo Museum of Science. Its name was later changed to Tifft Nature Preserve, to better reflect its purpose as a preserve rather than a farm.

Contact people:

Lauren Makeyenko, Experience Manager, (phone), (email) Jodi Valenti-Protas, Volunteer Coordinator, (phone)

Office fax number: (716) 824-6718

Address:

1200 Fuhrmann Blvd. Buffalo, NY 14203 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.sciencebuff.org/tifft-nature-preserve/

Directions:

From the Southtowns area, take Route 5 east. Exit at Tifft Street and continue straight following Ohio Street to Tifft Nature Preserve. From downtown and northern sections of the city, follow route 5 (Skyway) west. Stay to the right and continue. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: Small Boat Harbor, 15 minute walk

Last updated on September 10, 2009