The Tifft Nature Preserve is a nature preserve in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

, and one of the largest municipal nature preserves in

New York State New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

History

The land that is now the Tifft Nature Preserve was originally part of extensive Native American hunting and gathering grounds. By the 1700s it had come under the control of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy The land was first deeded in 1845. George Washington Tifft purchased 600 acres in 1858, transforming it into a large dairy farm. The Tifft family held onto the land until 1883. By 1900 the site had become a trans-shipment center, primarily for coal and iron ore. It had twelve shipping lanes and docked 83 vessels. This ended with the 1912 Panama Canal Act, which forced the separation of all rail and shipping interests. During the 1950s and 1960s, the site had become an unofficial dump. The land was purchased in the 1970s by the City of Buffalo for use as a landfill. In 1973, 2,000,000 cubic yards of refuse was transferred from Unity Island and spread on the Tifft land. Following public outcry, a city-supported not-for-profit organization was organized in 1976. A visitor center was completed in 1978. The not-for-profit was merged with the Buffalo Museum of Science in 1982. The preserve was temporarily closed in 1983 for removal of hazardous waste by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Description

The preserve consists of of restored habitat, including a cattail marsh. It is an important northeastern stopover for migratory raptor and waterfowl species. The preserve was designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Audubon in 1998. Public access is provided by five miles of nature trails and three boardwalks with viewing blinds in, and adjacent to, the cattail marsh. Popular outdoor recreational activities includes

birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescop ...

, hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The Herb and Jane Darling Education Center provides educational displays, restrooms, and indoor programming and event space. The parking lot and trails are open year-round from dawn to dusk.

Gallery

TifftNaturePreserve2.jpg, Cattail marshland facing north, alt=Boardwalk trail across water TifftNaturePreserve3.jpg, Grassland facing north, towards downtown Buffalo, alt=Treed grassland, with downtown Buffalo in the background TifftNaturePreserve4.jpg, Cattail marshland facing south, alt=Trees, grasses and open water Tifft nature preserve trail

References

{{Buffalo, New York Parks in Buffalo, New York Urban public parks