Tifft Nature Preserve

Tifft Nature Preserve 264 acres of natural beauty only minutes from downtown on the Outer Harbor! Tifft provides educational programming and exciting public events all year round!
(388)

Tifft Nature Preserve is a 264-acre nonprofit nature refuge dedicated to conservation and environmental education. Go to www.TIFFT.org to learn more about visiting Tifft Nature Preserve! 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 t

he 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. Today, Tifft Nature Preserve maintains a natural setting. Animals from the entire region take advantage of its ponds, marshes, grasslands, and woodlands. It has become the urban sanctuary many people envisioned over thirty years ago. Tifft's Visitor Center can be reached at 716.825.6397 or www.TIFFT.org.

Oh hi there! I'm Martin. You may have heard a lot of my chatter out near Tifft Nature Center in the last few months... Y...
06/05/2026

Oh hi there! I'm Martin. You may have heard a lot of my chatter out near Tifft Nature Center in the last few months... Your ears are not deceiving you! Those are recordings of my dawn songs that Tifft is playing to bring more of my friends to town.

Purple martins used to be quite common in the eastern United States but their population has declined since the 1960s. They love nesting together in small communities! That's why we put up a nesting habitat called a gourd rack and have been playing the dawn song of the purple martin every morning in the hopes of encouraging them to return to their native habitat.

This is just a part of our greater rewilding efforts going on at Tifft right now; there are still spaces available for a special tour of those efforts tomorrow morning! Register here: https://www.tifft.org/event/rewilding-of-tifft-nature-preserve-tour/

When it's June and you're finally seeing the sun again for the first time in 9 months in Buffalo.In other words, happy W...
06/05/2026

When it's June and you're finally seeing the sun again for the first time in 9 months in Buffalo.

In other words, happy World Environment Day! We hope you take some time to enjoy the warm sunshine and take in the beaty of our natural world around WNY 🌳🌷☀️

📸Credit: John R. Tendorf. Thanks, John!

Wow! Thank you so much to and everyone who donated in April; you raised over $12,000 for Tifft during one of their most...
05/29/2026

Wow! Thank you so much to and everyone who donated in April; you raised over $12,000 for Tifft during one of their most successful Change for Change fundraisers in the program's history. We are so grateful to be part of such an amazing community here in WNY! 🥰 💕

We're living for this sunny and warmer weather, and so is all the wildlife at Tifft☀️☀️☀️ Wanna see how we're bringing b...
05/26/2026

We're living for this sunny and warmer weather, and so is all the wildlife at Tifft☀️☀️☀️ Wanna see how we're bringing back native species to a slice of Buffalo? Join us on Saturday, June 6, at 10 a.m. for a behind-the-scenes look at our rewilding process! Sign up here: https://www.tifft.org/event/rewilding-of-tifft-nature-preserve-tour/

Ready to level up your wildlife photography? 📸🐾Join pro photographer Gary Wiepert for an immersive, expert‑led training ...
05/07/2026

Ready to level up your wildlife photography? 📸🐾

Join pro photographer Gary Wiepert for an immersive, expert‑led training that takes you from camera basics to capturing breathtaking wildlife moments. Learn how to read animal behavior, compose stunning shots, and photograph ethically, all in one dynamic session. Includes an indoor workshop and guided outdoor practice.

Learn more or register: https://www.tifft.org/event/wildlife-photography-seminar/

I show up in spring like a puddle with ambition,A pop‑up hotel for salamanders on a very wet mission.I vanish by summer,...
05/06/2026

I show up in spring like a puddle with ambition,
A pop‑up hotel for salamanders on a very wet mission.
I vanish by summer, no checkout desk, no rules.
Just mud where I once hosted tadpole schools.
I’m seasonal, secret, and gone before it’s cool…
What am I, this part‑time, party‑time pool?

Head to Tifft on May 15 for an intimate guided tour of the Vernal Pool Trail and beyond to investigate the importance of this essential habitat to salamanders, dragonflies, native plants and more!

Register at https://www.tifft.org/event/vernal-pool-and-wetlands-hike/

Picture it: you're mid‑stroll, mid‑breath, mid‑zen, and suddenly a Great Blue Heron takes flight, gliding over Lake Kirs...
05/04/2026

Picture it: you're mid‑stroll, mid‑breath, mid‑zen, and suddenly a Great Blue Heron takes flight, gliding over Lake Kirsty like a living postcard.

Great Blue Herons can have a wingspan of up to six feet, which explains why seeing one fly feels a little awe‑inducing (okay, a lot).

Long wings, slow beats, effortless drama.

If this mental picture gives you a peaceful pause, consider a break from your day and join us for one of our Thursday Wellness Walks presented by Independent Health.

Sunny skies, fresh air, and moments like this are what Wellness Walks at Tifft are all about—movement, mindfulness, and letting nature surprise you.

Learn more: https://www.tifft.org/event/wellness-walks-8/

📸: Bill Annis

That crest. Those eyes! If your mom goes "SQUEE!" at the sight of a tufted titmouse, we've got an event that'll earn you...
04/29/2026

That crest. Those eyes! If your mom goes "SQUEE!" at the sight of a tufted titmouse, we've got an event that'll earn you major Brownie points this Mother's Day.

Spots are filling fast for our Mother’s Day Guided Bird Walk & Morning Tea on May 10! From warblers to orioles, take the morning to meet some of the birds that call Tifft home.

Psssst... you may want to peruse all the bird nerd gifts in our Tifft Shop to score extra bonus points with mom. You're welcome.

Register for the May 10 walk now!
https://www.tifft.org/event/mothers-day-guided-bird-walk-morning-tea/

Huge THANK YOUS to all our amazing vendors, shoppers, and volunteers who made our third annual Earth Day Market on Satur...
04/27/2026

Huge THANK YOUS to all our amazing vendors, shoppers, and volunteers who made our third annual Earth Day Market on Saturday unforgettable!

You showed up for sustainability, supporting local Buffalo businesses, and, of course, alpacas.

We appreciate you (and so do the alpacas... at least those of your who greeted them with treats in hand). 💚

DON'T. FORGET. THE CARD. Better yet, grab one at this Saturday's Earth Day Market!Papercraft Miracles is one of the 18 v...
04/23/2026

DON'T. FORGET. THE CARD. Better yet, grab one at this Saturday's Earth Day Market!

Papercraft Miracles is one of the 18 vendors participating in this year's market. They're an eco-friendly, hand-made paper art company that creates works of art from office shreds, fabric scraps, wilted flowers, grain from breweries and more. They source much of their material from local companies to help them reduce waste!

Stop by their table between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to check out some of their unique and Earth-friendly cards, seed bombs, and more.

Get more details and see all of the vendors joining us this year here: https://www.tifft.org/events/earth-day-market/

Address

1200 Fuhrmann Boulevard (Across From The Small Boat Harbor)
Buffalo, NY
14203

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+17168256397

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Tifft Nature Preserve posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category