Buffalo turned industrial dump into nature preserve; 260 bird species recorded

A former industrial site and municipal landfill on Buffalo’s Outer Harbor has spent the past five decades becoming something very different: a 264-acre urban nature preserve supporting wetlands, woodlands, ponds and diverse wildlife. Tifft Nature Preserve, which officially became a nature preserve in 1976, is marking its 50th anniversary in 2026. According to Tifft Nature Preserve, the site now includes a 75-acre cattail marsh, while more than 260 bird species have been observed there. Its transformation involved covering buried waste, restoring habitat and establishing long-term ecological management and research.From industrial land to protected nature preserveThe land that became Tifft Nature Preserve had a much longer history before it became a protected natural area. According to the preserve, it was once part of a large dairy farm owned by George Washington Tifft before becoming a transshipment centre for commodities including coal and iron ore.