Hilbert College students helped plant trees and shrubs at Tifft Nature Preserve as a part of Hilbert College’s Franciscan Day of Service last month.

Tifft Nature Preserve is a 264-acre nature preserve that has been dedicated to conservation and environmental education. Tifft Nature preserve was bought by the City of Buffalo for the purpose of being a landfill. It wasn’t until the community recognized and voiced the ecological importance of the site that it was turned into a nature preserve.

Shianna Patten is a senior at Hilbert who participated in the service day activity at Tifft.  “It felt good to do something to help this preserve” she said, “even if it is something as small as planting a tree or shrub”.

Both trees and shrubs were planted and are hoped to grow into the open spaces in the years to come at Tifft. This is just one of many restorative projects Tifft Nature Preserve has planned.

Alex Gill was the leader of the group that attended the nature preserve. “I really enjoyed taking time to plant some trees and shrubs at the reserve” he said. “It felt good to help out and hopefully we will be able to go back when the trees are grown to see our work”