The Trek Tifft at Tifft Nature Preserve

Tifft Nature Preserve

Visitors experienced a guided walking tour of the Tifft Nature preserve’s field, forest, and wetland habitats on Sunday, during the The Trek Tifft.

The volunteer tour guide assigned to give the Trek Tifft, gathered everyone waiting for the tour in the main lodge and set off outside. Along the walk, the tour guide pointed out different plants and trees such as corkscrew willow trees, phragmites, evergreen trees, cattails, wild iris, and more.

During the Trek Tifft, interaction with animals in wildlife was often common. Many deer were seen roaming around the park usually alone, or in groups of three or more. The volunteer guide handed out birdseed to visitors and allowed them to try to feed the birds flying around.

Feeding the Birds

The tour also took visitors on the boardwalks of the marshes and lakes. Various plants were able to be seen over the railing of the boardwalks as well as ducks swimming around and tadpoles popping up to the surface in random intervals.

“My favorite part of the preserve is the wetland habitat because I like walking next to the water,” said Khrystal Barry, a visiting college student from Stony Brook University. “It’s very peaceful.”

Barry said that following the tour guide was very helpful. It was nice to listen to someone who was informative and personable.

“The tour guide was really great at getting people involved and asking questions,” said Barry. “She really kept my attention about finding out what we were looking at.”

“Actually being able to see nature benefits many of our Trek Tifft visitors,” said Carol Mathner, a volunteer tour guide. “These days people are so involved with what’s on television. It’s nice to have them come to the preserve and experience a whole new world, especially for children.”

The Trek Tifft lasted about an hour and a half. It allowed visitors to experience each different aspect of the preserve. The tour guide lead the group through the woodland areas, over the bridge of the connecting lakes, and onto the boardwalk of the cattail marshes.

“There’s always something new to see each season,” said Mathner. “In the spring people can start to see all the birds returning while in the winter, people can begin to see and follow animal tracks.”

Beaver Dam in the Tifft Nature Preserve

“I would definitely come back again to go for a walk and take pictures,” said Robert Henning, a resident of Batavia, NY. “It would be nice to slow down life for a little and enjoy the nature of the preserve.”

The Tifft Nature Preserve is made up of 264 acres of land including marshes, lakes, ponds, and forests. People visiting the Tifft Nature Preserve for the Trek Tifft are taken on a tour of the grounds.

The Tifft Nature Preserve is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. There is no fee to gain admission to the preserve, but donations are helpful.

The Trek Tifft takes place every Sunday from 2 to 3:00 p.m. except for every third Sunday of the month. It is a free program, open to all ages. The program will not be running from Dec. until March.