While the Canalside area is building up as a regional attraction, the shoreline across the river is getting a bit more natural where Sail Buffalo Sailing School has nearly completed a Buffalo River shoreline restoration project. The work was funded through a grant from the Niagara River Greenway Ecological Standing Committee and included invasive species control and new native plantings. Sail Buffalo has been based out of Lake Erie’s shorelines for over ten years and strives to make sailing affordable, accessible and fun.
In 2014, Sail Buffalo was awarded a grant in order to restore the shore near its sailing school. The site was infested with Japanese knotweed, but also still had many dogwoods, raspberries and a canopy of trees that all provide excellent habitat for wildlife, especially songbirds. Despite the relatively small size of the site, it has high habitat potential with its location at the mouth of the Buffalo River and across the street from Times Beach Nature Preserve. Japanese knotweed was removed over two growing seasons primarily by manual cutting of stems and digging out rhizomes.
According to David Spiering, Ecologist at Tifft Nature Preserve, live stakes and fascines (bundles of small branches) of dogwood and willow were installed earlier this month within the rip-rap shoreline.
“These species of shrubs can sprout roots and leaves from cut twigs when in contact with moist soil,” says Spiering. “Due to the rocky nature of the rip-rap shoreline, compost was placed under and over the live stakes and fascines to add organic matter to the shoreline and provide a suitable environment for the species to take root. The long-term goal is for shoreline dominated by native dogwood and willow shrubs that provide both food and cover for songbirds.”
Long-time low-impact development advocate Dave Majewski of East Buffalo Custom Composts was involved in the planning and implementation of the project.
“There have been so many changes on the mouth of the river and that whole area,” says Majewski. “I hung out at the Marine Drive Apartments in the 60s and 70s when my grandparents lived there and the mouth of the river was literally a floating landfill. There have been significant changes for the better in the last few years including enhancements at Tifft Nature Preserve, Times Beach, Buffalo River water quality improvement work, Canalside development, and outer harbor public access enhancement.”
Plantings at the site include Silky Dogwood, Redtig Dogwood, and Pussy Willow says Majewski.
“Sail Buffalo is proud of the results we have achieved with our partners,” says Director Pierre Wallinder. “Many truck loads of invasive species, primarily Japanese knotweed, has been removed. Additionally, this fall the team assisted with a complete turf restoration on our lawn, which was torn up when we installed water and sewer lines. We are looking forward to see a lush and green turf surrounded by native plants during next season. A special gratitude is to our Trustee Suzanne Villacorta who has spearheaded this project, without her guidance, foresight and energy it would never had happened.”
Get Connected: Sail Buffalo, 716.432.6589
