NWF Wildlife Corridor
NIAGARA COUNTY WILDLIFE CERTIFICATION
The Black Rock Riverside Alliance(BRRAlliance) is a 501-c-3 organization that was born out of a community drive for revitalization in the Northwest neighborhoods of Buffalo New York but has extended its reach as the organization grows. Their work revolves around creating community gardens, wildlife habitat development, storefront revitalization, creation of community spaces and multiple grants bringing resources and awareness to our communities.
One of the main projects this group has been working on for the past few years is the creation of wildlife habitats. The National Wildlife Federation(NWF) has a grassroots program where green spaces can be turned into certified wildlife habitats and if enough individual green spaces get certified you can certify entire communities. In 2020 enough spaces in Buffalo, NY got certified that the city itself was designated as a NWF Community Wildlife Habitat. Once that was done BRRAlliance spearheaded the task of getting Erie County certified as well which was successfully achieved just a year later in 2021. With this completed, their next goal is to get Niagara County certified. Doing so would connect the two neighboring counties and create a wildlife corridor allowing for easier passage for animals of all species.
As the BRRAlliance pursues this goal, they would like to be able to work collaboratively with local organizations that have a vested interest in preserving and beautifying our natural environment. Creating more wildlife-friendly habitats is something that benefits both humans and the environment and being able to get this message out to as many people as possible is a main priority of this project. Our success in getting Niagara County certified and maintaining our other certifications will hinge on getting people to participate and turn their personal green spaces into certified habitats.