Last spring, a generous landowner donated a beautiful eight-acre forest on a bluff overlooking Lake Erie in Derby to the Western New York Land Conservancy. The Land Conservancy is a non-profit land trust that protects forests, farms and scenic vistas forever, including places like the Stella Niagara Preserve in Lewiston and The Owens Falls Sanctuary in Aurora.  

The Lakeshore Forest is the Land Conservancy’s first preserve directly on Lake Erie. There is very little natural land like this left along the shoreline. The forest has trees that are more than 100 years old. Many birds find food and shelter in these trees during their long spring and fall migrations. Scattered wetlands provide habitat for frogs, toads and salamanders. 

When South Buffalo residents Tyler and Alicia Uebelhoer decided to open Buffalo Solar Solutions in the Summer of 2015, they poured their personal savings into the business venture and dedicated themselves to providing customers with the best possible service and a pressure-free sales approach. While it took a tremendous amount of effort — not to mention a lot of blood, sweat and tears — to get the business off the ground, the entire Western New York community is beginning to see the benefits.

Now going on two years old, the company no longer operates out of the Uebelhoer’s home. Showing steady growth every month, the employees of Buffalo Solar Solutions have worked out of their new office at 1212 Abbott Road, Suite A, since October.