Ecosystems
Prairie
Meadowlark Prairie covers an 11 acre area with characteristics of the Tallgrass Prairie, various species of grasses, forbs, and woody plants. These plants provide food, forage, and habitat for native bees, butterflies, and dragonflies, along with a variety of grassland birds, small mammals, snakes, crawdads, and more. A small pond lies between the main prairie area and the Nature Center building.
Forest
The floodplain forest that houses the Oxley trail system is dominated by a variety of oaks, elms, hackberry, sycamore, hickory, and more. This area, framed by Bird Creek to the north and Coal Creek to the east, is home to dozens of bird species, armadillos, possums, racoons, deer, coyotes, and foxes, just to name a few.
Plants that make up the forest floor include swamp sedge, sea oats, wild garlic, and downed and living trees serve as a canvas for many varieties of fungus, moss, and lichen
Wetlands
In addition to the swamp encircled by Blue Heron Trail and the low-lying areas surrounding the Teaching Shelter, visitors can access Blackbird Marsh by crossing one of the two bridges over Coal Creek. Here, intermittent flooding causes water levels to vary and a wooden boardwalk crosses the marsh, allowing visitors a close view of the area.
One may encounter monarchs, tree frogs, snakes, swamp sparrows, alligator snapping turtles, orb weavers, muskrats, killdeer, dragonflies and many more species buzzing and bristling among the black willow, buttonbush, American cattail, and more.
There is an observation tower at the north end of the marsh, where visitors can take in the view of the 60-acre Lake Sherry and its surroundings.