Have you ever heard someone say 'go touch some grass' to someone who seems stressed or overwhelmed? That's because it actually works! Getting out in nature and exploring these habitats help us learn more about our wildlife here in Northeast Oklahoma, and gets us away from all those screens. And lucky for us, many lovely nature centers are just a short drive away.
This month, let's spend the rest of our summer days exploring Our Town's wildlife and nature preserves!
WOOLAROC MUSEUM & WILDLIFE PRESERVE
The name "Woolaroc" comes from three words - woods, lakes, and rocks! Made up of all of these, the Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve originally was a ranch getaway for Frank Phillips, AKA "Uncle Frank." Now, it is engrained with history and wildlife, stretching across the Osage Hills of Northeast Oklahoma.
Just a 45-minute drive north of downtown Tulsa, Woolaroc consists of a 3,700 acre wildlife preserve, a museum, lodging, an animal barn, hiking trails, and more. The museum showcases collections of Western artifacts, Native American pottery, baskets, beats, blankets, and cultural art. Detailed on their website, the Woolaroc museum relates the story of man's cultural development in the New World, and artifacts tracing the prehistoric civilizations in Oklahoma.
The Wildlife preserve is home to more than 30 types of animals and birds. Phillips worked with many wild animal experts to obtain and provide the right care and environment for them. Bison, elk, longhorn cattle, varieties of deer, ostriches, and more call this preserve home. Keep your eyes peeled going in and out of the preserve to try and spot some of these animals!
JOSEPH H. WILLIAMS TALLGRASS PRAIRIE PRESERVE
The Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve stretches across almost 40,000 acres in Pawhuska. The tallgrass prairie originally covered over 142 million acres, from Texas to Minnesota. However, due to urban sprawl and conversion to cropland, it now sits at less than 4% of its original size and only exists in the Flint Hills of Oklahoma and Kansas.
Just over an hour from Tulsa, you can explore the self-guided nature trails separately or as an entire loop. Don't feel like exploring on foot? Take your car through the scenic route of the preserve and through the bison unit. The drive is about 35 miles, with five scenic turnouts along the way.
While there, observe the wildlife and explore their natural habitats. Over 700 plants have been identified at the Tallgrass Prairie, including wildflowers during the spring/summer seasons. Bird species and other animals besides bison have been spotted, including eagles, hawks, scissor-tailed flycatchers, deer, coyotes, and bobcats.
OXLEY NATURE CENTER
The Oxley Nature Center offers just over 800 acres of hiking trails and wildlife opportunities. Just a 20-minute drive from downtown Tulsa, the Oxley Nature Center is part of the City of Tulsa parks. With their mission to "inspire the wonder," you can find over 700 plant species, birds, animals, and a hand-dug lake.
Oxley Nature Center has a unique feature called the interpretive center. The building offers hands-on exhibits, a classroom, a gift shop, and a small library with a wildlife viewing area. The exhibits are geared toward what you might encounter during your visit. If it's your first time, I'd recommend giving yourself 15-30 minutes before exploring the trails to check these exhibits out.
On your hike, you'll discover a variety of trees, including cottonwoods, sycamores, oaks, pecans, and hackberrys. Over 200 bird species can be found throughout the year, and over 50 types of butterflies have been identified here! You'll spot animals like deer, raccoon, coyotes, etc...but I challenge you to try and spot an otter, as they've been making their way into the nature center in the recent years!
J.T. NICKEL FAMILY NATURE & WILDLIFE PRESERVE
The J.T. Nickel Family Nature and Wildlife Preserve, gifted by the John Nickel family in 2000, is the largest privately protected area in the Ozarks. This 17,000-acre preserve in the Cookson Hills, overlooking the Illinois River, features a diverse landscape of oak-hickory forest, woodlands, savannas, shrub land, and prairies.
The Savanna Trail and the Pine Ridge Trail are the two self-guided hiking trails you can explore, starting at the preserve headquarters. While hiking these trails, there are spots you can pause to observe the plants and animals around you. Sunflowers, black-eyed susans, goldenrods, and other wildflowers can be seen during their peak seasons.
Numerous bird species as well as animals like coyotes, bobcats, squirrels, and reptiles are found on these trails. Elk had not been in this preserve area for more than 150 years, but were reintroduced by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in 2005. Since then, they have thrived and established a healthy population. TNC also helps plant wildlife by assisting with controlled burns to restore the open woodlands ecosystem.
SEQUOYAH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Just under a two hour drive, the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge sits over 20,000 acres within the Arkansas River flood plain including hardwood forests and wetlands. Quoting the refuge's website, "the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats."
This flood plain habitat supports migratory birds and resident wildlife like deer, bobcats, beavers, and bald eagles. The Horton Slough and Sandtown Woods Nature Trails provide one-mile paved paths for fishing, wildlife observation, and more. You can also find areas with boat ramps for activities on the water! Visitors can start at the main headquarters for more information on these activites.
A cool feature of this refuge for history fans...within the refuge, you can find ancient campsites that highlight Native Americans' historic path traveling through this area. This refuge also served as a Civil War boundary between Union and Confederate forces, finding themselves stationed on opposite sides of the river.
This story was originally shared in PRT's arts-and-culture newsletter Our Town. Subscribe here to get these stories first.
