Cameron Woods State Preserve facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cameron Woods State Preserve |
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 Cameron Woods State Preserve
Location in Iowa
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| Location | Scott, Iowa, United States |
| Area | 36 acres (15 ha) |
| Elevation | 682 ft (208 m) |
| Established | 1978 |
| Governing body | Scott County Conservation Board |
Cameron Woods State Preserve is a special nature reserve in rural Scott County, Iowa, United States. It's like a protected forest where nature can thrive. You can find it along Iowa Highway 130, west of Maysville. The Scott County Conservation Board takes care of this amazing place. It is one of the important Iowa state preserves.
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Discover Cameron Woods State Preserve
Cameron Woods is a small part of what used to be a much bigger forest. Old maps from 1837 show how large the forest was when people first started settling in Scott County. This preserve helps us see what the land looked like long ago.
What Makes Cameron Woods Unique?
This preserve covers about 36 acres. It has gentle, rolling hills. The slopes of these hills are covered with a special type of soil called loess. This soil is often found in the eastern part of the Southern Iowa Drift Plain. The land slowly slopes down towards Hickory Creek in the north.
The preserve is home to a beautiful hardwood forest. Many of the trees are red oaks. You can also find several very old white oak trees here, some are about 175 years old!
Plants and Animals You Might See
In the spring, the forest floor comes alive with colorful flowers. Look for:
- Bloodroot
- Downy yellow violet
- Squirrel corn
- Columbine
- Starry False Solomon’s-seal
Many different birds also live in Cameron Woods. You might spot:
- Brown creepers
- Baltimore orioles
- Rose-breasted grosbeaks
- Song sparrows
- Various warblers
- Many kinds of woodpeckers
To keep the animals safe, hunting is not allowed in the preserve.
Protecting This Special Place
The Iowa Conservation Commission bought this land in 1977. The very next year, in 1978, it was officially made a biological state preserve. This means it's protected for its plants and animals.
In 2012, experts checked all the plants in the preserve. They found that some plants that are not native to the area are starting to grow there. These include garlic mustard and amur honeysuckle. Even some native trees, like hackberries, are starting to replace the older hardwood trees. Protecting the preserve means keeping an eye on these changes.
