Lynx Prairie facts for kids
Lynx Prairie is a special nature area in Adams County, Ohio, near the town of Lynx, Ohio. It's about 52 acres big, which is like 40 football fields! This preserve is famous for its unique "cedar glades." These are open, rocky areas where rare prairie plants grow. Forests surround these glades, making them a hidden treasure.
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What Makes Lynx Prairie Special?
The plants you find at Lynx Prairie are very old. They are like a living reminder of a rare type of grassland that used to cover more land. These plants found a safe home on the dry, rocky ground here.
How the Prairies Started
Scientists think these open grasslands might have been created long ago. Giant animals called Megafauna, like mammoths, used to roam this area. Their grazing might have kept the land open. Also, Native American people sometimes used controlled fires. These fires helped keep the forests from growing too much. Today, park rangers use special controlled fires to protect these prairies. This stops trees from taking over the rare grassland plants.
Amazing Rare Plants
Lynx Prairie is home to many plants that are hard to find anywhere else. Here are a few examples:
- American bluehearts (Buchnera americana)
- Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
- Crested coralroot (Hexalectris spicata)
- Gladecress (Leavenworthia uniflora)
- Scaly blazing star (Liatris squarrosa)
- Texas rock sandwort (Minuartia michauxii var. texana)
You can also find a shrub called rusty blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum) in the woods nearby. This plant usually grows further south. It's rare to see it this far north in Ohio!
Visiting Lynx Prairie
Lynx Prairie is owned and protected by The Nature Conservancy. This group works to save important natural places. The preserve has about 1.5 miles of walking trails. These trails let you explore the unique glades and forests. You can park your car at East Liberty Church. The start of the trail is marked at the corner of the cemetery.
A History of Protection
A brave scientist named Emma Lucy Braun helped save Lynx Prairie. She worked hard to protect the first 22 acres of this land. Her efforts led to the creation of the larger Richard & Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve System. This system protects many important natural areas in Ohio.
In 1967, Lynx Prairie, along with Buzzardroost Rock and The Wilderness areas, got a special honor. The National Park Service named them a National Natural Landmark. This means they are very important natural sites in the United States.
