Crittenden Springs Glade | The Nature Conservancy

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Kentucky

Crittenden Springs Glade Preserve

Crittenden Springs Glade provides habitat for at least seven rare pants.

Clouded Sulphur butterfly on purple cone flower. © Tom Barnes

About

Birdsfoot violet © The Nature Conservancy

Crittenden Springs Glade is a very high quality limestone slope glade in the Shawnee Hills, surrounded by an oak/hickory (Quercus/Carya) upland forest. It provides habitat for at least seven rare pants.

Location

In Crittenden County, 45 miles east of Paducah, Kentucky.

Size

84 acres

Conditions

Due to the sensitivity of the site, the preserve is open to the public only through Conservancy guided hikes.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site

This environment provides habitat for rare plant species including prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis), fringed nut rush (Scleria ciliata), the sedge Frimbristylis puberula, Great Plains ladies-tresses (Spiranthes magnicamporum), grooved yellowflax (linum sulcatum) Buckley's goldenrod (Solidago buckleyi). This site was a gift from the Reynolds Metals Company in 1988.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing

The Nature Conservancy is dedicated to protecting the high-quality limestone glade and adjacent woods found here. Priorities include protecting the rare plant species through development of a monitoring plan and preventing woody encroachment through fire management.

Plants at the Preserve

Grasses dominate the area, particularly:

little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
big bluestem (Andropogon gerargii)
Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans)
two dropseeds: Sporobolus clandestinus and Sporobolus vaginiflorus

A variety of colorful wildflowers sprinkle the outcroppings, including:

purple cornflower (Echinacea simulata)
blazing star (Liatris squarrosa)
mountain mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium)
yellow coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
baptista (Baptista leucophaea)
bird's foot violet (Viola pedata)
Animals at the Preserve

Forest and grassland wildlife species are plentiful at Aimee Rosenfield preserve. These include:
- grassland and forest guilds of songbirds
- deer
- turkey
- squirrels

Things To Do

Plan Your Visit

Directions

Discussion

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Add Your Comments

Time for you to join the discussion. Tell us about your experience at this preserve. What plants and animals did you see? When did you go? You can help others plan their visit when you share your thoughts. And thank you for visiting one of our nature preserves!

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