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Swamp White Oak Preserve

   
 

Directions
 

From Iowa City, from the intersection of I-80 and US Hwy 218 (just west of Iowa City):
Go south 16.3 miles on Hwy 218 to
State Hwy 22

Go east 13.2 miles on Hwy 22
to State Hwy 70 (east part of
Nichols)

Go south 6.2 miles on Hwy 70
to County Hwy G28

Go east 2.4 miles on Hwy G28

Cross two bridges; the access
drive and gate to the preserve is
imediately past (east) the second
ridge on the north side of the road

 

From Muscatine, at the intersection of State Hwy 38 and the US Hwy 61 bypass (north edge of Muscatine):
Go west and then south 5.4 miles
on the bypass to County Hwy 
G28 junction
 

Turn right (west) onto County G28
and go west 11.5 miles (about 0.8 
miles past the Cedar River

The access drive and gate to the 
preserve is immediately before a
bridge on the north side of the 
road.
 

Locations
 

Greiner Family Nature Preserve
 

Red Cedar Woodland

Swamp White Oak is one of the best examples of the oak woodlands, once common in Iowa’s floodplains. Now rare, these woodlands are biologically diverse and are considered the most diverse area in all of Iowa. It is considered a G-1 woodland community, meaning it's one of the rarest of woodland areas. Most forests like this one have been either destroyed by lack of fire, which changes the forest composition and species, or have been cut down for agricultural purposes.

Why You Should Visit
The Swamp White Oak Preserve’s high water table and frequent flooding support one of the best known examples of the globally rare swamp white oak woodland community.

Location
Muscatine County, on the Cedar River.

Size
372 acres

Conditions
Swamp White Oak Preserve is an open savanna dominated by swamp white oak and bur oak trees. It sits on a low sand terrace along the Cedar River.

Preserve Visitation Guidelines

What to See: Plants
This preserve’s plant life is dominated by the complex interactions of the plentiful swamp white oaks with diverse sedge understory, sand prairie, arrowhead, green milkweed, American bellflower, bloodroot, duckweed, buckhorn and wetland plant communities. More than 320 plant species have been documented at the preserve, but some estimates suggest that as many as 500 varieties may be present.

What to See: Animals
The diverse wetlands, sedge-dominated woodlands and dry sand prairie ridges support an array of amphibians and reptiles, including the stinkpot turtle, Illinois mud turtle, smallmouth salamander and massasauga rattlesnake. Birds include the great blue heron and the red-shouldered hawk.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Swamp White Oak Preserve, located west of Muscatine, was purchased by the Conservancy in 1998. Funding for the acquisition was by the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust and the Muscatine Prairie Endowment.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
Prescribed fire is being reintroduced as a management tool and control measures are underway to halt the encroachment of undesirable trees and brush.