The Nature Conservancy in Kentucky - Mrs. Baylor O. Hickman Memorial Preserve

Mrs. Baylor O. Hickman Memorial Preserve

Rockcastle aster
© The Nature Conservancy

This area's rugged landscape hosts several highly varied communities. It borders the portion of the Rockcastle River that has been designated as a Wild River Corridor containing outstanding scenic, biological, geological, cultural and recreational resources.

Location
Situated along the Rockcastle River in the Daniel Boone National Forest in eastern Pulaski County along small country roads off KY 80.

Size
143 acres

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

How to Prepare for Your Visit
For more information on visiting this and other Nature Conservancy sites in Kentucky, see our Preserve Visitation Guidelines page.

What to See: Plants
On the mesic slopes underlain by sandstone and shale is a mixed mesophytic forest with abundant beech (Fagus grandifolia) and hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) is very prevalent in the understory. Sandstone cliffs separate upland and bottomland forest.

Along the boulder-strewn edges of the river is a unique gravel wash prairie. Spring floods scouring the riverbank keep this community open, preventing the establishment of dense woody vegetation. Prairie grasses such as big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) dominate the area. The state endangered tussock sedge (Carex stricta) is another characteristic species found here. The globally endangered Rockcastle aster (Aster saxicastellii) grows in scattered colonies on the boulder-cobble bars. This species was unknown to science before the Conservancy's survey of the area.

Three rare plants found in the adjoining woods are candidates for federal listing. These include:

Kentucky lady's slipper (Cypripedium kentuckiense)
hairy Jacob's ladder (Polemonium reptans var. villosum)
white wood mint (Synandra hispidula)

What to See: Animals
Of particular interest is the Cumberland bean mussel (Villosa trabalis). The state endangered Cumberlandian combshell (Epioblasma brevidens) and several state threatened mussels -- elktoe (Alasmidonta marginata) and fluted kidneyshell (Ptychobranchus subtentum) -- and rare little spectacle case (Villosa lienosa) also thrive in the clean water.

Several rare fish inhabit the river, including the state endangered olive darter (Percina squamata) and two state threatened species, Mountain brook lamprey (Ichthyomyzon greeleyi) and ashy darter (Etheostoma cinereum).

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
The relatively clean, well-oxygenated water in this section of the river contains freshwater mussel species that are found only in the southern Appalachian Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau region. The Cumberland River drainage is noted for having one of the largest numbers of mussel species found in any of the world's river systems. In all, 25 rare species are found within and along the swift river and in the surrounding forest.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
Of the original 1,126 acres, the Conservancy sold 983 to the US Forest Service in 1990. The Conservancy retains ownership and management responsibilities on the remainder.

The main objective for this preserve is to protect and monitor the rare species located here. The Conservancy is also conducting research to determine whether Rafinesque big-earred bats (Plecotis rafinesquii) are using the preserve to forage, and working to eliminate and control the spread of invasive species.