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Conservancy Protects Additional Land at Lynx Prairie

Purchases will safeguard globally rare remnant prairie communities

Lynx, Ohio—31 May 2006—Two recent purchases have added 162 acres to The Nature Conservancy’s Lynx Prairie Preserve, part of the Edge of Appalachia Preserve system, in Adams County. The acquisitions, made possible in part by the Clean Ohio Fund, will protect the remnant prairie communities that persist along cliff edges, narrow ridges, and forest openings within the region. 

Designated as a National Landmark by the National Park Service in 1967, the 500-acre preserve features an abundance of plants that are rare to Ohio.  These plants can be found growing on the dolomite cliffs and boulders throughout the preserve.

“We’re very excited about the additions to this unique preserve,” said Rich Shank, state director of The Nature Conservancy in Ohio.  “Lynx Prairie was the organization’s first land purchase within the state in 1959, and helping to protect this globally-important region remains as important as ever.”    

This biodiversity hotspot features an abundance of native grasses and wildflowers, making it a popular destination for nature tourism.  Visitors to the preserve will find trails that showcase the prairies’ native flora, with wildflowers garnering the most attention when they peak from late July through September.  In addition to hiking the trails at Lynx Prairie, visitors may also explore the Edge of Appalachia Preserve’s Wilderness Trail and Buzzardroost Rock. 

The Nature Conservancy and the Cincinnati Museum Center, working in a partnership that spans nearly 50 years, have protected more than 13,000 acres of rugged woodland, prairie openings, waterfalls, giant promontories and clear streams at “the Edge.”