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Introduction
The Redbud Valley Nature Preserve is a place of quiet beauty and rugged scenery. Here are plants and animals found nowhere else in northeastern Oklahoma. It is a very special habitat, preserved for all of us to enjoy. The trail will take you to some of the most interesting parts of the Preserve. Go slowly, open your senses, enjoy the wonders of this unique place.
Redbud Valley was originally purchased by The Nature Conservancy in the late 1960's. Dr. Harriet Barclay was a professor at TU, and she spearheaded the effort to have it acquired, then worked with the Tulsa Tribune on a fund drive to raise the necessary money to repay The Nature Conservancy. TU maintained the property until the area was transferred to the City of Tulsa in 1990, and it is now managed as a part of Oxley Nature Center in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy. Under guidance from The Friends of Oxley Nature Center, the caretaker's house was renovated and the Barclay Visitor's Center created.
Our Purpose
The primary management focus at Redbud Valley is to preserve and
protect the unique plant and animal life that is found here. The area is also
used for environmental education and for public enjoyment, but only when these
activities coincide with our main focus, protection.
Facilities
The area is open Wednesdays though Sundays from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. You may
not hop the fence when the Nature Preserve is closed: on Mondays,
Tuesdays, city holidays, before 8:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m. Admission is
free. The gates are locked promptly at 5:00 p.m., so plan your activities
accordingly.
The Harriet Barclay Visitor's Center is open from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Restrooms, picnic tables
and drinking water are available in the shelter adjacent to the visitor's center
from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. . Please picnic only in this area.
Things To Be Aware Of
Snakes
are not uncommon. Most are non-venomous, but copperheads have been found here,
and rattlesnakes are possible. On the uplands, tarantulas and scorpions live
among the rocks. The area can also have an abundance of ticks in season, and of
course, chiggers, wasps and bees are common. Certain trail portions have some
poison ivy. None of these things should deter you from visiting, but you need to
be aware that they are here and take appropriate precautions.
Things To Do (And Not Do)...
Do...
Hike, daydream, bird watch, visit with a naturalist, sketch, photograph butterflies, relax, study the wildflowers, forget things, look for fossils, remember things, sit, stare, listen... do all these things and more. There are a multitude of possibilities - invent some of your own.
Because of the special character of this area, and the rarity of some of its plants and animals, some activities you associate with a park are not appropriate here.
This is not the place to...
Ride your bike on the trails
Walk your dog or other pet
Play a radio or tape/CD deck
Have a picnic
Go fishing
Go hunting
Target practice with gun, bow or air rifle
Make a fire
Go swimming
Camp overnight
Use fireworks
And please do not disturb the plants, animals or other natural features here in any way.