Baldwin Woods, formally called the Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve, is a
nature reserve in
Douglas County in the U.S. state of
Kansas. The forest preserve is located near the municipality of
Vinland within the
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, Douglas County, Kansas, United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70, between the Kansas River, Kansas and Waka ...
metropolitan area.
Formerly a
old-growth forest
An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...
grove of
white oak and
hickory
Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes around 18 species. Five or six species are native to China, Indochina, and India (Assam), as many as twelve are native to the United States, four are found in Mexi ...
, with interspersed
tallgrass prairie savanna, the old-growth portion of the forest preserve has been reduced to its present size. The park is managed by the KU Field Station, a division of the
University of Kansas (KU).
[ ]
The forest preserve was named a
National Natural Landmark in 1980.
The KU Field Station operates Baldwin Woods for the longitudinal study of the ecosystem dynamics of a woodland that is experiencing minimal human intervention onsite.
The Woods is not managed for access; it is a scientific site with no public parking. Infrequent public tours, for which pre-registration is required, are sometimes offered.
The KU Field Station acquired the Baldwin Woods tracts in a series of land transfers fromn 1965 through 2016.
References
{{authority control
1980 establishments in Kansas
Protected areas of Douglas County, Kansas
Protected areas established in 1980