KITTY TODD STATE NATURE PRESERVE - 500 ACRES

Main Feature:

Kitty Todd Preserve consists of a mosaic of plant communities including sand barren, black oak savanna, sedge meadow and wet prairie communities typical of the Oak Openings region.

Kitty Todd Preserve is one of the finest nature preserves in the Oak Openings region of northwestern Ohio. The preserve was named in honor of Toledo conservationist and former Nature Conservancy board member, Kitty Todd.

The Oak Openings region was originally characterized by a series of windblown sand dunes and wetlands that were saturated in winter and spring and extremely dry in summer. These conditions gave rise to vegetation ranging from dry sand barren and oak savanna on the raised dunes to moist sedge meadow and wet prairie in the low-lying swales. Kitty Todd supports a number of these small sand dunes, interesting examples of the unusual geology of the Oak Openings region.

Last sited at Kitty Todd before its extirpation from Ohio, the federally-endangered Karner blue butterfly was reintroduced to the preserve in 1998. More than 100 state-listed rare plants occur in the preserve including prickly-pear cactus, yellow-fringed orchid, cross-leaved milkwort, grass-pink orchid and Skinner's foxglove. One of the state's largest populations of wild lupine occurs here. The state endangered lark sparrow nests on the preserve.

Location:

Located in western Lucas County north of Old State Line Road. Managed by The Nature Conservancy, Kitty Todd Preserve is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the first full weekend of the month from May through October only. For information on guided walks and preserve volunteer projects, contact the Oak Openings Project Office at 419-867-1521.