Eugene Park Tour: Wildlife Preserve

On New Year's Eve, Dale and I decided to go for a country ride in search of a small, little-known park. We think we found it, but it appears that it is no longer maintained by the city of Eugene or Lane County. We could see the remnants of a parking lot and baseball backstop, but that's all.

As we zipped down the road, I noticed a sign for this wildlife preserve. Dale did a quick loop-de-loop and we pulled into the driveway.

The Andrew Reasoner Wildlife Preserve is closed for the season. All we were able to see was a broad meadow and a muddy road leading into the hills. But I checked out the website and learned something about the land:

• There are 294 acres of oak savannah and the Long Tom River watershed. This is home to Oregon white oak trees and ponderosa pine.
• It's part of the McKenzie River Trust that manages it along with Bonneville Power and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
• Some critical species that make a home here are acorn woodpecker, chipping sparrow, yellow-breasted chat, western bluebird, slender-billed nuthatch, Western gray squirrel, shaggy horkelia, and Hitchcock's blue-eyed grass.
• Visitors can also see deer, bobcat, cougar, bear, rattlesnake, and many species of migratory birds.
• The preserve sponsors "Living River Exploration Days" and tours from March to December.

I hope Dale and I can return later this year and see what's down the trail. I'll bet there's some awesome nature to photograph there.