Less than five miles away from campus sits Hueston Woods State Park. The park, covering nearly 3,000 acres, has hiking trails, a beach, campgrounds, a covered bridge, dog park and much more.
Two hidden treasures in the park are the Hueston Woods Nature Center and the Raptor Rehabilitation Program. These facilities offer opportunities for visitors to learn about the natural world surrounding Oxford.
The park’s nature center is open every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and contains infographics, interactive displays and wildlife enclosures that can be found throughout the park and Ohio. Enclosures contain animals such as red-tailed hawks, bluegill, musk turtles, gray tree frogs and different species of snakes.
The eastern copperhead snake, for example, makes its home in the nature center. Within its enclosure, visitors can look for the camouflaged snake under logs and rocks and see its shedded skin.
There are also informational panels about tree life cycles and circulation, nocturnal animals in the park and the importance of pollinators. There are also discussions of evidence indicating the shallow sea that covered Ohio long ago through fossils and geologic records.
The nature center showcases collaboration between Hueston Woods and other organizations in the region. Shawn Conner, a naturalist in the park, highlighted collaborations between the Avian Research and Education Institute (AREI), Audubon Miami Valley (AMV) and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
AREI is a non-profit organization founded by Miami professors David and Jill Russell to focus on the research and opportunity of birding in natural areas. Matt Valiga, an officer of community engagement and educational outreach, said AREI collaborates with Hueston Woods for educational programming such as bird banding stations and the raptor education program.
“They have always been really phenomenal with physically hosting us,” Valiga said. “They have been really determined to make sure that we can get in, we have the space to do what we’re going to do and that we continue to do that.”
The nature center and raptor program is also utilized by the Miami University Audubon Society (MUAS), a student chapter of the National Audubon Society. This student organization focuses on bird conservation and creating a community for bird-lovers.
MUAS organizes events for the public such as lecture series, “The Joy of Birding,” and the building of the Miami University Chimney Swift Tower. This structure can be found near DeWitt Cabin, along with a bird blind, butterfly gardens and many more nature-friendly areas.
“We love to go to Hueston Woods for outings,” MUAS president Michelle Baker said. “Every year we try to do a raptor handling session with the nature center … and we typically get to handle red-tailed hawks, which is really cool.”
The nature center and raptor rehabilitation program are two separate facilities that require different sets of permits. If an animal is unable to return to the wild, it can be transferred from the rehabilitation program to the nature center or another educational facility.
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“I think it is a common misconception that the birds people see out at our facility are birds that will make it back out into the wild,” said Kathryn Conner, the Hueston Woods park manager. “Everything at our nature center that you can see cannot go back into the wild for one reason or another.”
The facility responds to calls about injured or sick animals, often from the local community. Multiple species of animals are housed at the nature center, including reptiles, mammals and birds ranging from hawks and owls to bald eagles and turkey vultures.
Kathryn and Shawn Conner said students have multiple opportunities to actively engage with Hueston Woods. Students and community members can volunteer at the nature center to clean cages, feed animals and eventually be trained to handle certain birds.
Free public programs at Hueston Woods occur year-round on Saturdays and Sundays, and “Hometown Holi-Days” will occur on Saturday, Dec. 13. This event will consist of breakfast with Santa, cookie decorating and a gingerbread competition. “Hometown Holi-Days” will end with a tree lighting and drive-in Christmas movie.
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