Nature Preserve
Fernwood’s Nature Preserve, with its tall trees, tranquil ponds, abundant springs, and carpets of wildflowers, is a magical place that draws people back again and again. Kay and Walter Boydston visited often before they owned the property. They finally decided to purchase Fernwood one spring day, when in Kay’s words, “we heard the liquid call of two wood thrushes in the woods as well as the wild sweet song of a water thrush as we crossed the bridge by the little falls.” Trails provide access to all parts of the preserve, allowing visitors to see a remarkable variety of plants and wildlife.
Fernwood's 55-acre Nature Preserve is both strikingly beautiful and unusually diverse. A 125-foot drop in elevation has given rise to several natural communities, including dry and wet forests, young second-growth woods, streams and ponds, and a reconstructed tallgrass prairie. Species of endangered or threatened Michigan plants and animals are protected in the preserve.
Trails of varying lengths provide access to the preserve. Some climb steeply while others offer gentle grades. All are kept simple so visitors remain close to nature. Surfaces are wood-chipped or bare earth, and there are steps on hilly portions and boardwalks over wet areas. Benches provide places to rest and observe the beautiful surroundings.
All of Fernwood's trails are open to visitors during normal public hours. During the school season, several of the lower trails are extensively used by Fernwood's Environmental Studies Program.
Trails
The Ecology Trail (Length: 0.6 miles)
The Doris and Dick Richards Ecology Trail provides an excellent overview of the preserve's various natural communities. Interpretive signs identify the plants and animals that live in the preserve and explain their relationships. The Ecology Trail wanders through several communities, including both wet and dry forests and passes several spring-fed streams, the Big Pond, and the St. Joseph River. Steps and sturdy boardwalks make this the easiest trail for visitors to use. This is a nice trail to see many of the Nature Preserve's highlights.
The Fern Trail (Length: 0.04 miles)
The Jim Karaffa Fern Trail connects the Ecology Trail with the Streamside Trail. Enjoy the spring wildflower show or the shade-tolerant blooms of fall as this short trail follows a burbling stream. The varieties of ferns along the way are all native to southwest Michigan, giving visitors an appreciation of plants much loved by Kay Boydston.
The Streamside Trail (Length: 0.15 miles)
The Marion Ossmann Streamside Trail connects the Summer House at the top of a hill with the St. Joseph River below and is accompanied by the sound of moving, falling water. Enjoy wildflowers spring through fall, drumming woodpeckers, and wetland views as you follow this aptly-named trail.
The River Trail (Length: 0.16 miles)
The River Trail connects the south end of Ecology Trail with the west end of the Streamside Trail at the River Dock. It follows a sandy ridge along the banks of the scenic St. Joseph river, through a dry forest of oaks, beech, maples, hickories, and sassafras. The River Dock is a great place to rest while you enjoy the warm sun and look for fish, great blue herons, bald eagles, and dragonflies.
The Wilderness Trail (Length: 0.6 miles)
Visitors who want to “get away from it all” or take a longer, more strenuous hike should choose the Wilderness Trail. It passes through some of the least-disturbed woodlands at Fernwood, offering views of towering trees and carpets of spring wildflowers in the wet forest areas. A portion of the trail follows the St. Joseph River.
The Old Field Trail (Length: 0.22 miles)
This trail connects the Wilderness Trail with the tallgrass prairie. At the top of the hill, it passes through a young forest of trees and shrubs, growing on land that was once an open farm field. The woodland wildflowers show during April and May.
The Prairie Trails
A series of trails run through Fernwood’s 5-acre reconstructed tallgrass prairie. The views along the way change dramatically from May through September as the growing season progresses. Early in the season, one can see across the entire prairie from anywhere along the path. By late summer, when the tall grasses mature, one’s view may be restricted to only a few feet ahead.
Other Woodland Trails
Three short trails, the Arboretum Trail (0.07 miles), Oak Woods Trail (0.11 miles), and Pine Woods Trail (0.06 miles), connect the Arboretum with the Wilderness Trail and the gardens below. All cross steep slopes while passing through dry or wet forests, depending on the trail selected.
