Shaw Nature Reserve

Since 1980, Shaw Nature Reserve has become a focus for native habitat management and restoration: prescribed burning, correctly timed field mowing, selective thinning of woodlands, judicious use of herbicides for invasive species control, plant diversity enhancement, and reconstruction “from scratch” of prairies and wetlands. As a result, the Nature Reserve is able to offer 14 miles of hiking trails through a diversity of Ozark Border landscapes, including floodplain forest, upland woods, dolomite glades, tallgrass prairie, oak-hickory woodlands and savannas, and wetlands. Restoration of these habitats provides the Nature Reserve’s visitors a uniquely varied experience of Missouri’s rich biological heritage.