Shaw Nature Reserve magnolias and daffodils 1

Shaw Nature Reserve, formerly known as Shaw Arboretum, is a private non-profit

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

located in

Gray Summit, Missouri Gray Summit is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Franklin County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,701 at the 2010 census. Also called "Gray's Summit", it was founded by Daniel Gray of New York, who bu ...

, that is operated as an extension of the

Missouri Botanical Garden The Missouri Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located at 4344 Shaw Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri. It is also known informally as Shaw's Garden for founder and philanthropist Henry Shaw. Its herbarium, with more than 6.6 million ...

. The first piece of land, , was purchased in 1925 when pollution from coal smoke in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

threatened the Garden's live plant collection, especially the

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowerin ...

collection. The orchids were moved to what was then known as the Gray Summit Extension in 1926. The pollution in St. Louis decreased with the waning use of coal for heat, making it unnecessary to move the rest of the live plant collection. The Garden made five more land purchases between 1926-1977 amounting to the Nature Reserve's current size of . Shaw Nature Reserve has several historic homes (including the Joseph H. Bascom House), a large tallgrass

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

, and a

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...

blind from which herons can be observed. The Nature Reserve is also home to the Whitmire Wildflower Garden, a Missouri native garden with over 500 native plant species, and a children's Nature Explore Classroom. Over 17 miles (27 km) of

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

trails run through the Nature Reserve. Shaw Nature Reserve is open year-round, 7-days a week, but is closed on some major holidays. Regular hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with extended hours throughout spring, summer, and fall. Last-entry is 30-minutes before posted closing time. Daily admission is $5 for adults, free for Missouri Botanical Garden members and children 12 and younger.

External links

Shaw Nature Reserve Homepage
Missouri Botanical Garden Arboreta in Missouri Protected areas of Franklin County, Missouri Nature reserves in Missouri Nature centers in Missouri {{US-garden-stub