This will be short bird surveys at both sights (about 1 ½ hours each) starting with Hinkson Creek across the road from Capon Park then Big Sky Preserve down by Easley.

Hinkson Creek Nature Preserve is located between 2 bends of the Hinkson Creek near downtown Columbia, it includes floodplain forest, upland woodland, and meadow. The site connects with city recreational land, a park, an outdoor education site, and the hike-bike trail connecting this spur with a larger city and county-wide network. The nearly 70-acres are a nature sanctuary and recreational area. With its well-used recreational trail, put in and maintained by the city of Columbia, this property exemplifies the effectiveness of a public-private partnership with shared goals. The history of this tract is wrapped up in the vision of three families who bought acreage along the Hinkson Creek for their family homes at the same time, sharing resources and an interest in maintaining a green space. Two of the families then donated a portion to the Nature Conservancy which then passed the stewardship on to Greenbelt Land Trust of Mid-Missouri.

Big Sky Nature Preserve is roughly 15 acres near Easley, MO, that includes a spectacular limestone bluff overlooking the Missouri River, beautiful woodlands, and an oak savanna atop the bluff that represents one of the rarest natural communities in Mid-Missouri. The property was donated in 2015 to the Greenbelt Land Trust of Mid-Missouri, by the previous owners who have managed the site since the late 1990s.  They restored and maintained the rare oak savanna habitat and oversaw the installation of protective measures for the bat hibernaculum in Easley Mine, which lies at the base of the bluff.

Leader: Eric Wood

Contact Info: ewood802@yahoo.com or 573-673-0215