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Shaw Nature Reserve

(formerly Shaw Arboretum of the Missouri Botanical Garden)

DESCRIPTION: Shaw Nature reserve is a 2,500-acre nature reserve with tracts of tall grass prairie, glades, wetlands, savannas and woodlands near the Meramec River. The reserve also has 14 miles of trails, a wildflower garden, a pinetum and a visitor center. Bascom House, a historic home with exhibits on the history of land use in the lower Meramec River Valley, is also on the grounds.

ADDRESS: P. O. Box 38, Gray Summit, MO 63039

LOCATION: Jefferson County, 30 miles west of Downtown St. Louis

PHONE NUMBER: 636-451-3512

WEB SITE: www.mobot.org/mobot/naturereserve

GETTING THERE: From Downtown St. Louis, take I-44 west to Exit 253. Turn left, travel a short distance to Frontage Road. Turn right and the entrance to the Nature Reserve will be immediately on the left.

HOURS: The grounds are open daily from 7 a.m. until a half hour past sunset. The Visitor Center is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. All visitors must stop and register at the Visitor Center.

HANDICAPPED ACCESS: The first floor of Bascom House, parts of the Whitmire Wildflower Garden and the Crescent Knoll Overlook are wheelchair accessible. Visitors with handicaps should call ahead for detailed information.

ADMISSION: $3, adults; $2, age 65 and older and children 12 and under. Members and pass holders are free.

ANNUAL ATTENDANCE: 65,000

WHAT'S NEW: Extensive restored tracts of tall grass prairie, glades, wetlands, savannas and woodlands have recently opened. Log cabins from various parts of Missouri have been reassembled at the Dana Brown Foundation Overnight Education Center. The cabins house 80 children or 40 adults for overnight programs at the Shaw Nature Reserve. The center also includes a shower house and a dining lodge.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Bascom House, a restored historic home built in 1879 by Confederate Col. Thomas Crews, houses "People of the Land," an exhibit that recounts the story of how humans have impacted the landscape of the middle Meramec River Valley over hundreds of years. The home is named for the family which donated the funds for the restoration of the building.
• Whitmire Wildflower Garden is a garden landscaped with wildflowers, shrubs and trees, most of which are native to Missouri. Paths wander through plant habitats, along a pond and among rock outcroppings.
• Trail House, a stone shelter built in the 1930's, is a starting point for the trails which crisscross Shaw Nature Reserve and also serves as a rest stop for hikers. It is equipped with restrooms and drinking water.
• Crescent Knoll Overlook, which overlooks a glade west of Trail House, offers a viewing scope and a panoramic view of the Meramec River Valley and nearby hills. The overlook is wheelchair accessible from the parking lot.
• Serpentine Wall, a brick wall originally built as a windbreak for a three-acre boxwood garden, is an interesting fixture in a field near the center of the Reserve. The wall was modeled after the serpentine walls designed by Thomas Jefferson for the University of Virginia. It is five-feet tall and 649 feet long.
• The Adlyne Freund Education Center, a rustic lodge, is available by reservation for education programs.
• Pinetum Trail near the visitor center is a 1/2 mile loop which passes through portions of the Pinetum conifer collection, skirts Pinetum Lake and crosses a small section of native woodland.
• Wolf Run Trail is a one-mile loop with a midway resting point at Wolf Run Lake.
• Prairie Trail branches off Brush Creek Trail and continues for 3/4 of a mile through the prairie. Visitors can get a panoramic view of the prairie from the observation deck at the trail's midpoint.
• A 300-foot boardwalk allows visitors to walk through a portion of the 20 acres of wetlands for a close-up look at its interesting habitat. The one-mile loop crosses an observation blind which offers an elevated view of wetland plants and animals.
• Overlook Trail, a three-quarter mile loop, offers a hike through an oak-hickory forest. An added bonus is a spectacular view of the Meramec River Valley from the limestone bluffs.
• River Trail is a sometimes steep, two-mile loop which parallels the river at times and traverses the flood plain forest. There is also access to a large gravel bar on the Meramec River from the trail.
• Shaw Nature Reserve offers a wide range of classes on ecology, crafts and gardening for persons of all ages.

HISTORY: In 1925, the Missouri Botanical Garden purchased five working farms which made up the original 1,300 acres of what is now the Shaw Nature Reserve. At the time, air pollution in the city was having adverse effects on the Garden's orchid and exotic plant collection and Garden officials were looking for a place in the country to move that collection. The first projects after the land was acquired were construction of orchid greenhouses and establishment of tree nurseries and a pinetum, a showplace for the Garden's large and diverse collection of conifers.

The new facility was called the Gray Summit Extension and was not open to the public. In 1933, the name was changed to the Missouri Botanical Garden Arboretum but the facility was still not open to the public. However, hundreds of local people drove out to the Arboretum on Sundays and holidays to see the orchid displays.

The Civilian Conservation Corp laid the groundwork for the Arboretum's extensive road system in 1934-35 but, because of a political situation, the Corp did not complete the work.

After the legendary Route 66, which passed right in front of the Garden, was completed, work began on the Gate House. It contained a reception area and restrooms and became the main entrance to the Arboretum. The Arboretum, however, was still not open to the public because the road system was not completed.

Although people often came out to the Arboretum to see the flowers blooming there, the facility was not officially open to the public until 1940.

Throughout the early years, the Arboretum was involved in farming and cattle raising and operated a sawmill. Eventually it was decided that these activities were not in keeping with the mission of the Garden and the Arboretum. The farming ceased and the cattle and sawmill were sold. An increase in research activity soon followed.

During the ecology movement of the 1970s, the role of the Arboretum shifted toward public education of environmental issues. It is a role the Shaw Nature Reserve continues to play today. The Arboretum was renamed the Shaw Arboretum in 1976 and shortly thereafter it was named an experimental ecological reserve.

The Arboretum got is current name, Shaw Nature Reserve, in 2000.

WHERE TO GET LUNCH: There are several restaurants in Washington, MO, 10 miles northwest. There are also restaurants in Pacific, MO four miles east and fast-food restaurants near the Interstate highway exits.

GIFT SHOP: A small gift shop at the visitor center carries T-shirts, gift items and books on gardening and the environment.

ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS: Shaw Nature Reserve offers a variety of programs for children including classes throughout the year and a summer camp program.

WHAT'S NEARBY: Six Flags St. Louis, Hurricane Harbor and Route 66 State Park are nearby.

ANNUAL SPECIAL EVENTS: Each May Shaw Nature Reserve holds a spring plant sale. A special event is also held each September. On alternating years, a native plant conference where the public can learn about plants native to Missouri and Prairie Day, a day of family fun co-sponsored with the Missouri Conservation Department, are held.

PUBLIC RELATIONS CONTACT: Barbara Troutman, special events coordinator, 636-451-3512, barbaratroutman@mobot.org

Readers should call 1-800-916-0040 to request a free copy of the Official St. Louis Visitor Guide or point, click and explore St. Louis at www.explorestlouis.com