Prairie Oaks Opens New Chapter in Darby Preservation

After surviving a threat in the 1970s of submersion by the city of Columbus for a drinking water reservoir, land along Big Darby Creek is now the newest Columbus and Franklin County Metro Park. Named Prairie Oaks, it becomes the district’s twelfth park.

Named for the large old oaks that once dominated the land and the prairie communities that flourished prior to the region’s settlement in the 1800s, Prairie Oaks straddles Franklin and Madison counties. While plans for further purchases are in the works, Metro Parks now owns nearly 1,300 acres stretching from I-70 at the park’s southern border to near Lucas Road to the north. The park is bordered by Plain City-Georgesville Road to the west and Amity Road to the east. It includes land formerly held by Columbus, the Timmons property in Madison County, and the Huggens property along Amity Road in Brown Township, formerly home to past DCA president Kay Boggs.

Two miles of Big Darby Creek bisect the park. Some of the trees along the watershed corridor predate European settlement. Visitors will find a majestic bur oak over 7 feet in diameter growing along the western side of the Darby floodplain. A 30-acre oak savanna on the eastern side of the creek along Amity Road is thought to be a remnant stand of old growth trees that once represented the transitional zone between the Darby Plains prairies and forests to the east.

The park district is working to restore the vegetation of the native prairie community, as well as preserve and protect Darby Creek. Last year staff planted more than 200 acres of grassland. Much of the western upland areas will be restored to native prairie vegetation.

In addition to catching a glimpse of rare insects, visitors may see Henslow's and savanna sparrows, bobolinks, upland sandpipers, Virginia rails, gray and red fox, coyote, deer, and winter raptors such as northern harriers and short-eared owls.

Last year Leslie Phillips, a long-time employee of Metro Parks, became the manager of Prairie Oaks. Park development can be expected to proceed quickly. Folks may want to get an early taste by joining upcoming hikes led by Phillips and Battelle-Darby Metro Park naturalist Tim Taylor.

People are already enjoying hikes and nature programs at Prairie Oaks. Sycamore Plains Trail, a one-mile unimproved route, loops along the grassland and through a pristine section of the Darby flood plain. A parking lot is located at 2009 Amity Road, about one mile north of Roberts Road. Prairie Oaks is open from 6:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. between November and March, and from 6:30 to 10:00 between April and October. Picnic areas, restrooms, trails and shelter houses will be built this summer. A roadway and two parking lots will also be built along Plain City-Georgesville Road.

The mission of Metro Parks is to conserve natural resources and provide the public with a meaningful educational experience by maintaining a system of regional parks

For general information on Metro Parks call 614-891-0700; the Metro Parks 24-hour InfoLine at 614-508-8000; or visit the Metro Parks website at: www.metroparks.net. For more information on Prairie Oaks: Leslie Phillips, 851-6874, Phillips@metroparks.net; Metro Parks District Office 891-0700; or Tim Taylor, 878-3711.