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Biology Department Nature Preserves
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Welcome.

Welcome to the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Nature Preserve System.  The Biology Department at UNO currently manages two nature preserves as part of ongoing efforts to educate students and the public about Eastern Nebraska’s tallgrass prairie natural heritage.  Allwine Prairie Preserve and T.L. Davis Prairie serve as outdoor classrooms and research facilities for students and faculty at UNO, Creighton University, and surrounding elementary, middle, and high schools.  Please tour our website to learn more about our nature preserves and the educational opportunities we provide.


 

News: Allwine Prairie Barn Renovation Project

On Friday, January 13, 2012 an 1890's dairy barn and silo hit the road, traveling from a farm near Elkhorn to Allwine Prairie Preserve. The historic barn will be renovated to serve as our new education and research center, providing much needed teaching and research space at the preserve. The silo will serve as a prairie viewing tower. Barbi Hayes graciously donated the barn to the preserve along with a donation for its restoration.

If you visit Allwine Prairie in the near future you will notice several changes that have been made in preparation for the barn move. The area east of the entrance drive has been widened and graded to allow the barn and silo to travel down the road. Areas around the buildings have also been graded for construction purposes and will be re-seeded with prairie grasses and forbs. The barn and silo will be fantastic additions, allowing us to further expand our prairie education and research efforts at the preserve.

We are currently seeking additional funds for the renovation of the facility, so if you are interested in contributing, please contact Preserve Director, Dr. Tom Bragg:

Thomas B. Bragg
Professor, Department of Biology
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE 68182-0040
Phone:  (402) 554-3378
Cell: (402) 980-7089
E-mail: tbragg@unomaha.edu

 

Glacier Creek Project:

Allwine Prairie Preserve is the focus of the Glacier Creek Project, an exciting and ongoing effort that will provide both an environmental education and research facility and expanded preserve boundaries. The resulting Glacier Creek Prairie Preserve will be a one-of-a-kind, ecologically sustainable enviornmental resource for the region providing visitors, such as area schools, groups, and individuals, a glimpse into eastern Nebraska's Tallgrass Prairie heritage. The education and research facility, scheduled for completion in late 2012, is being developed from an 1890's historic diary barn that was donated by Barbi Hayes to UNO in 2011. The barn was moved from its present location to Allwine Prairie on January 13, 2012, where it will be upgraded by Randy Brown Architects to accommodate lab, lecture, and basic utilities for the preserve. Land to the east of Allwine Prairie was purchased in 2009 with financial support from the Nebraska Environmental Trust and the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District. This expansion importantly extended the preserve to the Big Papillion Creek habitat corridor. Ongoing efforts are focused on acquisition of properties to the west and north of Allwine Prairie Preserve so as to incorporate the entire Glacier Creek watershed, creating a unique tallgrass prairie watershed preserve. Read more. . . .