Heron Pond Little Black Slough

Description

The area has extensive stands of high quality upland forest and limestone glade communities representative of the Lesser Shawnee Hills Section of the Shawnee Hills Natural Division and high quality swamp and floodplain forests typical of the Bottomland Section of the Coastal Plain Natural Division. The 1,861 acres are divided into three units: Heron Pond-Wildcat Bluff, Goose Pond, and Boss Island-Boulder Slope Woods. Special features of the area include a portion of the Cache River floodplain bounded by steep bluffs on the north and by lower sandstone bluffs on the east and west. The swamps are dominated by water tupelo and bald cypress, some of which are among the oldest trees in Illinois. There is critical habitat for Illinois threatened and endangered species and federally endangered species, a heron rookery and the presence of many other plant and animal species limited to the Coastal Plain Division. This preserve is a good place to see black vulture, red-shouldered hawk, barred owl, Acadian flycatcher, parula warbler, yellow-throated warbler and Kentucky warbler. Bobcat, river otter and swamp rabbit also occur in this preserve.