Henry N. Barkhausen Wetlands Center is the perfect starting point for exploring the Cache River ecosystem. From the visitor center window one can spy muskrat, river otter hummingbirds and various other creatures that thrive in the restored wetlands. But there is plenty to been seen on the trails surrounding the center as well. Egrets, sparrows and hawks can all be seen depending on the season.
The Barkhausen Wetlands Center is featured in Exploring Nature in Illinois: A Field Guide to the Prairie State. Throughout the book naturalists Michael Jeffords and Susan Post invite you to discover fifty preserves, forests, restoration areas, and parks in the Land of Lincoln.
Each Wednesday we’ll preview some of the unexpected beauty of Illinois’s prairies, lakesides, river bottoms, and woodlands found within the book. . . . just in time for you to plan a weekend trip.
You’ll find maps and descriptions of these wild places in Illinois, including many hard-to-find sites, within the pages of the book.