Hinkson Valley Nature Preserve
Virginia bluebells on the forest floor that was cleared of bush honeysuckle.
Photo by Julie Youmans
Site
Between two bends of the Hinkson Creek near downtown Columbia, Hinkson Valley Nature Preserve includes floodplain forest, upland woodland, and meadow. The site connects with city recreational land, a park, an outdoor education site, and the hike-bike trail connecting this spur with a larger city and county-wide network. The nearly 65 acres constitute a nature sanctuary and a recreational area. With its well-used paved recreational trail put in and maintained by the city of Columbia as part of the larger Hinkson Creek Trail, as well as the unpaved Woodpecker Hollow singletrack hiking and mountain biking trail put in and maintained by the CoMo Trail Association, this property exemplifies the effectiveness of a public-private partnership with shared goals.
History
The history of this tract is wrapped up in the vision of three families who bought acreage along the Hinkson Creek for their family homes at the same time, sharing resources and an interest in maintaining a green space. Two of the families then donated a portion to the Nature Conservancy which then passed the stewardship on to Greenbelt Land Trust of Mid-Missouri and is now the Hinkson Valley Nature Preserve.
Activity
Hinkson Valley Nature Preserve is the site of regular work days to clear invasive species, primarily bush honeysuckle.
Benefiting from community service volunteers from the University of Missouri and other organizations, Hinkson Valley Nature Preserve receives energetic stewardship in the form of workday crews removing invasive species. Thanks to these and individuals’ efforts much invasive honeysuckle has been cleared from the woodland understory. The resurgence of native grasses and wildflowers demonstrates the positive results of concentrated clearing projects.