Rice Woodland Trail

The 396-acre Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve is one of the best remaining examples of eastern deciduous forest in Kansas. For many years, the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research, which manages the Field Station, has hosted spring and fall guided tours of this protected research area. The Forest Preserve includes the 80-acre Rice Woodland, a fire-dependent forest shaped by both ecological processes and human care.

After years of planning, prescribed fire was reintroduced to the Rice Woodland in November 2023 in collaboration with the Kansas Forest Service. Intentional fire is an important stewardship tool in fire-adapted hardwood forest systems. Just as in grasslands, fire can help build resilience through fuel reduction, opening areas that encourage hardwood recruitment and promote healthy native plant community dynamics.

Building on the excitement surrounding the reintroduction of fire, Sheena Parsons, KU Field Station manager, saw an opportunity to connect science-informed stewardship and education. Providing access to the woods gives people the chance to experience the impact of woodland burns firsthand and promotes a broader understanding of the role fire plays in Kansas landscapes.

In 2024, support from the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council made it possible to begin development of the first public access trail. The trail also serves as a permanent firebreak to support sustained fire stewardship.

The parking area at the trailhead is located on a previously disturbed area that was clear-cut then farmed until the late 1950s. This area had become overgrown with a dense stand of eastern redcedar. Clearing this previously disturbed site made it possible to establish the parking lot with minimal further effect on the surrounding woodland.