VINLAND — The Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve at Vinland has more than doubled in size, which has unified the preserve as one contiguous tract. The preserve is a part of the Kansas University field station. KU said lands for the expansion were offered for sale below market value by landowners Ray Wilber and Cathy Dwigans, and John and Gloria Jood, of rural Baldwin City, for the purpose of incorporating them into the forest preserve. KU’s Ed Martinko said the area is recognized nationally as important for research. The Baldwin woods has been named by the U.S. Park Service as a National Natural Landmark. It is part of what is called an ecotone, the border region where the North American eastern hardwood forest meets the tallgrass prairie, he said. The KU field station also manages the 1,500-acre Anderson County Prairie Preserve, which is owned by The Nature Conservancy, between Garnett and Welda.
Monday, May 2, 4 p.m.
