The Friends of the Bluffton Nature Preserve is an informal community group of people interested in supporting the Bluffton University Nature Preserve. It is not officially affiliated with Bluffton University.
At the present time, the main purpose of the group is to provide communications for upcoming events happening at the preserve through posts on this website and notifications through the email list. In the future, the group may sponsor informal walks through the preserve.
The nature preserve has a system of trails that pass through a variety of habitats, including forests, grasslands, and the river bottom. The lake can be accessed by trails or the main entry drive on Augsburger Road. There also is a small parking area on Bixel Road that can be used to directly access the north side of the preserve and the swinging bridge.
The nature preserve is open to the public during daylight hours. Off-trail use is not permitted and lake access is limited to people affiliated with Bluffton University.
For more information about the preserve, visit the Bluffton University website. A map and preserve guidelines can be picked up at Marbeck Center on the Bluffton University campus.
To join the email list for Friends of the Bluffton Nature Preserve and receive periodic updates on projects and upcoming events, visit the Google Group page. If you are signed into a Google Account, you can join the group by clicking on the “Join group” button at the top of the page. If you don’t have a Google Account, please contact steve.baskauf@gmail.com to request to be added to the group.
For more information about the Nature Preserve, contact the the preserve director, Jacob Buchanan, at buchananj@bluffton.edu.
For more information about the Friends of the Bluffton Nature Preserve, contact Steve Baskauf at steve.baskauf@gmail.com.