Arrowhead Marsh boasts a one-and-a-half-mile loop nature trail through marsh, native tallgrass prairie and mature woods. Wander here in spring, summer and fall to see beautiful wildflowers, grassland birds, a profusion of ducks and other water birds, and wild creatures such as fox, mink and deer. In winter, stop to observe animal tracks and the wildlife that made them. (Note: After periods of rain or during spring snowmelt, the Arrowhead Marsh trail or parking area may be too wet to use.)

A prescribed burn to control invasive plant species took place at Arrowhead Marsh in May, 2009. Fires set by lightning or Native Americans were part of the life cycle of plants in the Little River watershed before the wetlands were drained for farmland in the late 1800’s. Native plants have longer roots and a tendency to start growing later in the spring than invasive plant species do. These characteristics help them survive fires early in the growing season, while invasive plant species will usually be destroyed.

Arrowhead Prairie consists of 158 acres, of which 91 acres were restored to prairie and wetland between 2002 and 2006 and 65 acres were purchased and restored during 2009 and 2010. In the two acres that were once the farm homestead, a demonstration garden of native plants that grow in the Arrowhead preserves will blossom with wildflowers next season. A parking area for visitors is planned for 2011 and several miles of new trails will be developed at the enlarged Arrowhead Prairie that same year. The area of Arrowhead Prairie restored earlier is already a haven for birds, butterflies, and other prairie creatures. Over 98% of Indiana’s original grasslands have been destroyed, making preserves such as this one all the more vital for wildlife that need such habitats, especially ground-nesting birds, almost all of which are in serious decline.