Oak Openings Preserve Metropark Explained

Oak Openings Preserve Metropark
Photo Width:	250
Type:	Nature preserve
Location:	Swanton Township, Ohio
Coords:	41.554°N -83.853°W
Area:	4291acres^[1]
Created:	1931^[2]
Operator:	Metroparks Toledo
Open:	Year-round, 7 a.m. until dark daily^[3]

Oak Openings Preserve Metropark is a nature preserve located in Swanton Township, Ohio, owned and operated by Metroparks Toledo. Most of the park is an oak savanna ecosystem, characterized by alternating wetland and vegetated dunes.

The park hosts the Beuhner Center, an interactive nature center.^[4] There are over fifty miles of trails in Oak Openings Preserve.

The park gets its name from the region in which it is located. Oak Openings Preserve lies within the larger Oak Openings Region. The region hosts over 180 rare species of plants and animals. This is over one-third of all rare species found in the state of Ohio.^[5]

According to The Nature Conservancy, the Oak Openings Region is one of the 200 "Last Great Places on Earth".

Notes and References

1. Web site: Metroparks Toledo Agency Overview. 9 January 2022. Metroparks Toledo.
2. Web site: A Rich History . Metroparks Toledo . 8 January 2022.
3. Web site: Rules and Regulations . Metroparks Toledo . 9 January 2022.
4. Web site: Oak Openings Preserve Metropark . Metroparks Toledo .
5. Web site: The Oak Openings Region, 'One of America's Last Great Places' . https://web.archive.org/web/20070202050338/http://www.ohio-nature.com/Oak-Openings.html . February 2, 2007 .