Fountain Creek Nature Center Audio Tour – Stop 3 – The Woodlands
From the ground to the highest branches, the woodlands are home to many creatures.
Listen to discover what animals may be in these woods.
Transcript:
Pause for a moment and look deep into the woods. What do you see? Whitetail deer, turkeys, great horned owls, and other wildlife spend a lot of time here searching for food and shelter. But where do you think they get their water? Can you point to the nearest source? The trees that make up these woods are Siberian Elms an invasive species from Central Asia. Invasive species are plants or animals that did not evolve with the plants and wildlife native to this area. Invasive species were brought here from other places where they evolved under different environmental conditions. The Cottonwood Willow Woodlands on the west side of the park are an example of native woods habitat. Cottonwoods and willows evolved here in this environment and they provide valuable habitat and food for many native animals, such as beaver. Even though these Siberian Elm trees are an invasive plant, our native wildlife still use them as a habitat, so we let them stay.