Morrison Meadow State Natural Area
🏆 Native Meadow Habitat — Restored native meadow supporting grassland birds and wildflowers
Morrison Meadow State Natural Area preserves a native meadow habitat in middle Tennessee. The meadow supports grassland bird species — including declining species like eastern meadowlark and northern bobwhite — along with native warm-season grasses and wildflowers that define Tennessee’s pre-settlement open landscapes.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Middle Tennessee |
| Entry Fee | Free |
| Habitat | Native meadow, grassland birds |
Frequently Asked Questions
What birds can I see?
Grassland specialists like eastern meadowlark, dickcissel, northern bobwhite, and field sparrow use native meadow habitats. These species are declining across their range as meadow habitat disappears.
About Morrison Meadow
Morrison Meadow State Natural Area in Warren County preserves a rare wet meadow ecosystem in middle Tennessee — a community type that has largely disappeared from the landscape due to drainage for agriculture. Wet meadows support specialized plants and provide critical habitat for amphibians and wetland birds.
Things to Do
Observing rare wet meadow plants and amphibians, birdwatching for wetland species, botanical study, and photography. These vanishing wetland habitats represent some of Tennessee’s most threatened ecosystems.
Insider Tips
Wet meadow: Morrison Meadow protects a rare wet meadow ecosystem in Middle Tennessee — a treeless wetland supporting bog-like plants unusual for the region. Pro tip: The meadow supports species normally found much farther north — including sphagnum moss and sundew, which trap insects for nutrients in the acidic soil. Relict habitat: These plants are relics of the cooler, wetter climate that followed the last Ice Age — surviving in this meadow for 10,000+ years.
Best Time to Visit
Summer: Sundew and meadow wildflowers in bloom. Spring: Wet meadow at its greenest. Fall: Goldenrod and sedge meadow color. Year-round: The bog-like habitat is interesting in all seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are sundews?
Sundews are carnivorous plants that trap insects on sticky, glistening leaf hairs — they digest the insects for nitrogen and phosphorus. Sundews grow in nutrient-poor acidic soils where they can’t get enough nutrients from the ground. Finding sundews in Middle Tennessee is remarkable — they’re typically associated with northern bogs and coastal wetlands.
🐦 Visit Morrison Meadow SNA
Native meadow — grassland birds and wildflowers in declining habitat.
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