On a peaceful evening in Omaha, we adventured to the enchanting wetlands of Heron Haven to scout for wildlife. Evening is one of my favorite times to be on the search for wildlife and our evening walk at Heron Haven did not disappoint!
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| Heron Haven is a peaceful wildlife sanctuary in Omaha, Nebraska. |
As we parked at the preserve, we immediately noted the sizable butterfly garden as well as the nature center. The nature center was not open during our visit but would be interesting to visit in the future. We left the butterfly garden for the end of our visit and headed on the trails to the wetlands.
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| Peeking into the wetland through the lush flora at Heron Haven. |
Weaving Through the Wetlands of Heron Haven
We walked through woodlands and quickly found ourselves walking adjacent to the wetlands. First, we enjoyed a peek. Soon, we made it to the boardwalk which evoked a sense of awe beckoning us to meander through a wetland.
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| Heron Haven's boardwalk provides an incredible exploration of an oxbow wetland. |
The wetlands at Heron Haven are spring fed. The boardwalk allows you an incredible experience of walking into one of the only oxbow wetlands on the Big Papillion Creek. Pretty cool and a unique Nebraska adventure! We absorbed quite a peaceful moment upon the boardwalk quietly looking for wildlife in the wetland. We found quite a few frogs about as well as a turtle sticking his head out from the water.
Wildlife Greeted Us Throughout Our Visit
As we began winding back on the trail towards another section of Heron Haven, we paused to enjoy a view of a wood duck family swimming in a section we had already passed. They must have been a bit hidden in the grass when we initially went through! I love, love, love when we see sweet little baby ducks swimming!
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| A wood duck family swims by. |
The dense forest opened up every so often offering peeks into the enchanting wetlands. Trails at Heron Haven are fairly easy save for an upland trail that has a little more elevation. As we hiked, we enjoyed observing unique, partially-submerged, moss covered logs. On one little sand bar, log combo we spied several muskrats nibbling.
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| A mossy log delights! |
We did discover a bird blind. Oddly, this is the spot where we did not see wildlife. However, we seemed to see wildlife pretty much everywhere else at Heron Haven. In addition to the wood duck family, we also spotted teals. As we were watching teals, a snake swam by! Wildlife certainly surrounded us within this tranquil environ.
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| A groundhog peeks out waiting for us to leave so he can nibble on plants. |
Before heading to the butterfly garden, a sweet couple of groundhogs delighted us! One kept looking out from the bottom of a shed. Can you see him peeking at us in the photo above?
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| The butterfly garden at Heron Haven is ready to welcome pollinators! |
The butterfly garden was filled to the brim with flowers perfect for our vibrant pollinators! I can tell that this garden is quite a delight all summer long with brilliant blooms and butterflies!
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| Nature at Heron Haven ignites discovery and interest in learning about our environment. |
Heron Haven Serves as a Vital and Vibrant Spot for Science Education
Heron Haven not only provides a serene place for the public to observe wildlife but serves as an important research asset for the region. Nearby schools use the preserve to conduct research studies on ecology and flora and fauna. Heron Haven serves not only as an incredible natural haven but also provides an important site for all of us to learn more about the natural world whether it be for a research study or our own knowledge. We splendored in such a fascinating visit to Heron Haven and recommend a visit during any Omaha adventure.
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