
Copperhead Ridge Natural Area
Copperhead Ridge has been in Larry Andrews’s family since the 1930s when his great aunt ran cattle. Larry has been managing the land for the last 25 years using a combination of traditional grazing, prescribed burning, and plant restoration to improve wildlife habitat and native plant diversity. As a retired fireman, Larry does not shy away from utilizing prescribed fire to control brush and other invasive plants. Also an expert in reptiles and amphibians, Larry knows all these species on his property and breeds alligator snapping turtles for rare species recovery.

Habitat
Copperhead Ridge Registered Natural Area is a biologically diverse track of 162 acres on the western edge of Pawnee County. The upland features an excellent example of tallgrass prairie with an abundance of native wildflowers and grasses. Crosstimbers cover the slopes down to the Arkansas River floodplain. This habitat is dominated by large chinkapin and blackjack Oaks with a variety of understory trees. Springs and seeps can be found along the hillsides creating microhabitats that are refuge for uncommon native plants. Parcels of bottomland along Red Rock Creek had been cropland, but are currently undergoing restoration to remove invasive plants and to reestablish native bottomland hardwoods.

Topics
- Tour of native prairie
- Planning and conducting a prescribed fire
- Invasive plant species management
- Feral pig control
- Monarch butterfly migration and habitat conservation
- Applying for financial and technical assistance to implement conservation practices
- Long-term land protection through conservation easements
REGISTRATION:
Registration is Required. Space is limited. Travel to site will be attendee’s responsibility. The property is approximately 15 miles south of Ponca City. Maps and directions will be provided to all registrants the week of the event. They will be emailed to the address you register under.
Field day is subject to postponement due to inclement weather. Rain date is will be announced. Registrants will be notified by email or phone.
Accommodations on the basis of disability are available by contacting Priscilla Crawford at the Oklahoma Biological Survey (405-889-7188; prill@ou.edu).
EVENT LOGISTICS:
Saturday, September 24, 2022 – 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Picnic lunch provided. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.
Expect to walk at a leisurely pace for a couple miles on trails through property. Not difficult, but ground will be uneven. Long pants and sturdy shoes recommended.

About Field Days
The Oklahoma Natural Areas Registry hosts Educational Field Days highlighting topics of interest to land conservationists. Field days will appeal to landowners interested in maintaining natural diversity on their property and people interested in learning more about managing land for wildlife habitat. These events will also be an opportunity for the public to visit registered natural areas that are not normally open for visitation. Each event will include speakers with expertise in management, conservation, or ecology.