Stratford Nature Area

Dedication

1924

Size

35 acres

Additional amenities

Natural surface trail connection with Tandy Hills Nature Area and (eventually) Broadcast Hill Open Space.

Fun facts

This 35-acre tract was originally part of a larger 50-acre tract acquired in 1924 for Stratford Park. Continued interest in the park’s natural qualities led to the programming of 35 acres to become the Stratford Nature Area. Its proximately to Tandy Hills Park and Nature Area provides for the preservation of the area’s natural conditions. The park remains in an unimproved and natural state because of its rough topography and disjunct position from Stratford Park. Stratford Nature Area blends with Tandy Hills Nature Area and is accessible through that trail system or the future Broadcast Hill Open Space trail system.

Recreation

Natural surface hiking trails connect Tandy Hills Park and Nature Area to Stratford Nature Area to create a seamless urban wilderness experience.

Geology

The majority of the park lies within the Pawpaw, Weno Limestone and Denton Clay geologic formations. Pawpaw is a calcareous ledge-forming marl interbedded with limestone and clay. Weno Limestone contains thin marl interbeds that forms resistant upland ledges. Denton Clay encompasses alternating clay, marl, and limestone. The easternmost portion lies within the Grayson Marl and Main Street Limestone of the Cretaceous Period. Grayson Marl consists of greenish-gray thinly interbedded limestone with nodular bits of shale, sand and fossiliferous material. The Main Street Limestone is hard, thin interbedded gray and white layers.

Soils

The Aledo-Bolar Complex soil series consists of shallow, well drained, moderately permeable soils on gently sloping to steep uplands; that formed in interbedded limestones and marls of the Cretaceous Period. The riparian stretch just west of the boundary into Tandy Hills Nature Area is dominated by Frio loamy bottomland soils.

Ecology

The soils and topography allow for similar ecology as Tandy Hills. The park has been consumed by invasive privet shrubs, which currently suppress the native prairie and woodland vegetation at the park. However, there are a few remnant pocket prairie openings. Future efforts to remove and control the privet will be long-term and will require a combination of City, contractor, and volunteer partnership. Neighborhood volunteers have worked to clear privet along the street.

View animal, plant and insect species observed at Stratford Nature Area Conservancy Park and make some of your own observations through iNaturalist. See link under the "Related information" Section.

Reserve this park on ActiveNet