In much the same way that particle accelerators and enormous telescopesrepresentepicenters of thought and research inthe science of physics, botanical gardens lie at the center of scientific research and exploration in the botanical world.  The major difference is that botanists and horticulturists are able to share their laboratory, research, and passion in a hands-on manner with the public.  Visitors are encouraged to explore and experience the formal gardens, research gardens, natural areas, and trails at botanical gardens.  The new Oklahoma Centennial Botanical Garden has been designed with just that visitor experience in mind and I want to give a quick peek into what you will be able to experience in the trails at the future Garden during the centennial celebration on September 8 and 9.

Most botanical gardens are created as an outgrowth of an established garden, be it that of an academic institution, private garden or estate, or public park.  The Oklahoma Centennial Botanical Garden is remarkable in that it is being created at on virgin land -- a site found after an exhaustive search of the greater Tulsa area for an ideal place for a botanical garden. 

And find the ideal place they did!  What they found was 215 acres of relatively undisturbed forest and prairie overlooking the Tulsa skyline and only seven miles from downtown.  One of the great advantages of having a clean slate to work with is the ability choose the “perfect” location within the site for gardens, research facilities, headquarters, trails and other features.  The amazing layout of the Garden can be seen in the master plan created by one of the nation’s foremost botanical garden designers, Marshall Tyler Rausch.

An added benefit of initiating a botanical garden on virgin land is the ability to highlight the natural beauty and botanical treasures which already exist in the natural environment of the area.  Volunteers have donated many hours to ensure visitors will have the opportunity to experience the wonders of the Botanical Garden site on newly constructed trails during the September 8 and 9 centennial celebration.

The path were selected by Dr. Ronald J. Tyrl (curator of the Oklahoma State University herbarium, Dr. Bruce Hoagland (plant ecologist and coordinator of the Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory), and myself to highlight the botanical and ecological diversity of the site.  Boy Scouts from Troup 1 in Tulsa (a troup soon to celebrate its centennial year) pitched in and blazed the new trails that will give visitors their first chance to explore the Garden site. 

Despite 35 degree temperatures on a windy and rainy April weekend, nearly 50 Boy Scouts showed up with spades, loppers and lots of muscle to begin the process of clearing the trails.  We now have trails that wind through ancient cross timbers forests, along creek beds, and through prairies to reach overlooks giving vistas of the Garden site. 

One of the overlooks sits above the future site of a lake which will incorporate islands of Asian gardens.  As a testament to the quality of the ecosystem at the site, wildlife abounds and the future lake is now home to a beaver and his pond.  This pond is a center of activity for wildlife and birds, and it has been a rare trip to the Garden this summer when I have not seen painted buntings, the most colorful songbirds in North America.

As hikers explore the trails, they will be able to take an interpretive pamphlet with them teaching them some of the more than 300 species of plants that have already been catalogued from the site.  The trail guide is being created by Dr. Tyrl, one of Oklahoma’s foremost botanists and ecologists, and author of many books about plants of Oklahoma.  Stops along the trail will teach identification of trees and other plants, as well as explain the notable features of the ecosystems visitors will pass through.

One of the most significant features along the trail is an ancient tree we have nominated to be one of Oklahoma’s Witness trees.  The Witness Tree Program is managed by The Tree Bank Foundation and the Oklahoma Department of Forestry and is designed to spotlight trees over 100 years old that “witnessed” the birth of the state of Oklahoma.  Our nominated Witness Tree is a gnarled old Post Oak.  Its gnarled and twisted form is tangible evidence of the onslaught of fires, droughts, thunderstorms, ice storms, and other challenges it has survived.

We are comfortable in our assertion that this tree, with an impressive 77” circumference, not only witnessed the birth of the State of Oklahoma, but the birth the nation more than 200 years ago.

Washington Irving camped in the area in 1832, 175 years ago, as he explored Indian Territory, an event immortalized in Wayne Cooper’s painting “Washington Irving meeting the Osage”, a painting which hangs in the state Capitol.  These forests no doubt inspired the author, and sitting at the base of our Witness Tree, one can almost see Irving’s headless horseman riding through the gnarled and enchanted forests he conjured up in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

After passing under the limbs of the Witness Tree, hikers are led into a prairie thick with native grasses, shrubs and wildflowers.  The path continues through the prairie before ultimately following the shore of the future lake back into the forest and back towards the centennial celebration. 

The trails are somewhat rustic, such as one would expect to find at a state park or Turkey Mountain, so bring sturdy shoes and appropriate attire.  The trails are arranged in “figure 8” pattern, so visitors have a choice of completing just the inner loop, or continuing on the more adventurous outer loop.  The inner loop is less than a mile, and the outer loop is a bit more than a mile.  The Witness Tree and overlook of the future lake can be found on the outer loop.

No matter what your interests, be they plants, birds, butterflies, hiking, enjoying nature, or just a love of Oklahoma, you are guaranteed to be inspired as you hike these trails on September 8 and 9.