Redbud Valley Nature Preserve Temporarily Closing Due To Vandalism

The City of Tulsa is closing one of its beloved nature preserves. The city said the Redbud Valley Nature Preserve near Catoosa has gotten too overcrowded and vandalized.

They said it needs time to recover, so it will be closed to the public until next May.

This is the second Green Country nature preserve to close due to vandalism this year. In July, the Nature Conservancy decided to close down Bathtub Rocks in Tahlequah after years of vandalism and illegal activity.

Related Story: Nature Conservancy Says Vandalism, Illegal Activity Forced Closure Of Bathtub Rocks

Tulsa's Chief Naturalist Eddie Reese helped build the Redbud Valley Nature Preserve when it first opened over 30 years ago. Reese said it's been damaged through the years, but he's never seen it this bad.

"People love Redbud Valley. I love Redbud Valley, but basically it's getting loved to death," Reese said. 

The mile-long trail still has all the beauty and nature people expect. But if you look closely, you can see where people have left their mark, writing their names in rocks and caves. 

"It's ugly and you're scraping away living organisms when you do that," Reese said. 

Reese said some of the damage isn't as obvious. Some of the major damage is caused from people go off the trails which causes erosion and even damages the trees. Reese said people have also been stealing rare plants, moving rocks, and damaging the critters that live under them.

He said part of the problem is the pandemic has led to more visitors. He said the preserve simply can't keep up.

"When we first started this place, we were getting maybe 3,000 people a year. Now we are up to 18,000 people a year, the ones we can count," Reese said. 

To protect it, the city has decided to close the preserve to most people until next May, but it will still be open to students.

Reese said they hope to find a solution before next spring, so they don't close again.

"Redbud is a beautiful ecological jewel in the Tulsa parks system and we want to keep it that way. Everyone gets sick occasionally, so same here with this preserve. We are just going to take some bedtime and rest up," Reese said.