RED-TAIL NATURE PRESERVE

The Red-Tail Nature Preserve at Prairie Creek Reservoir transformed a conceptual line in the Cardinal Greenways Master Plan into a thriving ecological gateway. Originally envisioned simply as a spur connecting the reservoir beach to the main greenway, the physical implementation required a delicate balance of conservation and cost-efficiency. Flatland Resources was engaged by the Red-tail Land Conservancy to design a route that actively preserved the local tree canopy and prairie. 

The project's defining financial efficiency came from adaptive reuse: Flatland Resources repurposed an abandoned, on-site quarry to source fill material for the greenway embankment. Built in strategic phases, the development first established the parking area and primary connector trail, followed by a loop trail meandering through the prairie. During the design phase, the loop's educational overlook evolved from a standard group gathering space into an artistic, metaphoric bench mimicking a red-tailed hawk in flight over the landscape.

Ultimately, the preserve served as a regional catalyst, sparking further trail development around the reservoir, including a mountain bike network. Flatland Resources managed the entire life cycle, designing and constructing all trails while successfully securing the grants that funded every phase, from the greenway to the beach.