Hillside NWR The northern part of the refuge is a mono-culture of willow and cottonwoods. The southern portion of the refuge consists of bottomland hardwoods interspersed with sloughs, swamps and agricultural fields. The refuge supports numerous species of resident wildlife, neotropical migrants, wading birds and waterfowl. Hunting seasons are established for most game species. A .6 mile disabled-accessible nature trail winds through bottomland hardwoods and crosses a cypress/tupelo slough.
Mathews Brake NWR Mathews Brake NWR encompasses much of the lake area called Mathews Brake. The lake is shallow but supports an excellent fishery for crappie, bream, bass and catfish. Habitat consists of cypress/tupelo stands with bottomland hardwood fingers extending into the lake. Over 30,000 ducks including mallards, widgeon, gadwall, blue-winged teal, and pintail winter on the refuge.
Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR he refuge was established for the protection and recovery of the endangered Mississippi sandhill crane and the restoration of its unique habitat, wet pine savanna (pitcher plant bogs). It is estimated that 95-97% of this habitat has been altered and the refuge serves as a key remnant ecosystem representative. The pine savanna has a rich herbaceous flora and includes some of the highest plant diversities, particularly carnivorous plants, in N.A. The non-migratory Mississippi sandhill crane population has increased from 30-35 cranes in the mid-70s to the current 110-130. Major management programs include prescribed fire, mechanical and hand-removal of trees, hydrological restoration, release of captive cranes, predator control, food plots for cranes, public education, and a comprehensive monitoring program of the crane population. Fire management program supports interagency suppression in wildland-urban interface.Â
Morgan Brake NWR Morgan Brake NWR has a diverse habitat which includes bottomland hardwoods, reforested areas, moist-soil units, wetlands and agricultural areas. Management objectives are primarily for waterfowl and neotropical migrants. Former aquaculture ponds have been converted to moist-soil units. Some which had old willow infestations are being used as a rookery by thousands of wading birds. Hunting seasons are allowed for most native game species, the most popular being the white-tail deer.
Natchez National Historical Park Natchez National Historical Park celebrates the rich cultural history of Natchez, Mississippi and interprets the pivotal role the city played in the settlement of the old southwest, the Cotton Kingdom and the Antebellum South.
The Park is made up of three units, Fort Rosalie is the location of an 18th Century fortification built by the French and later occupied by the British, Spanish and Americans. The William Johnson House was a house owned by William Johnson, a free African American businessman, whose diary tells the story of everyday life in antebellum Natchez. Melrose was the estate of John T. McMurran, a northerner who rose from being a middle class lawyer to a position of wealth and power in antebellum Natchez. Melrose is the only unit currently open to the public.
Natchez Trace Parkway The Natchez Trace Parkway was established May 18, 1938 and originally follows an historic Indian trace, or trail, between Nashville, Tennessee and Natchez, Mississippi. Of the 444 miles of Parkway, 423 are completed. Thanks to the dedication and foresight of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Natchez Trace Parkway Association, the President of the United States signed a measure creating the Natchez Trace Parkway, with the proviso that it be administered by the National Park Service. The Parkway preserves significant historical sites such as Emerald Mound, the second largest ceremonial mound in the United States, plantation sites, pioneer stands/inns, archeological sites/villages, pioneer and slave cemeteries and an historic housing site, part of the resettlement program of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. The Trace tells the story of great leaders such as Meriwether Lewis and Andrew Jackson, and outlaws such as John Murrell and Samuel Mason. Today the "Old Trace" is paralleled by the modern Natchez Trace Parkway. Designated as part of the National Scenic Byways Program, the Natchez Trace Parkway was named an ?All American Road? in 1995 to commemorate its beauty, landscape features, historic and intrinsic qualities. The commemorative Parkway represents a means by which travelers can capture a glimpse of history not easily forgotten while also enjoying a leisurely drive along an historic landscape.
