Natural Areas
The Natural Areas offer a wilder side of the gardens where meadows, woodlands, and wetlands create a rich habitat for plants and wildlife. These spaces reveal the Morris at its most expansive and untamed. Wander the trails, listen for birds, and enjoy the feeling of stepping deeper into nature.
Today, the Morris's Natural Areas in the lower meadows look almost as they did when the property was the Morrises’ estate. In the early 1900s, John Morris drained the area and installed a tile field for grazing cattle. Over the years, sections of the tile field broke down, making the area marshy from underground springs and groundwater. The combination of water and soil types made the location perfect for the development of a wetland. After receiving funds from federal and state agencies, local foundations and generous individuals, restoration of the pre-existing wetland took place in 2002.
The new construction included both shallow areas for vegetation as well as several deep holes to accommodate the overwintering of fish and amphibians. To encourage birds, waterfowl and mammals to inhabit the area, bluebird, kestrel, wood duck and bat boxes were installed. The Morris’s wetland is now a thriving example of an ecosystem that supports an abundance of native plant life, as well as year-round and migratory bird populations.
Contact Ryan Drake, McCausland Natural Areas Manager at rdrake@upenn.edu.
This audio tour of the Wallace-Kane Wetland features 10 recordings that dive into the history, ecology, and management of this special place.
Wildlife & Bird Checklists
iNaturalist
See the most common wildlife sightings on iNaturalist and add your own.
eBird Hotspot
See the most common bird sightings on eBird Hotspot and add your own.
Seasonal Birds at Morris
List compiled by Ruth Pfeffer.
Birds of the East Coast
A checklist of East Coast birds to use on your birding trips.