In mid-1991, Mr. Don Russell donated two tracts of land in Adair County, Oklahoma to the NSS for the purpose of creating a biological preserve. There is one cave and several cave remnants on the property. The main cave, Linda Bear Paw Cave, is used by a large colony of endangered gray bats (Myotis grisescens). One of the cave remnants is a hibernaculum for a colony of Ozark big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii ingens). This colony represents as much as one-third of the known population of this species. The Nature Conservancy, who manages a cave containing a colony of some 25,000 gray bats, owns land surrounding the Russell Nature Preserve.
Because this property was acquired with the purpose of establishing a biological preserve and human visitation would be detrimental to the survival of the bat populations, no visitation is allowed. This is a continuation of the long-standing policy of the previous owner.
Donald R. Russell Nature Preserve
