Fontenelle Forest (FF) is dedicated to the conservation and preservation of our local environment, providing rich cultural, historical and natural learning opportunities. Fontenelle Forest Nature Center and Neale Woods offer beautiful settings for exploration, education, reflection and physical activity. Proper care of these lands ensures that these same opportunities will be available for future generations to enjoy.

Conservation

A full-time ranger staff directs ongoing land management activities, including oak savanna, American elm and prairie ecosystem restoration; erosion control; wildlife management; trail maintenance and invasive species control. To date, FF has restored almost 30 acres of oak savanna (with a goal of 100 acres); introduced 75 disease-resistant American elms; re-established four natural prairies and restored nearly 100 acres of wetlands in the Missouri River floodplain, including two oxbow lakes.

Preservation

Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods have seen centuries of diverse human history. The river bluffs are home to over 70 earth lodges that housed farming peoples during the Nebraska Phase of the Woodland period (1100 - 1400 AD). The journals of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark include a reference to a five-day encampment along the Missouri River, widely believed to be located in Fontenelle Forest. FF's lands are also home to the fur trading posts of Manuel Lisa and Lucien Fontenelle and a portion of the Mormon Trail. FF seeks to preserve these sites and to celebrate the history of all peoples who have inhabited this land.