The gates may be closed, however there is a pedestrian path around them (always open). Craddock Wetland Nature Preserve is part of Red Tail Land Conservancy's network of parks. Craddock park is located in the center of Muncie, Indiana, next to former industrial sites and adjacent to the White River. The Wetland Nature Preserve began as a gift of land to the City of Muncie to honor John M. Craddock’s life-long public service commitment to saving and reviving the White River and the wildlife along its corridor. The Wetland Nature Preserve is an inner city habitat area for flora and fauna, an outdoor educational facility, and a passive respite located along the White River Greenway. A looped trail with an elevated boardwalk guides trail users, nature enthusiasts, educators and students through emergent and scrub-shrub wetlands, mesic prairies, and an upland wooded area to interpretive stations and overlooks. This is a multi-year project with aggressive invasive species control, construction, and maintenance of the wetlands. The site was divided into four distinct plant communities: emergent wetland, shrub-carr wetland, prairie, and upland woodland. The emergent wetland contained a large stand of hybrid cattails (Typha sp.), as well as a sedge meadow. A partnership Ball State University’s Landscape Architecture Department’s faculty and students created a Design-Build class which aided in the construction of the trail system. This has been a great educational opportunity as well as a cost-saving solution. Educational programs are now established here as well as general use.
