Natural Environment Area
Introduction
Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area is comprised of 1,900 acres of serpentine barren.
The area has over 39 rare, threatened, or endangered plant species as well as rare insects, rocks and minerals.
The barrens are underlain by serpentinite,
a rock that contains very little quartz and aluminum, mainly serpentine.
When serpentinite weathers most of the rock dissolves leaving behind a
thin, sand- and clay-poor soil which is easily eroded. Therefore the land
surface over serpentinites is stony, unfertile and sparsely vegetated.
This sparsely vegetated area is commonly referred to as "serpentine barrens."
Rare grassland plant species are threatened by invasion of Virginia Pines. Currently, a five year effort of removing 1,000 acres of pines and prescribed burning are underway to return the area to natural serpentine habitat.
There are seven miles of marked hiking
trails.
The visitor center has meeting rooms,
a reference library and exhibits on the natural and cultural history of
the area.
