Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest -

Hoosier National Forest

The Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest is an 88-acre block of remnant old-growth Central Hardwood forest, which includes cathedral stands of mature black walnut (Juglans nigra), yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), white oak (Quercus alba), and white ash (Fraxinus americana).Many of the biggest trees are currently 30 to 40 inches at breast height. This is one of the few remaining unharvested tracts of Central Hardwoods in the region. There are also many spring wildflower species including trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit, wild ginger, and eastern bluebells.

The topography is hilly and rugged, due in part to the presence of several sinkholes. Pioneer Mothers is in the heart of the southern Indiana karst topography. The soil is a residual, unglaciated loam and silt loam derived from the weathering of a sandstone stratum overlying limestone. In the lower areas, the soil is derived from weathered limestone with accumulations of eroded overlying sandstone colluvium.

Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest is also a designated National Natural Landmark and a Research Natural Area. Researchers have used the site for decades to study old-growth forest ecology, tree growth patterns, and biodiversity in Central Hardwood ecosystems. The forest serves as a kind of living laboratory that continues to provide valuable data. To ensure its natural state no bikes, no horses, no camping, and no plant collecting are allowed.