Hidden in the lush hills of Ozark Missouri is a 10-acre forest known as Garrison Springs. Named for the Garrison family, it used to be privately owned but was still open to the public. School students took field trips to Garrison Springs when learning about Ozark history, students did work on the gardens, many prom photos were taken on the bridges, and visitors enjoyed the springs and gardens, all thanks to the Braswell family. In 2020 the City of Ozark took ownership of the land, and through funding from the Missouri Department of Conservation and the U.S. Forest Service, it has been turned into a community forest. Improvements to the property include trails, and future learning stations and a bird viewing area. Learn more about Garrison Springs through our Explore the Watershed blog post.
Native Garden Project
In 2024 JRBP received a grant from The Ozarks Society to work with Ozark High School students and the City of Ozark to design and construct a native garden on the property. Native plants were chosen that would provide food, shelter, and nesting materials for local birds, adding to the bird viewing area of the park. In October 2024, Ozark High School Divisionary Services students planted the garden.
Click below to learn more about each native plant featured:
A big thanks to The Ozark Society Schoolcraft Chapter for their support of this project.
