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How to get there - Mapquest Map (Driving Directions) Service Learning Project
Date: Backup Date: Work Day Description: Meeting Location: Raymond Park is located in Warren Township on Raymond Street, east of I-465 and south of Brookville Road and between S. Franklin Road and S. Post Road. We will park and meet in the main parking lot directly south of the property. See the Parking and Meeting document for location. Participants must wear clothes appropriate for outdoor field work. Long pants and closed toe shoes are required. Lunch, water, gloves, and equipment will be provided. Information provided by Indy Parks and Recreation Office of Land Stewardship
The land formerly known as Pedigo Farm has been
transformed many
times by human disturbanc The prairie at Raymond Park was installed in 1996 to convert fallow farm field into a more natural landscape for wildlife benefit, nature study and observation, and to improve environmental quality. It is now established and thriving. The open wetland restoration area was farmed for many years, and was previously a seasonally wet flatwoods like the adjoining forested tract. The wetland restoration was completed in 1999. The 18 to 20 acre wood portion of the site is home to at least 23 species of trees plus dozens of shrubs and herbaceous species. Large beeches, hickories and sycamores are among the woods most noticeable specimens. This parcel of old, second-growth woods flatwoods is among the few old, second-growth woods remaining in our county and is an excellent example of native Indiana mesic woodland. Flatwoods are forests located on flat, poorly drained soils. Flatwoods of this type are now rare in Marion County since most have been cleared and drained for other uses. In 2002, the trail through the woods was rerouted to move it from passing through the wettest area of the woods. The trail was widened to eight feet and boardwalks, made from recycled plastic boards, were installed in the wetter areas. Educational Note: University Library
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Center for Earth and Environmental
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Raymond
Park, located at 8575 Raymond Street, is a 99-acre school/park
site. Indianapolis Parks and Recreation acquired the 83-acre
Kenneth and Ruby Pedigo farm in 1971. Warren Township Metropolitan
School District owned 16 acres adjacent to the east. In 1992,
Warren Township Schools, needing additional acreage to build a
middle school, worked with Indy Parks to merge the neighboring
properties to the benefit each entity. Raymond Park Middle School
was built in 1993-94 and the west wing of the school houses Indy
Island, Indy Parks’ first indoor aquatic park. 
e. Forests were cleared and wetlands
drained in the struggle to farm and homestead the land. The
adjoining farm ground was completely cleared and wet areas were
tiled in an attempt to drain the wetlands sufficiently for row
crops. Current land use is for park purposes in both active and
passive recreation in partnership with Raymond Park Middle School.