Ruffner Mountain Park

Ruffner Mountain Nature Center is a convert|1011|acre|km2|0 nature preserve located in the easternportions of Birmingham, Alabama, near the neighboring suburb of Irondale. The preserve includes a visitor center containing native Alabama animals including raptors, snakes, turtles and owls.The Ruffner Mounain area was home to iron ore mines and stone quarries, supplying the area's steel mills. When the mines played out in the 1950s, nature reclaimed the area.

The preserve contains 11 miles (18 km) of hiking trails.

Expansion Efforts

Crews officially broke ground on RMNC's state-of-the-art LEED certified Treetop Visitor's Center and Education Pavilion in August 2008. The 6,000 square foot nature center will replace the organization's existing administrative office building, visitor's center, and pavilion. The contractor, Stewart Perry, Inc., and architect, KPS Group hope to complete construction by spring 2009. KPS Group has designed a building using sustainable architecture and materials ranging from a rainwater collection system to a myriad of recycled building materials and furnishings.

In 2006 Ruffner Mountain Nature Center announced plans to expand the park by 500 to convert|700|acre|km2|1 at a cost of around $11 million. The addition would make Ruffner Mountain's nature preserve one of America's largest urban nature preserves at around 1,511 to convert|1711|acre|km2|0.

External links

* [http://www.ruffnermountain.org Ruffner Mountain Nature Center's Temporary Website]