Strawberry Plains Audubon Center

Strawberry Plains Audubon Center Strawberry Plains Audubon Center is a 2,600 acre nature sanctuary where nature and history meet. Pets and smoking are not permitted on site.
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Strawberry Plains Audubon Center is one of Mississippi's finest natural and historic treasures. With a love of nature and profound foresight, Ruth Finley and Margaret Finley Shackelford entrusted their home and property to The National Audubon Society. Ruth and Margaret's vision of protecting wildlife and habitat from an encroaching and ever-growing urban area has become our mission. We foster tha

t mission by restoring and conserving the 3,000 acres of hardwood forests, wetlands and native grasslands at Strawberry Plains. In the community, we work with landowners to develop habitat management plans that will help future generations enjoy the economic and social benefits that clean water and a natural environment provide. Strawberry Plains is committed to providing experiential and place-based education to students of all ages. Strawberry Plains Audubon Center's Mission: Education and outreach programs based from 3,000 acres of model habitat at Strawberry Plains Audubon Center will promote an appreciation of wildlife diversity and inspire people to take conservation action at home with native-plant landscaping and on their land using best management practices to maximize the ecological services and societal benefits that nature provides.

* Visitor's Center
* Antebellum Davis Home
* 15 Miles of Hiking Trails (Trail map available for download below)
* Native Gardens and Wildflowers
* Restored Forest and Grasslands
* Ponds and Ephemeral Pools
* Native Plant Nursery
* Wildlife Viewing Areas
* Lectures, Field Study Classes, Conservation Education Programs, and Events for all ages!
* Annual Hummingbird Migration Celebration: September 6th-8th, 2013 (9am - 4pm)

Strawberry Plains is observing WINTER HOURS and is open to the public Tuesday through Friday (9am-4pm). House Tours available by appointment, Saturdays at 2 p.m. Call 662-252-1155 to RSVP.

08/01/2026

Listen closely!

Here is a view of Sand Creek from a foot bridge that was restored with funding from the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund. What bird species do you hear in this minor bottomland hardwood forest?

07/24/2026

Listen closely!
Here’s a video of one of the ponds at Strawberry Plains. These ponds are carefully managed to provide valuable habitat for the riparian birds that frequent the area, creating important places for feeding, nesting, and raising young.

As you watch, take a moment to enjoy the sounds of nature around the pond.

What bird calls do you recognize in the video? Let us know in the comments and see how many species our birding community can identify!

07/18/2026

This is some of our early successional habitat at Strawberry Plains Audubon Center. This habitat type is very important to some species of birds and other wildlife. What bird calls can you identify in this clip?

Habitat improvement is continuing at Strawberry Plains Audubon Center. A crew is conducting tree injection work to help ...
07/10/2026

Habitat improvement is continuing at Strawberry Plains Audubon Center. A crew is conducting tree injection work to help reclaim some of our grasslands and early successional habitat. This habitat type is important to a suite of birds on Audubon's watchlist. This work is being done with funding from the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund, in cooperation with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks and Quail Forever.

Strawberry Plains Audubon Center will be temporarily closed to the public starting July 3 while we replace the entrance ...
07/01/2026

Strawberry Plains Audubon Center will be temporarily closed to the public starting July 3 while we replace the entrance bridge, which was damaged during recent flooding. Because the bridge is the only access point to our visitor areas and trails, we'll be closed during construction. The project is expected to take approximately two months.

This important improvement is already underway! Today, an 89-foot railcar was delivered to Strawberry Plains to serve as the foundation for the new vehicle bridge, a unique solution that will help restore safe access to the center.

We'll be open tomorrow regular hours (9am-4pm) and then closed starting July 3rd for the federal holiday. Wishing everyone a happy and safe Fourth of July!

06/17/2026

Strawberry Plains Audubon Center will be closed on June 19 and 20, 2026 to celebrate the holiday weekend. We will reopen on June 22, 2026.

We wish everyone a happy holiday!

The boardwalk at Strawberry Plains has been fully repaired thanks to the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund! Rec...
06/01/2026

The boardwalk at Strawberry Plains has been fully repaired thanks to the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund! Recreational amenities like boardwalks provide safe ways for people to view and engage with local wildlife, including many bird species that visit Strawberry Plains. The benches on the patio are the perfect way to view the hummingbirds that are still present at the center.

Visit S**C M-F from 9am-4pm and Saturdays from 8am-4pm. We recommend calling (662) 252-1155 on weekends to make sure that hours are accurate.

Photos taken by Carl Branson, S**C's forest ecologist.

The Red Buckeyes are blooming at Strawberry Plains! That means the hummingbirds are probably close behind. Ruby-Throated...
03/11/2026

The Red Buckeyes are blooming at Strawberry Plains! That means the hummingbirds are probably close behind.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds will use places like Strawberry Plains to refuel during their long migration to their breeding grounds.

Come see the buckeyes (and soon the hummingbirds!) from 8-4, Monday through Friday.

The driveway, trails, and sidewalks  are still treacherous here at Strawberry Plains Audubon Center. Therefore, we are n...
02/02/2026

The driveway, trails, and sidewalks are still treacherous here at Strawberry Plains Audubon Center. Therefore, we are not open to the public at this time. Please continue to monitor our page for updates. Thanks for understanding!

01/28/2026

Due to ground conditions and a lack of electrical power, Strawberry Plains will not be open for the remainder of this week. We will attempt to reopen to the public on February 2. The Center sustained only minor tree damage, but icy conditions on steps, roads, and trails have raised concerns about visitor safety.

Address

285 Plains Road
Holly Springs, MS
38635

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

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