Red-tail Nature Preserve

Edgar H. and Lois C. Seward Memorial Prairie

Edgar and Lois Seward were active members of the Muncie-Delaware community for over 50 years. Edgar was the former head of the Muncie Chamber of Commerce followed by over 30 years at American National Bank as president and Chairman of the Board until his retirement in 1992. Lois was a founding member of the Minnetrista Cultural Center, a member of the Ball Memorial Hospital Board of Directors, and past President of the Isanogel Center as well as several other organizations.

At the center of their lives was a love of family and nature. They were both avid birders and fishermen. Edgar was an original member of the Red-tail and involved in the formation of the Prairie Creek Reservoir. They loved and regularly walked the Cardinal Greenway.

In 2014, their four children donated a gift to the Red-tail Land Conservancy in their parents memory for the maintenance and enhancement of a parcel of land that connects their parents’ two loves – the Cardinal Greenway and the Prairie Creek Reservoir.

That parcel was memorialized as the Edgar H. and Lois C. Seward Memorial Prairie. It is a vibrant tallgrass prairie featuring Big BlueStem grass and colorful wildflowers like compass plant, beebalm, and purple coneflowers.

Seward Memorial Prairie is within Red-tail Nature Preserve, a sanctuary that also includes oak forests and a rare wetland. This preserve acts as a corridor for both wildlife and people.

Thousands of migratory birds fly over east central Indiana each year and use Prairie Creek Reservoir as a resting place. The diverse habitats within Red-tail Nature Preserve provide critical food, water, shelter, and places to raise young.

The Cardinal Greenway and Prairie Creek each have miles of trails. Alongside the Seward Memorial Prairie is a connector trail for outdoor enthusiasts to seamlessly transition from one recreation area to the other.

Thanks to the family of Edgar and Lois Seward for providing the memories to write this biography.