The last few Sundays I’ve been trying to go somewhere local to take photos and explore my home state a bit more. Here are some of the fruits of my drives so far.

First is Oxley Nature Center, if you’ve been to my blog before you may have seen a post or two about this place. It is a local park and nature preserve, with hiking trails and visitor center. It is setup as an immersive experience to highlight our local flora and fauna. Here are a few images from Oxley Nature Center.

“Meditation at Sherry Lake” Oxley Nature Center, Tulsa, OK ©Billy Sauerland

“Cattails” Oxley Nature Center, Tulsa, OK ©Billy Sauerland

“Swan in Flight” Oxley Nature Center, Tulsa, OK

“Swan Landing” Oxley Nature Center, Tulsa, OK

Second is a drive up to the Tall Grass Prairies Preserve north of Pawhuska, OK. The preserve is a Nature Conservancy conservation preserve, their goal is to restore the native grasses along with bison, birds and other native species. This is one of my favorite places to head to when I’m needing a breather from Tulsa. Here are a few images from the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve.

Update 5-8-2017: I’ve reedited the image “Osage Prairie” to reflect more of a romantic feel that I was wanting to achieve.  I believe I was able to reach that goal.

This bale was not at Tall Grass it was on the way there just outside of Skiatook, OK. The state is covered in them, but I love the circular texture of the bale.

“Osage Prairie” Tall Grass Prairie Preserve, north of Pawhuska, OK

“Birds and Bison” Tall Grass Prairie Preserve, north of Pawhuska, OK

“Grazing Bison” Tall Grass Prairie Preserve, north of Pawhuska, OK