The Donald E. Miller Wildlife Area is a 16.5 acre area located
on the north bank of the White River, on the west side of
Muncie. It is a site for nature study and environmental sciences
field experiences for students from pre-K through college. The
Miller area is a remnant of White River bottomland that was
isolated when the Army Corps of Engineers straightened the river
channel and constructed a leveein the late 1940s. This preserve
contains a diversity of plants, animals, and habitat types, all
located within a small area that is easily accessible to the
university and Muncie communities. An oxbow pond, created when
the old river channel was isolated by the levee, is located
within the preserve. The pond is shallow, has high organic
matter level, and due to extensive duckweed in the growing
season, has low oxygen levels. Turtles and amphibians inhabit
the pond area, as well as a few fish species that are tolerant
of the conditions. A mature bottomland forest of predominantly
sycamore and hackberry trees occ