The 80-acre Kraus Wilderness Preserve was transferred to Ohio Wesleyan in three separate installments between 1977 and 1997. It is composed of mature beech-maple and oak-hickory forest, transected by a deep ravine through which runs a section of Wildcat Creek. There are two ponds within the preserve boundaries. A field lab is also located on the property that is used for biology field labs and student-faculty research. The property is located in a mostly developed suburban residential area with a water treatment plant bordering it to the north. This location facilitates research that focuses on the natural woodland, pond, and stream ecosystems within Kraus, as well as the impacts of development on these ecosystems.
An endowment established by Dr. and Mrs. John Kraus supports student research in the form of up to six annual fellowships. This fellowship program promotes student research at the Kraus Preserve and has supported projects on soil microbiology, deer browse effects, fungal endophyte-plant interaction, and amphibian, bird, small mammal and invasive plant population surveys.
