Hartman Reserve Nature Center is a 308.9 acre wooded isle surrounded by metropolitan Black Hawk County. Within the property are three habitats -- forest, wetland and prairie.

The majority of the land within Hartman Reserve Nature Center is covered with forest. This is the largest tract of undisturbed upland forest in Black Hawk County. One hundred year old White Oaks, Red Oaks, and Bur Oaks can be found in the upland forest.

The Pileated Woodpecker, Yellow Lady Slipper, and the Indian Pipe are a few of the unusual animals and plants found in this mature forest.

The rest of the Hartman forest grows on the floodplain of the Cedar River. This lowland forest is composed of hackberries, walnuts, silver maples and other trees tolerative of flooding.

Deer are the largest mammal found in Iowa and they are very common in both the upland and lowland forests. To manage the urban deer population, bow hunters harvest deer in Hartman Reserve Nature Center and George Wyth State Park.

The Cedar River, it's backwaters, and two old gravel pits are found in the North Unit and provide a variety of aquatic habitat for geese, wood ducks, mallards, and red shouldered hawks. Hartman Reserve has released river otters and osprey into the Hartman Reserve wetlands.

There is one small native tall grass prairie remnant hidden in the South Unit. Prairie plants have been restored in front of the Hartman Interpretive Center to create a prairie butterfly garden. Prairie plants have also been planted along the Prairie Trail and near the parking lot in the North Unit.