The Kentucky Native Plant Society led a hike at Bullitt County’s Pine Creek Barrens Nature Preserve on June 8th. The preserve has a mixture of oak-dominated woodlands, shallow limestone glades, and grasslands and is one of the best examples of Kentucky’s limestone/dolomite barrens open to the public.
Member Alan Abbott led a group of around a dozen KNPS members for a three hour stroll along the trails. Plants identified by the group included: two species of Coneflowers (Echinacea simulata and pallida), Vase Vine (Clematis viorna), Climbing Milkvine (Matelea obliqua), Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis), Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum americanum), Scaly Blazing Star (Zanthoxylum americanum), and Glade Heliotrope (Heliotropium tenellum).
Matalea obliqua photo by Alan AbbottEchinacea species photo by Alan Abbott
The group also discussed the natural history of the region, tools like iNaturalist and Floraquest, and grassland land management techniques.
On Saturday, June 15, a group of KNPS members and friends enjoyed a field trip to the Ballard WMA in Ballard county in far western Kentucky. Ballard Wildlife Management Area is 8,000 acres located in the Ohio River bottomlands ecoregion in far western Kentucky. The WMA is mostly wetland with 39% of the acreage in wetland, 28% forest, 27% open land, and 6% open water. Much of the wetland is comprised of rare, cypress-tupelo swamps and sloughs which many Kentuckians have not had the opportunity to experience. The Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves lists cypress-tupelo swamp as a state endangered ecosystem.
The group caravanned around the WMA, making stops and enjoying many species of native plants. Many were in flower, some just budding, and some making fruit. Among the species observed were lizard’s tail (Saururus cernuus), starry campion (Silene stellata), pale Indian plantain (Arnoglossum atriplicifolium), Virginia dayflower (Commelina virginica), lots of buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), common milkweed (A. syriaca), woodland pinkroot (Spigelia marilandica), water parsnip (Sium suave), and Kentucky wisteria (Wisteria macrostachya though some botanists consider this a variety of W. frutescens).
We also encountered a few species that are found in Kentucky only in the western counties of the state. Aquatic milkweed (Asclepias perennis) occurs mostly in thin swampy woods on somewhat base-rich soils. It is unique among the Kentucky milkweeds in that it is the only one that does not have fluff on the seeds. This is because the seeds evolved to be distributed by flowing water, not wind as with the other milkweed species. Boykin’s clusterpea (Lackeya multiflora) is a native legume that grows primarily in thin bottomland woods and thickets on subhydric to submesic soils. It has the largest leaves of any trifoliate legume in the United States. Whitenymph (Trepocarpus aethusae) is a small, winter annual in the Apiaceae family. It grows in the margins of swamp forests and sandy river bottoms. It is rare in Kentucky and is monitored as a species of special concern by the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves.
Date of trip: 06/15/2024 Time: 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM (approx.) Central Time Location: Ballard County Difficulty of hike: Easy – We will caravan/carpool on the gravel roads in the wildlife management area, stopping to view a variety of native plants and habitats. At a couple of the stops, we will walk distances of under a 1/2 mile.
Swamp Candles (Lysimachia terrestris)
Join KNPS President, Jeff Nelson and KNPS member and Ballard WMA employee, Gerald Burnett, as as we explore the native plant ecosystems in the wetlands and river bottoms of the Ballard WMA in Ballard Co.
Ballard Wildlife Management Area is 8,000 acres located in the Ohio River bottomlands ecoregion in far western Kentucky. The WMA is mostly wetland with 39% of the acreage in wetland, 28% forest, 27% open land, and 6% open water. Much of the wetland is comprised of rare, cypress-tupelo swamps and sloughs which many Kentuckians have not had the opportunity to experience. The Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves lists cypress-tupelo swamp as a state endangered ecosystem.
We will caravan (carpooling as much as possible) around the WMA, stopping to examine the botany of Ballard’s diverse ecosystems. We should see several uncommon, wetland plant species. In particular we hope to see the rare swamp candles (Lysimachia terrestris), a more northerly species that in Kentucky is only found in two far western counties. Although we will not be hiking any distance, we will be taking walks of less than 1/2 mile at a couple of stops, all on the road or trails. We will walk into areas off the road to get a better view many of the plants. There is likely to be some muddy spots where we will be walking, so be prepared.
Registration is Required
Please fill out the form below to register for this field trip. This trip will be limited to 20 people.
Date of trip: June 8, 2024 Start time: 10AM EDT Location: Pine Creek Barrens Nature Preserve, Bullitt County, KY Difficulty of hike: Moderate, approximately 2 miles and 2 hours.
Join KNPS member, Alan Abbott, at Pine Creek Barren for a hike. Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida) will likely be near full bloom in this beautiful grassland. We’ll probably see other prairie plants like orange milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) and Senega snakeroot (Polygala senega).
Echinacea pallidaAsclepias tuberosa
We’ll start at 10 a.m. and hike about two miles. Prepare for some walking off trail by wearing appropriate footwear. You’ll want to practice tick prevention and bring water to prepare for heat and humidity.
This grassland near Shepherdsville is about 20-30 minutes from Louisville. Meet in the parking lot by 10 a.m. We’ll be done around noon.
Registration is Required
Please fill out the form below to register for this field trip. This trip will be limited to 15 participants.
Date of trip: Sunday, June 9th, 2024 Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM Eastern Time Location: Hi Lewis Pine Barrens State Nature Preserve, Harlan County (Site closed to the public, directions will be sent to registered participants) Difficulty of hike: Strenuous
Join KNPS Board members, Heidi Braunreiter (Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves Prescribed Fire Program Coordinator) and Dr. Jennifer Koslow (Eastern Kentucky University Department of Biological Sciences) as we explore Hi Lewis Pine Barrens State Nature Preserve, which is normally closed to the public. During this approximately three hour hike, we will learn about prescribed fire, and other land management practices to sustain and enhance a globally rare natural community, the pitch pine barrens. Hi Lewis Pine Barrens SNP is the best example of this community type on Pine Mountain, and hosts numerous rare and endangered species. The preserve is also home to American chestnuts, which flower in response to the canopy opening created by fires. Following a 2020 prescribed fire and clearing, the trees responded by growing an average of 24 stems per tree, several of which flowered at a height of six to eight feet (it is difficult to predict the exact timing of flowering). The hike will be capped off at 20 participants.
Special Considerations: Hiking conditions are strenuous on Pine Mountain due to steep terrain, please wear shoes with good ankle support. Please bring lots of water, and lunch/snacks. Venomous snakes, ticks, and chiggers occur in the area so please plan accordingly- no open toed shoes, and long pants are recommended. All participants will need to sign the liability waiver below while registering for the hike. We will be hiking along the perimeter of a prescribed burn and management unit that has been recently cleared, although tripping hazards are still present and participants will need to watch their footing.
Lodging options in the area for participants wanting to stay nearby:
Benham Schoolhouse Inn, Benham, KY (Approx. 15 min to site)
Quality Inn, Harlan, KY (Approx. 25 min to site)
Pine Mountain State Resort Park (Approx. 1 hr. 10 min to site)
Registration is Required
Please fill out the form below to register for this field trip. This trip will be limited to 20 people.
On November 4, several brave hikers joined me for the Not Quite Winter Botany field trip at the Berea College Forest (Berea Woods). The day’s start was a bit chilly while waiting for everyone to arrive. Once we began to hike, we warmed and the air temperature did as well.
Berea College Forest. Photo Credit: Berea College
We hiked through oak forest on acids soils developed over Devonian shale, then into mixed mesophytic forest on basic soils developed over Mississippian limestone and compared forest composition. A total of about 30 woody plants — vines, shrubs and trees — were seen with about the same number of herbaceous plants, mostly forbs and some grasses.
The previous week, the area experienced temperatures below 20 for two nights in a row and several other nights around 30. We anticipated finding many plants without leaves. That was not the case. Most shrubs and trees still held leaves, as did many of the herbaceous plants. We had trouble finding fruits of plants and our trip focused on bark and leaves. Some herbaceous plants were still in flower. For example, late purple aster (Symphyotrichum patens) and others such as small-disk sunflower (Helianthus microcephalus) still had identifying remnants of inflorescences.
There was ample opportunity, unfortunately, to discuss nonnative invasive species. The trail corridor provided habitat for a number of them. Many questions were asked and we spent more time having discussions or looking for examples of specific characters than hiking.
We did not reach our goal of Indian Fort Lookout before we had to turn around due to time limitations and identification based on fruit was limited. The trip was a success just the same. Participants were able to see a variety of species, including some nonnative invasive species in winter conditions to aid identification in other places. We had good discussion and laughs and a few people will be coming back to the area in the spring to check out the wildflowers.
David has been interested in plants since elementary school. During middle and high school years, he began a list of the plants found in the fields and forest near his home. He also began to grow wildflowers in a garden that his mother soon adopted. At Berea College, he was exposed to formal botany classes and began to collect extensively (with permission) in the Berea College Forest, updating a much earlier collection. In graduate school, he completed a preliminary flora of St. Tammany and Washington Parishes, Louisiana. After teaching at Cumberland College for two years, he joined the U.S. Forest Service as Forest Botanist for the Daniel Boone National Forest. He has been in that position for more than 30 years working primarily with rare plants and nonnative invasive plants.
David has worked with the Kentucky Native Plant society for about 30 years, serving mostly as grants chairperson. He has contributed about a dozen articles to The Lady Slipper over the years. David lives outside of Berea, where he grows a variety of plants and works to remove invasive species from grown up pasture land.
Date of trip:Nov. 4, 2023Sorry, this field trip is now filled Start time:9:30 a.m. EDT Location: Berea Woods, Madison County, KY Difficulty of hike: Moderate, 2-4 miles depending on time, weather and participant desires. We will hike and observe plants for about 3-4 hours
Join David Taylor, US Forest Service Botanist and KNPS board member, in exploring Berea Woods on Saturday, Nov 4. This beautiful forest is changing this time of year, but there are always interesting trees and forbs to find.
The hike will see an elevation change of 600′ feet and hike from 2-4 miles depending on time, weather, and participant desires. We will cross areas of Devonian shale, Mississippian limestone and Pennsylvanian sandstone/conglomerate. Forest types will include mesic oak, mixed mesophytic, and xeric oak-pine. We will look at herbaceous and woody plants. There will be a couple of nice overlooks if one is inclined to take landscape photography.
The hike overall is moderate, with a long easy stretch and a couple of shorter harder stretches.
This field trip may be cancelled in the event of inclement weather.
Registration is Required
Please fill out the form below to register for this field trip. This trip will be limited to 12 participants.
