Date of trip: July 29, 2023 Start time: 10AM EDT Location: Fleming WMA, Fleming Co., KY Difficulty of hike: Difficult, approximately 2 miles and 2 hours. Given the heat and terrain this could be a challenging hike.
Explore a part of Kentucky’s wilderness with KNPS!
Join us at Fleming Wildlife Management Area on July 29th at 10AM for a two-hour hike. The WMA has an oak-hickory forest mixed with flatwoods and small wetland openings, which means we might spot orchids and wetland plants.
Alan Abbott, hike leader.
We’ll meet in the main parking lot shortly before 10AM. Look for the hide leader, Alan Abbott. The hike begins at 10AM. It’s two miles and should last two to three hours.
Consider bringing bug spray, and we suggest wearing tall boots. Given the heat and terrain this could be a challenging hike.
This is a joint event between KNPS and the Kentucky chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (KYBHA), another group focused on conserving and exploring Kentucky’s natural landscape. Registration for this hike is required. Members and friends of KNPS can use the form at the bottom of this article to register. Members and friends of of KYBHA can RSVP on their Event page, KYBHA Plant ID Walk.
All WMAs are owned and maintained by the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources and open most of the year to the public. In a coming issue, you’ll learn more about these WMAs and how you can visit to enjoy Kentucky’s flora and fauna.
Register for this field trip
KNPS members and friends can register for this hike using the form below. Because this is a joint field trip, we are limiting signups to 5 people.
We have exciting news — KNPS is partnering with horticultural education groups across the state to provide funds and educational support for pollinator gardens. 2023 is a pilot year so we can find partners throughout the state and work out the kinks.
We’re partnering with organizations with an education mission because the success rate of grant gardens is small. With a two-year educational support commitment from our educational partners, we hope to improve the success rate.
The partnership includes three parties:
The Kentucky Native Plant Society as grantor will provide funds for the purchase of native plants and seeds.
The grantee will be the owner or caretaker of the garden. The site should have education as part of its mission and offer public access, within reason.
An educational partner will provide education and continued support for at least two years.
Currently, each grant is $500. KNPS and educational partners can assist with purchasing plants. The grantee will use their volunteers to prepare, plant, and maintain the garden.
The five pilot sites
Currently, we have five pilot sites in the works. Two are in Frankfort and three are at or near Eastern Kentucky University.
Gerrard County High School
Kelly Watson, Ph.D. and the associate director of Eastern Kentucky University’s Division of Natural Areas supplied the education component for this new pollinator garden on school grounds. The KNPS grant of $500 was used to purchase native plants from Ironweed Native Plant Nursery in Waddy.
On May 17th, Kelly worked with two shifts of students: One was an Agriculture/Horticulture class (taught by Natasha Parsons), and a second group of students is part of GearUp, working with Amy Whitt. Kelly will continue to support these groups in maintaining the garden to secure its success.
Students planting the outside classroom. Students planting the outside classroom.
Science for Sustainable Living Initiative
Kelly Watson serves as the educational partner for this pollinator garden outside the EKU science building and the plants were purchased from Ironweed Native Plant Nursery. EKU has two gardens here that are used as outdoor classrooms and during the campus pollinator workshops, which occur twice a year.
The gardens were established two years ago through a grant from Novelis, using seeds from Roundstone Native Seed Company. The groups caring for these gardens have battled invasives since then. By adding mature plugs, the group hopes to tilt the tables a bit more in favor of the natives.
In May, a group of group of summer student interns (they get paid!) and Kelly spent six hours weeding preparing the gardens. The gardens were planted on May 31 and June 2.
Volunteers planting the pollinator garden. Student volunteers.
EKU Scholar House
Kelly Watson is providing the educational partner for this large outdoor classroom space and plants were purchased from Ironweed Native Plant Nursery. This site already has three large, raised beds and they’re currently working to create a larger outdoor classroom space.
On June 1, EKU Scholar House and EKU Sustainability Office hosted a planting event. Volunteers helped plant the classroom space and children visited educational tables with games and activities. One table taught the children how to plant a seed, and the children took their small pots home!
Students help volunteers plant their new garden classroom. Teachers and volunteers lead the planting.
Second Street School
Connie Lemley of Frankfort facilitated the grant for the group. The plants were purchased from Ironweed Native Plant Nursery and the Capital Area Extension Master Gardeners (CAEMG) will provide educational support to ensure the garden’s success.
On Saturday, June 3, Eagle scout candidate Sam Curry and his fellow scouts planted a pollinator garden at Second Street School in Frankfort, Kentucky. The spot is concrete bound by sidewalks and Second Street, so it will receive a lot of traffic.
First, the group removed a large knock-out rose and turf before planting. Sam has a large number of volunteers to help maintain the garden over the summer. From there, the school’s volunteers, under Connie’s direction, will resume care using Sam’s educational and maintenance plan for guidance.
A before shot of the Second Street School pollinator garden plot. Second Street School volunteers. Second Street School scout volunteers.
Liberty Hall Historical Site
Anna Campomanes, the garden curator for Liberty Hall in Frankfort, secured a grant to restore an historical garden that is available to the public. CAEMG is the educational partner.
Anna decided to supplement an existing historical garden with native shrubs. CAEMG visited the site and provided a list of sun-loving native shrubs that would fit the garden nicely and attract pollinators. Many people don’t think of native shrubs when they think of pollinators, so this is a unique opportunity.
Planting is scheduled for fall. Liberty Hall hopes to host a public workshop for planting shrubs that day. This will give KNPS and CAEMG the opportunity to promote native shrubs as pollinators to the public!
Going forward
It’s an auspicious start, and the commitment and enthusiasm from the grantees are infectious! We plan regular updates throughout the summer, so watch for more information in The Lady Slipper.
[THESE WORKSHOPS HAVE COMPLETED] Some spaces are still available in both of the upcoming KNPS workshops. There will be both a beginner level and an intermediate level, Wetland Plant Identification workshop at John James Audubon State Park in Henderson, KY on June 27th for the Beginner class and June 28th-29th for the Intermediate class! The workshops are field courses, exploring the Ohio River wetlands and learning how to ID the plants that are found there. The workshops are conducted in sequence and interested parties can sign up for just the Beginner workshop, just the Intermediate workshop, or both. To register for the workshops, use the form at the bottom of this page.
The Beginner Wetland Plant ID workshop will be one day long, on June 27th, from 9AM CDT – 5PM CDT. The Beginner workshop will cover basic flower structure, leaf arrangement, etc. while highlighting plants as we go. It will be less technical with a focus on demystifying the nomenclature so as to be able to start keying plants out. The instructor will introduce C-values, wetland indicator status, and the basics on how to see the landscape in a broader, phytological way. There is a $25 registration fee for this workshop.
The Intermediate Wetland Plant ID workshop will be held over two days, June 28-29th, from 9AM CDT – 5PM CDT each day. This workshop is aimed towards individuals with some prior experience in field identification of wetland plants and will focus on how to identify more complicated genera and groups (i.e. graminoids and asters). An understanding of basic floral morphology (petals, sepals, tepals, stamens, etc.) is more or less expected. We will be looking at keys and getting a bit deeper in the descriptive elements of the flora.In addition to Audubon State Park, there may be a visit to other close natural areas. There is a $75 registration fee for this course.
Courses will take place from 9am-5pm CDT each day and have a 1-hour break for lunch (bring your own lunch). You will need to bring a notebook, loupe or hand-lens, phone or camera, pencils, and preferred reference book if you’d like. Remember that these are field courses and may get into wet areas, so please wear appropriate clothing and bring water.
If you have any questions, email us at KYPlants@knps.org
*About the Instructor
Nathanael J. Pilla is a botanist for Midwest Biological Survey, LLC. He also is an adjunct professor at University of Notre Dame, hosts the YouTube series, Botany and Beer, and is part of the Chicago Wilderness Alliance Steering Committee. Nathanael is well versed in the terrestrial and aquatic flora of the Midwest bringing his knowledge and charisma with him in and outside the workplace. He has experience in botanical research and identification, hands-on resource management, project management and plant identification, and his written work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals. He recently co-authored the book, Wildflowers of the Indiana Dunes National Park, which was published through Indiana University Press. When he is not botanizing, he spends his time writing and singing ridiculous songs.
Registration Form for Workshops
Use this form to register for the workshop. The Intermediate workshop is now full, You can still sign up for the Beginner workshop on June 27th .
Date of trip: June 17, 2023 Start time: 10AM EDT Location: Lilley Cornett Woods, Letcher Co., KY Difficulty of hike: Medium difficulty, approximately 1.5 miles
Join us for a hike at one of the most notable natural areas in Kentucky and a registered national landmark, EKU’s Lilley Cornett Woods. Located in Letcher County, Lilley Cornett Woods is an old-growth forest, a forest that has not undergone any man-made changes in 150 years. During your hike LCW guides will provide you with an educational experience on various topics ranging from the 12 characteristics of old growth, mixed mesophytic forest, diverse flora and fauna native to Appalachia, and most notably LCW’s incredible “big trees.”
The Shop Holler trail is LCW’s shorter trail at approximately 1.5 miles with medium difficulty. Plan to be on the trail for about 3 hours with the guide, while you traverse the mountainside through different forest communities. This is LCW’s most popular trail due to its shorter length, but don’t be fooled, you will be amazed by the diversity of the area and be able to truly understand a mixed mesophytic forest.
No pre-registration is required for this hike. You will meet, register, and sign waivers at the Visitors Center. From the parking lot the Visitors Center building is on the hill, up the sidewalk. Hike leaders will be outside the Visitor’s Center waiting for you.
Lilley Cornett Woods is located at 91 Lilley Cornett Branch, Hallie, KY. Driving Directions.
If you have any questions, email us at KYPlants@knps.org
John James Audubon SRP, Oct 26 2022, photo by Haley Owens
Save the date for the KNPS 2023 Fall Meeting at John James Audubon SP, in Henderson Co., KY, on Saturday, October 28. There will be a KNPS member and friends meeting in the morning, with informative talks and updates about the Society. After a break for lunch, there will be hikes, led by experienced botanists and naturalists that know the park, to look at the plants and plant communities that occur at the state park.
John James Audubon State Park is located just south of the Ohio river in Henderson County in western Kentucky. The park preserves the peaceful woods where John James Audubon walked as he studied the subjects of his paintings. The park museum features the largest collection of original Audubon art in the world in addition to personal artifacts about his life.
The surrounding forest along the bluffs of the Ohio River is mature, almost old growth in nature with some trees more than 200 years old. Approximately half of the property has been dedicated as a state Nature Preserve. At least 61 species of trees and more than 200 wildflowers have been documented from the site. The north facing, mesic forests are dominated by American beech, sugar maple, and American basswood whereas the more south facing slopes are dominated by sugar maple, various oaks, and tulip tree. At least 169 bird species have been observed in the park.
The 650-acre Audubon Wetlands was added to the park by the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund in 2016. There are bald eagles nesting and a heron rookery, as well as habitat for waterfowl and amphibians. The Friends of Audubon, a local nonprofit, has installed a wheelchair accessible boardwalk through the wetlands with plans to install more.
We have just begun the planning process for the 2023 Fall Meeting. If you have any thoughts, suggestions, or questions, email us at KYPlants@knps.org.
When: Tuesday, June 27th, 2023 Time: 9am-5pm Central Time Where: John James Audubon State Park, Henderson, KY. Meet at the Museum parking lot. Cost: $25 Bring your own lunch. This is a field course, so please wear appropriate clothing and shoes and bring water.
Instructor: Nathanael J. Pilla*
Intermediate Wetland Plant ID
When: Wednesday & Thursday, June 28th & 29th, 2023 Time: 9am-5pm Central Time Where: John James Audubon State Park, Henderson, KY. Meet at the Museum parking lot. Cost: $75 Bring your own lunch. This is a field course, so please wear appropriate clothing and shoes and bring water.
Instructor: Nathanael J. Pilla*
KNPS is delighted to offer two new workshops this summer. We will be offering both a beginner level and an intermediate level, Wetland Plant Identification workshop at John James Audubon State Park in Henderson, KY! The workshops are conducted in sequence and interested parties can sign up for just the Beginner course, just the Intermediate course, or both.
The Beginner Wetland Plant ID workshop will be one day long, on June 27th, focusing on learning botanical lingo and key features of common wetland plants in Kentucky. There is a $25 registration fee.
The Intermediate Wetland Plant ID workshop will be held over two days, June 28-29th. This workshop is aimed towards individuals with some prior experience in field identification of wetland plants and will cover more challenging taxa with an emphasis on grasses, rushes, and sedges. In addition to Audubon State Park, there may be a visit to other close natural areas. There is a $75 registration fee for this course.
Courses will take place from 9am-5pm CDT each day and have a 1-hour break for lunch (bring your own lunch). You will need to bring a notebook, loupe or hand-lens, phone or camera, pencils, and preferred reference book if you’d like. Remember that these are field courses, so please wear appropriate clothing and bring water.
*About the Instructor
Nathanael J. Pilla is a botanist for Midwest Biological Survey, LLC. He also is an adjunct professor at University of Notre Dame, hosts the YouTube series, Botany and Beer, and is part of the Chicago Wilderness Alliance Steering Committee. Nathanael is well versed in the terrestrial and aquatic flora of the Midwest bringing his knowledge and charisma with him in and outside the workplace. He has experience in botanical research and identification, hands-on resource management, project management and plant identification, and his written work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals. He recently co-authored the book, Wildflowers of the Indiana Dunes National Park, which was published through Indiana University Press. When he is not botanizing, he spends his time writing and singing ridiculous songs.
Registration Form for Workshops
This form is used to register for either or both of the workshops. You can sign up for either one of the two courses (Beginner on June 27th or Intermediate on June 28th-29th) or you can sign up for both.
On April 14th & 15th, over 150 KNPS members and friends came together at Cumberland Falls SRP for the Society’s 34th Annual Wildflower Weekend. For the first time since Wildflower Weekend began in 1989, the event was held in a different location from Natural Bridge SRP. This change from years past gave us the opportunity to discover botanically, ecologically, and geologically unique areas of Kentucky as we explored Cumberland Falls, Natural Arch Scenic Area, & the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area.
Rest assured, we are not abandoning our friends at Natural Bridge SRP, who have hosted Wildflower Weekend for over 30 years. KNPS plans to now alternate Wildflower Weekend locations between Natural Bridge SRP in even numbered years, and other Kentucky parks in odd numbered years. Planning has already begun for next year’s Wildflower Weekend 2024 and to pique your interest for April 2024, enjoy the following images and discussion of Wildflower Weekend 2023.
Wildflower Walks
Wildflower walks and hikes are the defining activities of every Wildflower Week. This year, beginning at noon on Friday and running through the end of the day on Saturday, we enjoyed a record number 19 wildflower walks, led by 30 of the best botanists and naturalists in the country. Exploring the amazing diversity of the plant communities in Cumberland Falls state park, Natural Arch Scenic Area, & the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, participants learned about and enjoyed dozens of native plant species, the fauna associated with them, and the amazing geology and hydrology that surrounds them.
Friday Night Members & Friends Campfire Social
Friday night was our campfire social. Dozens of KNPS members and friends came together for an evening of fun, fellowship, and s’mores around the campfire next to the Cumberland River.
During the social, James Kiser, naturalist, hike leader, and Sat. night speaker, took several groups out to search the cliff face for salamanders. The searches were great fun and successful as the groups made multiple observations of several different species of these shy, nocturnal amphibians.
Green salamander (Aneides aeneus)
Red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber)
Long-tailed salamander(Eurycea longicauda)
Saturday Night Presentation & Raffle
On Saturday evening we came together for a KNPS update, evening talks, and our annual raffle. An overflow crowd filled the Moonbow Room at the Cumberland Falls DuPont Lodge.
James Kiser
James Kiser gave a fascinating presentation on “Southern Kentucky Landscape Features and Associated Rare Species“. The number and diversity of rare species in McCreary and nearby counties is much higher than in many other parts of Kentucky and James explained how the variety of landscape features likely leads to this. James is a senior biologist with Stantec Consulting Services. He grew up along the base of Pine Mountain in Letcher County, Kentucky, received a B.S. degree from Morehead State University and completed courses toward a Master’s Science Degree at Eastern Kentucky University. James moved to the Big South Fork area in McCreary County in 2003 when he took a biologist position with the Daniel Boone National Forest. He is an old fashioned Naturalist spending the last 32 years studying the flora and fauna of Kentucky.
Chris Benda
After a short break the group came back together to listen to an informative and fun talk by Chris Benda, the Illinois Botanizer. Chris’s talk was “Botanical Humor: You Never Knew Plants Were So Funny“. Chris kept the group laughing, while at the same time presenting a wealth of interesting botanical observations. Chris is a botanist and past president of the Illinois Native Plant Society (2015-2016). Currently, he works as a Researcher at Southern Illinois University, where he coordinates the Plants of Concern Southern Illinois Program and teaches The Flora of Southern Illinois. Besides working at SIU, he conducts botanical fieldwork around the world, teaches a variety of classes at The Morton Arboretum and leads nature tours for Camp Ondessonk. He has research appointments with the University of Illinois and Argonne National Laboratory, and is an accomplished photographer and author of several publications about natural areas in Illinois. He is also known as Illinois Botanizer and can be reached by email at botanizer@gmail.com.
The Bidwell’s with Bob Van Hoff’s carving.
The evening ended with the annual raffle. The grand prize of the raffle, as has been the case for many years, was a beautiful carving by KNPS member, Bob Van Hoff. This was a hand-carved, hand-painted depiction of a flowering pink lady-slipper orchid (Cypripedium acaule) at three stages of inflorescence development. The winners of the carving were Mary Alice and Chris Bidwell, long time members of KNPS. Besides the carving, we also raffled off over 30 native plants. The plants were generously given to KNPS by our partners Ironweed Nursery in Waddy, KY, Dropseed Native Plant Nursery, in Goshen, KY, and The Arboretum at the State Botanical Garden of Kentucky, at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.
Discussions about next year’s Wildflower Weekend 2024 are already happening. Dates are not set yet, but be thinking about the first half of April as the general time-frame. If you have any thoughts about how the event could be made better, we would love to hear from you. If you would like to lead or co-lead a walk next year, let us know. KYPlants@knps.org.
