On Friday, April 12th and Saturday, April 13, nearly 200 members and friends enjoyed KNPS’s 35th Wildflower Weekend, at Natural Bridge SRP! With more hikes, workshops, and kid’s activities than we have ever had and with many of the best botanists in Kentucky in attendance, Wildflower Weekend 2024 was an unqualified success.

Wildflower Walks

Wildflower walks and hikes are the defining activities of every Wildflower Week, but this year we also included hikes about fire ecology, geology, birds, herps, butterflies, pollinators, reptiles and more! Beginning at noon on Friday and running through the end of the day on Saturday, we enjoyed a record number 25 flora and fauna walks, led by over 30 of the best botanists, zoologists and naturalists in the country. Exploring the amazing diversity of the plant communities in Natural Bridge SRP and the Red River Gorge Geological 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.

In addition to our usual “all things botanical” hikes, we had hikes concentrating on birds, reptiles and amphibians, geology, fire ecology, and pollinators and butterflies. There were also a couple of workshops, “Non-Native Invasive Species Management” and an art workshop, “Reflecting on Nature through Artmaking.” These new additions to Wildflower Weekend were enjoyed by all who participated and brought in several new faces to our annual gathering.

We have always tried to make Wildflower Weekend a family friendly event (kids 12 and under attend free). This year we had a great kid centered activity, “Junior Botanist Adventure for Kids!” on Saturday morning. This was so well received, that we hope to offer even more activities for kids at next year’s Wildflower Weekend.

Friday Night Members & Friends Campfire Social

Of course, we had our Members & Friends Social on Friday evening with a campfire, s’more fixings, and a community gathering of like-minded nature lovers and botanists. Temperatures were cold, the main access road was flooded, and the forecast was stormy, but that did not stop many people from adventuring out to fellowship together. There was great discussion of plants, animals, hiking tales, and more as the group enjoyed the evening.

Saturday Night Presentation & Raffle

On Saturday evening, we gathered in the Woodland Center for a round of thanks to those who made the weekend possible, a commemorative video for the 35th anniversary of Wildflower Weekend, an update on the BotanyBlitz, and a short KNPS member meeting. The evening continued to the main program, which featured several great talks by a variety of experts.

We heard from one of the recipients of the KNPS Pollinator Garden Grant, the Liberty Hall Historic Site in Frankfort, KY. This site is a staple in the capital, providing a beautiful public garden free to visitors year round. Liberty Hall used the funds received from KNPS to begin their conversion of the garden into a native plant garden, starting with a planting of native flowering shrubs that benefit local pollinators.

Dr. Mary Arthur gave a very interesting presentation on Fire in the Cumberland Plateau. She spoke on the intertwining roles of humans and fire on the hardwood forests of the Cumberland Plateau, and how modern fire ecologists and land managers are tasked with harnessing that knowledge in order to apply fire as a disturbance agent in the sustainable management of upland forests.

The next speaker, Dr. David Brown of Eastern Kentucky University, gave an enlightening and encouraging presentation on Giant Cane Ecology and Restoration Methods. Dr. Brown works with partners, faculty and EKU students to restore Giant Cane populations at a Bluegrass Woodland restoration site called Taylor Fork Ecological Area. This research is worthy of recognition on its own, but the project should also be recognized as being one of the only hands on land management and restoration educational opportunities for college students in Kentucky. The decade long giant cane restoration has yielded 95% survival of the species and presented some potential in giant cane being used to control non-native invasive species.

Our last speaker was Dr. Kristen Wickert, or more commonly known as the social media naturalist with the handle “KayDubstheHikingScientist.” Dr. Wickert gave a fascinating talk on three broad categories of fungi relationships with plants: “the good, the bad, and the ugly” aka symbiotic, decomposer and pathogenic relationships. In addition to her talk, Dr. Wickert sold and signed copies of her new book “The Plants of the Appalachian trail: A Hiker’s Guide to 398 Species.”

As we always do, we ended the evening with a raffle featuring prizes that included native plants from many local native plant growers, a paper sculpture of Hepatica by Vanessa Voelker, a Bob VanHoff wood carving of a Lady Slipper orchid, and Wildflower Weekend 2024 merchandise.

Special Thanks

Kentucky Native Plant Society and the events it hosts, such as Wildflower Weekend, are almost completely volunteer based. KNPS relies on many partners, professionals, and members of the public to be able to continue to host Wildflower Weekend these last 35 years. At Wildflower Weekend 2024, KNPS had over 50 volunteers serve on the planning committee, advertise the event, handle registration, work the weekend, or lead hikes, workshops or give presentations. We would like to thank everyone, no matter how small their contribution, for helping us make this wonderful event possible.

Wildflower Weekend 2025

Discussions about Wildflower Weekend 2025 are already happening! We are excited to announced that Wildflower Weekend 2025 will be held at Carter Caves State Resort Park on April 11th-13th, 2025! 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.

Everything is set for KNPS’s 35th Wildflower Weekend, on Friday, April 12th and Saturday, April 13, at Natural Bridge SRP! With more hikes, workshops and kid’s activities than we have ever had, many of the best botanists in Kentucky in attendance, and with beautiful weather forecast, Wildflower Weekend 2024 would be a great destination for everyone this weekend.

In addition to our usual “all things botanical” hikes, we have a hikes concentrating on birds, reptiles and amphibians, geology, fire ecology, pollinators and butterflies. There will also be a couple of workshops, “Non-Native Invasive Species Management” and an art workshop, “Reflecting on Nature through Artmaking”.

We have always tried to make Wildflower Weekend a family friendly event (kids 12 and under attend free). This year we are offering two kid centered activities, a “Junior Botanist Adventure for Kids!” on Saturday morning and then, on Saturday afternoon, the “Kids Activities Table“, a drop-in activity (no registration required), with fun botanical and nature activities designed for the young naturalist. See details in the schedule below.

Of course, we will have our Members & Friends Social on Friday evening at Picnic Shelters #3 and #4, with smores fixings and a community gathering of like-minded nature lovers and botanists. Saturday evening, we will gather in the Woodland Center for talks by a variety of experts and our raffle featuring prizes that include native plants, nature inspired art, and Wildflower Weekend 2024 merchandise.

Online registration has closed, but there is still space available in many of the hikes and activities. Just show up in the lobby of the Hemlock Lodge and Natural Bridge and you can quickly register and enjoy Wildflower Weekend. If you have any questions, just email us at WildflowerWeekend2024@knps.org .

Hope to see you at Natural Bridge!

Schedule of Events

This is the listing of hikes and activities that still have spaces available.

Friday, April 12^th – Afternoon Hikes

12:15PM – Fire Ecology Hike, Heidi Braunreiter & Jason Nally
Meet in the lobby of the Hemlock Lodge. This is a difficult, 1.5 mile hike with a 420 foot ascent. Original Trail-Balanced Rock Trail-Sand Gap Trail. Original Trailhead.
Join fire practitioners from OKNP to discuss the impacts of fire on the landscape, while traveling along the ridgetop burned by a wildfire in April 2023 at Natural Bridge State Park and Nature Preserve. We will discuss how fire suppression, wildfire, and prescribed fire play a role in shaping Kentucky’s landscape today. Note- as this hike will be along a dry ridgetop, fewer wildflowers will be visible, but we will hike along natural bridge and get landscape vistas. This hike has ~420 foot ascent and is moderately difficult. There are several shelters and benches on the Original Trail for rest breaks.

Friday, April 12^th – Members & Friends Social

7:30pm Members & Friends Social, Natural Bridge SRP, Picnic Shelter #3 & #4 (37.779750, -83.676750)
Join us around the fire pit to gather with fellow wildflower enthusiasts. Meet the KNPS board members & officers. Meet at Picnic Shelters #3 & #4 which are across the road (Rt. 11) from the Whittleton Campground. Utilities include restrooms, parking, picnic tables and a small playground. S’more fixings will be provided. Bring your own chair, drinks (no alcohol allowed), flashlights, and weather appropriate clothing/gear.

Saturday, April 13^th – Morning Hikes

8:00AM – Biodiversity Hike, Dan & Judy Dourson
Meet in the lobby of the Hemlock Lodge. This is an easy to moderately difficult walk of 1-2 miles. The Wild’s Trail. 200 Punkin Hollow, Stanton, KY 40380. Site is ~20 min drive from NBSRP.
Join authors Dan & Judy Dourson on a walk through Punkin Hollow to look at all things nature. For a great plant guide of the area, check out their book “Wildflowers and Ferns of Red River Gorge and the Greater Red River Basin.”

8:00AM – Birding for Beginners Hike, Rod Botkins & Dan Patrick
Meet in the lobby of the Hemlock Lodge. This is an easy walk of 0.25 miles. Gladie Visitor Center. 3451 Skybridge Rd, Stanton, KY 40380. Site ~30 min drive from NBSRP. Binoculars suggested.
New to birding? Join OKNP Natural Areas Technician Rod Botkins and birder Dan Patrick on a gentle bird watching trip at the Gladie Visitor Center designed for those just getting into bird watching. Guests will listen and look for spring migratory birds of the Red River Gorge. Binoculars suggested. This hike has minimal walking and is considered a gentle activity.

8:00AM – Ecology Hike (Role of Wildflowers in our Ecosystems), Zach Lemmon & Stephen Pate
Meet in the lobby of the Hemlock Lodge. This is a moderately difficult hike of 2.0 miles with an ~250 foot ascent. Gray’s Arch Trail. Gray’s Arch Trailhead. 37.80809, -83.65758. Trailhead ~15 min drive from NBSRP.
Join U.S. Forest Service Forest Technicians Zach Lemmon and Stephen Pate on a hike through the ridgetops to the scenic Gray’s arch area. Learn about the role of wildflowers in the Red River Gorge Ecosystem, and keep your eyes (and noses!) peeled for the state rare Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata). The majority of the trail is relatively flat, but there is a short steep section of trail with some stairs that leads down to Gray’s Arch. This trail has ~250 foot ascent and is moderately difficult.

8:30AM – Moss and Fern Hike, Dr. Allen Risk
Meet in the lobby of the Hemlock Lodge. This is an easy hike of 1.5 miles with ~100 foot ascent. Whittleton Trail. Whittleton Campground Trailhead. 37.782712, -83.673068.Trailhead ~5 min drive from NBSRP. Handlens suggested.
Join Dr. Allen Risk of Morehead State University on a walk through the rich cove of Whittleton Branch to learn about the non-flowering, seedless plants of NBSRP. These organisms are best appreciated with magnification, so a handlens is suggested. This trail has ~100 foot ascent and is considered easy.

8:30AM – Spring Plant Life Hike, Rob Paratley & Rachel Cook
Meet in the lobby of the Hemlock Lodge. This is a moderately difficult hike of <3.0 miles with a ~300 foot ascent. Bison Way Trail. Bison Way Trailhead. 37.836831, -83.609732. Trailhead ~25 min drive from NBSRP
Join retired UK herbarium curator Dr. Rob Paratley and Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves botanist Rachel Cook on a hike to learn about spring plant life. Not only will you learn to identify the plants seen, but hike leads will discuss their plant families and their unique ecologies. This trail has ~300 foot ascent and is moderately difficult.

9:00AM – Junior Botanist Adventure for Kids!, Dr. Kelly Watson, Destiny Cornett, & EKU Students
Meet in the lobby of the Hemlock Lodge. An easy walk of less than 0.25 miles. Hemlock Lodge Area.
Calling all junior naturalists! Join Eastern Kentucky University’s Center for Environmental Education Director and Professor Dr. Kelly Watson, EKU Program Specialist Destiny Cornett & EKU Students on a botanical scavenger around the NBSRP Hemlock Lodge. NBSRP is a wonderfully biodiverse area that provides an excellent setting for young learners to engage with nature.

Saturday, April 13^th – Afternoon Hikes

12:30PM – Art Workshop: “Reflecting on Nature through Artmaking”, Laura Mentor
Meet in the lobby of the Hemlock Lodge. This is a moderately difficult hike of 1.5 miles with a ~420 foot ascent. Original Trail to Shelter on top of Natural Bridge. Original Trailhead.
An opportunity to spend time observing and reflecting on nature through artmaking. Participants may choose from basic art materials provided, but are encouraged to bring their own as desired. Any subject from landscape painting at the top of Natural Bridge to close studies of native plants, incorporation of text into imagery or using imagery to enliven journaling is welcome. Time allowed for sharing and discussion. Of particular interest to the leader are ideas of how artists’ work can promote understanding of our vital relationship with the natural world around us. This trail has ~420 foot ascent and is moderately difficult. There are several shelters and benches on the Original Trail for rest breaks. If you would like to attend this workshop and cannot hike up to the top of Natural Bridge, you may use the Skylift to reach the top for an additional fee. Art supplies provided by KNPS.

12:30PM Kids Activities Table, Dr. Kelly Watson, Destiny Cornett, & EKU Students
Meet in the lobby of the Hemlock Lodge. Easy. >0.25 miles. Hemlock Lodge Area.
Drop-in activity, no registration required. Join Eastern Kentucky University’s Center for Environmental Education Director and Professor Dr. Kelly Watson, EKU Program Specialist Destiny Cornett & EKU Students for fun botanical and nature activities designed for the young naturalist! This activity requires minimal walking and is considered a gentle activity.

1:00PM – Non-Native Invasive Species Management Workshop, Kenneth Mills & Jason Nally
Meet in the lobby of the Hemlock Lodge. Easy. 0.25 miles. Woodland Center. This is an indoor workshop with a small hiking component.
Join Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves’ Natural Areas Technician Kenneth Mills and OKNP Natural Areas & Recovery Branch Manager Jason Nalley in this workshop about non-native invasive plant species. Eradicating invasive species from your property is crucial for improving conditions for native flora and fauna. Whether you own or manage 0.05 acres or 50,000 acres, this workshop equips you with key skills to identify invasive species and develop effective management plans to promote native species. Additionally, we will explore potential funding sources to support your invasive species management goals. Join us to learn practical strategies for conserving biodiversity on your land. Weather permitting, this workshop will include a short walk around the Natural Bridge State Parks grounds to identify invasive species and discuss potential management strategies.

1:00PM – ¡Despierta, Bosque! Un paseo de la primavera de los polinizadores, Dr. Valerie Peters & Dr. Jennifer Koslow
Meet in the lobby of the Hemlock Lodge. A moderately difficult hike of 2 miles. Rock Garden Trail. Original Trailhead.
Venga al bosque para una caminata bilingüe en español y ingles para aprender sobre las flores de la primavera y sus polinizadores, durante el tiempo del año cuando el bosque esta despertando del invierno. Las familias y la gente de todas las edades están bienvenidos. La Dra. Valerie Peters, quien estudia las polinizadores de KY y en Costa Rica, seria encargada de dirigir la caminata en español. La Dra. Jennifer Koslow, una ecóloga que estudia plantas en KY, estaría co-líder de la caminata, en Spanglish. 1-2 millas, caminata fácil a moderadamente difícil.

Wake up, Woods! A spring pollinator walk; Come take a bilingual (Spanish and English) walk in the woods to learn about spring wildflowers and their pollinators as the forest wakes up from its winter slumber. Families and people of all ages welcome. Dr. Valerie Peters, who studies pollinators in Kentucky and Costa Rica, will lead the walk in Spanish, while Dr. Jennifer Koslow, a plant ecologist who works in Kentucky, will assist in Spanglish. 1-2 miles, easy to moderately difficult walk.

1:00 PM – Wildflower and Geology Car Tour of Red River Gorge, Ron Jones & Mark Sweet
Meet in the lobby of the Hemlock Lodge. Driving tour with some walking. Carpooling required. Join Ron Jones, retired professor from EKU and Mark Sweet, owner of ProComp Services, on a car tour examining the botany and geology of the Red River Gorge. The group will carpool and make stops at Mill Creek Lake, Nada Tunnel, and Rock Bridge. This is a driving tour, so carpooling will be required due to limited parking in the RRG area.

Saturday, April 13^th – Evening Talks in the Woodland Center at Natural Bridge SRP

6:00PM – Welcome/Introductions – Kendall McDonald

6:05PM – Celebration of 35^th Anniversary of Wildflower Weekend
To celebrate 35 years of WW, KNPS members and friends were asked to send in photography of weekends in the past. The photography has been curated into a short video that highlights all the wonderful education and experiences members and friends have had with us in these decades.

6:10PM – KNPS Business Meeting, Heidi Braunreiter & David Taylor

6:30PM – iNaturalist BotanyBlitz Results, Vanessa Voelker
iNaturalist BotanyBlitz lead Vanessa Voelker will give guests a preliminary update on the results of the BotanyBlitz, covering current rankings in the competition and featuring any interesting botanical finds.

6:35PM – Pollinator Garden Grant Recipient Update, Liberty Hall Garden Curator
In 2023, KNPS began our pilot Pollinator Garden Grant Program. Liberty Hall, an historical institution and landmark in Kentucky’s capital of Frankfort, utilized the grant to begin to convert the popular garden to a diverse native plant garden. The Hall’s Garden Curator will provide us with an update on the success of their native plantings and plans for the future.

6:45PM – Fire on the Cumberland Plateau, Mary Arthur Because of the complexity of the hardwood forests of the Cumberland Plateau, it has only been in the last 50 years or so that scientists have come to understand the intertwined roles of humans and fire on these landscapes. Contemporary fire ecologists and land managers are tasked with harnessing that understanding in order to apply fire as a disturbance agent in the sustainable management of upland forests. Mary Arthur is a forest ecologist and professor emeritus at UK. Her research over 30 years examined the role of prescribed fire and wildfire on the ecology of upland forest ecosystems on the Cumberland Plateau of Kentucky, and helped to shape fire management and fire policy in the region.

7:00PM – Giant Cane Ecology and Restoration Methods, Dr. David Brown
Giant Cane (Arundinaria gigantea) is a native bamboo valuable for wildlife and ecosystem services. Historically widespread in Kentucky, Giant Cane has been reduced to small remnant patches. Restoring Giant Cane comes with unique challenges, but propagation methods have been developed. Landscape scale restoration will require training programs and available stock from nurseries. Restored canebrakes may effectively exclude invasive plant species.
David Brown is an ecologist and land manager who has worked at Eastern Kentucky University for 15 years. He conducts research on migratory birds and trains students in wildlife conservation and natural resource management.

7:30PM – Break

7:40PM – Fungi and their Relationship to Plants, Dr. Kristen Wickert
This talk will go over three broad categories of relationships that plants have with fungi: “The good, the bad, and the ugly” aka Symbiotic, Decomposer and Pathogenic relationships. While the broad general concepts of these relationships will be discussed, a few specific examples in Kentucky will also be highlighted.
Over the past eight years Dr. Kristen Wickert has utilized the social media app Instagram to educate the general public on the natural world around them. The posts to her personal Instagram account, with the username KaydubsTheHikingScientist, include information about organisms and conservation efforts to expose the public to the world around them, especially in the wild and wonderful world of Appalachia. Her educational background includes a bachelor’s in Forest Biology and a master’s and PhD in Plant Pathology. She studies fungi and how they affect plant life and how insects act as vectors in spreading disease causing fungi.

8:30PM – Q & A Session/Raffle Set up

8:40PM – Raffle This year’s raffle prizes include a wood carving by Bob VanHoff, a native flower paper sculpture by Vanessa Voelker, Wildflower Weekend 2024 Logo Merch, and native plants from several native plant growers across the state.

Kentucky Native Plant Society’s
Wildflower Weekend 2024
Natural Bridge State Resort Park
Friday, April 12th & Saturday, April 13th, 2024

The schedule is set and registration is now open for Wildflower Weekend 2024, April 12th-13th, at Natural Bridge State Resort Park. Join nature lovers, families, community scientists, amateur naturalists, and professional botanists from across the Commonwealth, as we explore the beauty and diversity of Kentucky’s natural history. Wildflower Weekend is open to the public and family-friendly.

This year we are celebrating 35 years of Wildflower Weekend! That’s right! Naturalists and nature lovers from all across Kentucky have been gathering in the spirit of botanical appreciation, fellowship and education at Wildflower Weekend since May 1989! We are proud to host this year’s event at Natural Bridge SRP, the original location of the very first KNPS Wildflower Weekend.

We are offering over 20 different hikes this year, the most we have ever had at any Wildflower Weekend! In addition to our usual “all things botanical” hikes, we have a couple of hikes concentrating on birds, a couple of hikes concentrating on reptiles and amphibians, and one featuring butterflies. There will also be a couple of workshops, “Non-Native Invasive Species Management” and an art workshop, “Reflecting on Nature through Artmaking”.

We have always tried to make Wildflower Weekend a family friendly event (kids 12 and under attend free). This year we are offering two kid centered activities, a “Junior Botanist Adventure for Kids!” on Saturday morning and then, on Saturday afternoon, the “Kids Activities Table“, a drop-in activity (no registration required), with fun botanical and nature activities designed for the young naturalist. See details in the schedule below.

Of course, we will have our Members & Friends Social on Friday evening and the Saturday evening talks and raffle in the Woodland Center.

Pre-registration is required using the form at the bottom of this page (click here to go to the form). Admission is $10 for adults, $3 for ages 13-17, and free for ages 12 & under. The agenda for the weekend is listed below.

KNPS will have staffed tables in the lobby of the Hemlock Lodge where you can ask questions, meet old and new native plant friends, see the items that will be raffled off on Saturday night, purchase raffle tickets, and purchase some other native plant related items.

The hikes are limited as to the number of people who can sign up. This is done so that everyone will have a rich and positive experience. Last year hikes filled up fairly quickly, so register as soon as possible to get the best choice of hikes.

This year we are celebrating 35 years of Wildflower Weekend! That’s right! Naturalists and nature lovers from all across Kentucky have been gathering in the spirit of botanical appreciation, fellowship and education at Wildflower Weekend since May 1989! We are proud to host this year’s event at Natural Bridge SRP, the original location of the very first KNPS Wildflower Weekend (scroll down to page 3).

Help Us Celebrate with Your Photos!

To help celebrate our 35 years of Wildflower Weekend, we are planning to put together a montage of photos from prior Weekends that we will show during the Saturday evening talks. It would be great if everyone would look through their old Wildflower Weekend photos and pick out a few that you would like to share. If any of our longtime members have actual photos from the days before digital cameras a scan of those would be extra special.

Use the link below to access the drop folder for your images. Please include the year of the Wildflower Weekend as part of the file name (e.g. WW2010). If you have any questions, just email us at WildflowerWeekend2024@knps.org. Thanks.

Drop Folder For Images of Previous Wildflower Weekends