We have exciting news for all of our members and friends! KNPS is happy to announce this year’s Wildflower Weekend has been scheduled for April 12th-14th, 2024 at Natural Bridge State Resort Park!
But wait, there is even more cause for jubilation! 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).
Throughout its long history, Wildflower Weekend has been an enriching experience to our members and beyond; offering guided hikes to explore Kentucky’s rich natural history and resources in the Red River Gorge. We hope you will join us and other nature lovers, families, community scientists, amateur naturalists, and professional botanists from across the Commonwealth, to explore the beauty and diversity of our native plants this April.
The event will include guided hikes through beautiful natural areas throughout the weekend, a Friday Evening Friends & Members Social, and Saturday evening presentations.
Attendees will be able pre-register for both the event, as well as guided hikes. Pre-registration will be opened online several weeks before Wildflower Weekend. Members of KNPS will be allowed to register before the registration is opened to the general public.
iNaturalist BotanyBlitz Kicks Off Wildflower Weekend across Kentucky
The week prior to Wildflower Weekend, KNPS will be hosting our annual week-long, state-wide BotanyBlitz on iNaturalist from April 6th-14th. This week-long BotanyBlitz allows us to broaden our spring wildflower scope to the entire state of Kentucky and allows us to highlight natural areas across the commonwealth! If you work/volunteer at a natural area in Kentucky and would like to partner with us to host a Kick Off Hike at your site to kick off the BotanyBlitz week, please send an email to: WildflowerWeekend2024@knps.org
Be sure to visit and bookmark the Wildflower Weekend 2024 page where we will be posting updates to the event schedules. If you have any questions, just shoot an email to WildflowerWeekend2024@knps.org. Hope to see you in April.
This year, in the spirit of bringing together creative expression and love for nature, the KNPS Board decided to have a Wildflower Weekend 2024 Logo Design Contest. This was an open design contest to come up with a logo for Wildflower Weekend 2024. The logo will be used on t-shirts, hoodies, and coffee cups, as well as on all publicity about the event.
We put out a call to artists and graphic designers who were members of the Kentucky Native Plant Society in early December. We asked the designers to submit designs that incorporated either the great white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) or the stinking Benjamin, a.k.a. red trillium (T. erectum) or both. These charismatic species are commonly found decorating the floors of the rich forests in the Natural Bridge/Red River Gorge area. The submitted designs were then presented to the KNPS membership for voting during the month of January.
We did not know what the response would be so we were thrilled when we received 11 gorgeous designs, well beyond our expectations! The members of KNPS responded in kind, surpassing our expectations as we received nearly 140 votes, by far the biggest response we have ever received for an online poll. Voting came down to a nail-biting close race, and we had to have a runoff between the top two designs. At the end of the runoff, the beautiful logo featured above came out on top as the winning entry. The design, a contemporary interpretation of the iconic Trillium species crafted into a logo with a care-free and breezy sentiment of Spring, was submitted by Rick Mullenix of London, KY.
Rick Mullenix, Winner
“I have been a graphic designer for 19 years, and am a new member of the KNPS. I appreciate being part of this group and look forward to learning a lot. This design was a joy to work on. It is in the style of a badge design, I felt this would work well across the different mediums it would be printed in. My goal was to evoke a breezy, spring-style feel with the colors and the layout. Even though the trilliums both had distinct parts, I loved seeing the different interpretations of them in all the submissions.”
Gallery of Wildflower Weekend 2024 Logo Entries
Any of the designs would have made a lovely logo! Each of the designs feature unique and beautiful takes on some of Kentucky’s most well-known natural areas and species. KNPS extends our thanks and appreciation for all the artists that took the time to submit their creative visions.
Take a few minutes to review the rest of the designs and learn a bit about each of the designers. As you scroll through, be sure to click or tap on the images to see them full size. The submissions are listed by the artists’ last name, and do no indicate the placement in the competition.
Madison Courtney
Madison Courtney is an artist, advocate, amateur photographer, and marketer currently serving as the Communications Director at AMI/USA. With a background in marketing and graphic design spanning six years, Madison brings creativity and strategic thinking to her current role, blending her passion for art and education. Formerly a Montessori teacher, Madison created vibrant classrooms that incorporated nature and plants, fostering a connection between her students and the natural world. She is a strong advocate for children with disabilities and serves on the founding board of LEAF (Lexington Elevating Abilities Foundation) providing financial support to children in need of services. In her personal life, Madison enjoys hiking with her husband and dog, identifying and photographing plants and fungi along the way. As a new member of the Kentucky Native Plant Society, she is excited to be part of a community that shares her enthusiasm for the native flora of Kentucky.
Barbara Degraves
Barbara DeGraves is a freelance nature artist and photographer. With over 30 years of experience, she renders her realistic art in a variety of techniques but prefers colored pencils, pastels, and ink. She exhibits her mixed media artwork and photography in various exhibits around Bowling Green, KY.
Since moving to Kentucky, she and her husband have transformed their barren treeless yard into a welcoming acre for pollinators and birds. Their yard recently achieved a “Certified Butterfly Garden” status by North American Butterfly Association. The property includes pocket prairies, bird magnet hedges and a wide variety of host perennials and shrubs to support native pollinators.
While on a hiking trip to eastern Kentucky, she photographed a patch of great white trillium and captured an image of a duskywing skipper feeding on one of the flowers. This unique image combined with her other reference photographs of trillium inspired her ink illustration for her KNPS logo submission.
Besides being a KNPS member, she is also an active member and former board member of Wild Ones SoKY. Through national Wild Ones she has won multiple awards for her native plant photography.
Cheryll Frank
Cheryll Frank has been an artist and amateur naturalist from an early age. She has a BS in Sustainable Agriculture from the University of Kentucky. Her most recent endeavor is ‘rewilding’ 10 acres in Scott County, where she lives with her husband Bruce (also an artist) and a four-legged population. Earliest efforts at creating a small Miyawaki-style forest as a hedgerow has boosted the bird population to 72 species. “I tried to evoke some of the excitement old postcards from the 1930’s promised the intrepid traveler. The diminutive trillium in a limited time engagement, contrasted with the massive edifice of Natural Bridge.”
Clarissa Geaner
Clarissa Gearner is an architectural historian from Rowan County, Kentucky. The daughter of biology educators, Clarissa grew up in the woods of Eastern Kentucky and has had a lifelong love of nature and art. She received a Master of Historic Preservation degree and Cultural Landscape Conservation certificate at the University of Georgia and wrote her thesis on proposing interpretive efforts to educate Red River Gorge visitors on the Eastern Agricultural Complex, a center of plant domestication that occurred in the Eastern United States. Through her thesis writing process, Clarissa learned a great deal about Kentucky’s native plant species and developed an even greater appreciation for them. Clarissa returned to Kentucky in 2023 and was excited to participate in the KNPS logo design contest, especially since Wildflower Weekend 2024 will be hosted at Natural Bridge State Resort Park. Her design, a gouache painting, includes both the great white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) and the stinking Benjamin trillium (Trillium erectum), with a vignette of Natural Bridge.
Joy Hopkins
Joy Hopkins grew up near the Smokies in East Tennessee. Her initial loves were horses and art, and she quickly added a passion for the outdoors and all things nature. Joy received a bachelor’s degree in studio art with a minor in Appalachian studies. She has worked for over 30 years in fields of outdoor adventure and education, incorporating artwork into her projects. Joy moved to Southeast Kentucky in the spring of 2022 with her botanist husband Boyd, also a professional outdoor educator and naturalist. The two of them are daily amazed at the treasures that this trove of Kentucky reveals, from beautiful waterfalls in the Red River Gorge to exquisite wildflowers in their own backyard. They love sharing the splendor of God’s creation with others and are blessed by the opportunity to do so.
Elizabeth Mefford
My name is Elizabeth Mefford. I am a transplant to Carroll County, Kentucky via the Ohio River, originally from Switzerland County, Indiana. I am a 4-H volunteer in Natural Resources and really enjoy working with children. I recently joined KNPS, just beginning to educate myself on the wonders of native plant species. My hope is to impart what I am learning on to the next generation of plant lovers.
Nikki Nivision
Hi my name is Nikki! I’m a conservation educator with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and there I found my passion for Kentucky’s native plant species and the role they play for our many different wildlife species. I saw this design competition as an opportunity to show my love for wildflowers through my art. I hope that you all enjoy all the different designs.
Anne Proffitt
My name is Anne H. Proffitt, a 6th generation Kentuckian living in Louisville. I’ve enjoyed a lifetime of wildflowers, birds and natural beauty from our state and share my joy through my artwork. I paint and draw free hand, focusing on the wildflowers and birds of Kentucky! When I’m not painting or at work, I appreciate the great outdoors in all-weather. One of my favorite places to be is Bernheim Forest in Nelson County. I am a Volunteer Naturalist there, helping our visitors connect more deeply with nature.
Kellene Turner
“Nostalgia, expression, culture and imagination. Artistry for everyday and extraordinary circumstances, ultimately becoming an integral part of our existence. “ -Kellene Turner Art
Being a muralist and fine artist I get to capture lifestyle, culture, history and an audience sometimes with or without intention. When I am not working in the studio you can find me on the water or in the wilderness studying nature. Creating is truly raw and a personal experience and the ability to share this process with others brings me great joy.
On Saturday, October 28, 2023, KNPS members and friends came together for a day of botanical education and exploration at John James Audubon SP, in Henderson, KY. The forests and wetlands around Audubon State Park was the home of the famed naturalist, ornithologist, and painter, John James Audubon, and 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 day began in the the Audubon Theater located in the John James Audubon Museum and Nature Center with updates from KNPS leadership on the Society’s activities in 2023 and plans for 2024. Following the updates the group enjoyed two talks; a presentation about Lea’s bog lichen (Phaeophyscia leana) by KNPS Vice President, Kendall McDonald and a talk about the native pollinators found in forests by KNPS member and an Invertebrate Biologist at the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, Katie Cody.
Lea’s bog lichen is a unique bottomland lichen that utilizes habitats often considered less than suitable for lichen colonization; the bark of trees along major rivers, oxbow lakes, and backwater sloughs that are frequently inundated by surges of river floodwaters. In 2017, a new population of the lichen was found at the JJA wetlands, making the state park an important conservation site for this species.
Our native pollinators are vital to the success of our native plants. With pollinators on the decline worldwide, it is more important than ever to understand their life history traits and how they interact with the landscape. Although we typically think of pollinators in open grasslands and prairies, recent research is shedding light on how the forest can be a valuable part of their life cycle as well. Katie gave an overview of how pollinators are utilizing the forest and some common forest associates you can find in Kentucky.
After the presentations, the group came together in one of the park’s picnic shelters for fellowship and a picnic lunch. Discussions about our native plants and their insect associates were wide ranging and quite enjoyable and educational.
Following lunch the group separated to go on a series of walks in the wetlands and forest at Audubon Park and Sloughs WMA. Unfortunately just as the walks began, the skies opened up and it began pouring and the walks had to be canceled. This was bittersweet as the area was in severe drought and the rain was greatly needed but we were looking forward to exploring the unique habitats in the area.
Although the Fall Meeting was cut short by the rain, participants all agreed that the presentations and the chance to meet and socialize with other KNPS members made this an enjoyable and educational experience.
When: Saturday, Oct. 28, 10:00 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. CDT Where: John James Audubon SP, Henderson, KY
Mark your calendars and plan to meet up with other KNPS members and friends as we head to western Kentucky for the Society’s 2023 Fall Meeting, on Oct 28th, at John James Audubon State Park, in Henderson. We will learn about and explore the old growth forests and wetland plant and animal communities in and around John James Audubon State Park and the nearby Sloughs Wildlife Management Area.
Audubon State Park was the home of the famed naturalist, ornithologist, and painter and 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. The highlight is a bald eagle nest and 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.
Sloughs WMA consists of a diverse mix of seasonally flooded grain crops and natural “moist soil” vegetation, natural marsh, seasonally flooded bottomland forest, and natural depressions or “sloughs,” that contain flooded stands of bald cypress lined with buttonbush thickets.
Schedule of Events
Morning Session, 10 a.m. – 12 noon CDT
We will meet in the Audubon Theater which is located in the John James Audubon Museum and Nature Center. The session will begin with an update from KNPS leadership on the Society’s activities in 2023 and plans for 2024. After the update, we will have two talks about the flora and fauna of the JJA wetlands and old growth forest.
10 a.m. – 11 a.m. – Welcome and KNPS Updates
11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Lea’s Bog Lichen – Kendall McDonald Lea’s Bog lichen is a unique bottomland lichen that utilizes habitats often considered less than suitable for lichen colonization; the bark of trees along major rivers, oxbow lakes, and backwater sloughs that are frequently inundated by surges of river floodwaters. In 2017, a new population of the lichen was found at the JJA wetlands, making the state park an important conservation site for this species. Kendall McDonald, Botanist and Lichenologist at Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, will give a presentation on the rare Lea’s Bog lichen and the unique natural communities on which it relies.
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon – Pollinators and Forests – Katie Cody Our native pollinators are vital to the success of our native plants. With pollinators on the decline worldwide, it is more important than ever to understand their life history traits and how they interact with the landscape. Although we typically think of pollinators in open grasslands and prairies, recent research is shedding light on how the forest can be a valuable part of their life cycle as well. Katie Cody, Invertebrate Biologist at Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, will give an overview of how pollinators are utilizing the forest and some common forest associates you can find in Kentucky.
Lunch, 12 noon – 1:00 p.m. CDT
12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m. – Lunch is on your own. There is no food available in the Park, though there are several restaurants outside the park boundaries. We have reserved a picnic shelter in the park for lunch so we hope that folks will bring their lunch and join the group at the shelter for a picnic lunch and fellowship with their fellow native plant enthusiasts. The shelter that we have reserved is the Sycamore Shelter, located at 37.880556, -87.556993, within walking distance of the main state park building. The picnic shelter area provides parking, covered and non-covered picnic tables, and a playground.
Walks, 1:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. CDT
After lunch we will have 3 walks to explore the native plants and plant communities in and around the Park. The first listed walk is at Sloughs WMA, which is about a 25 minute drive from John James Audubon. Because of the travel time, participants should plan on participating in just the Sloughs walk or the two walks at JJA.
Sloughs WMA – Park and Pop-in Botanical Tour – 1.5 hrs – Less than 0.25 miles (easy) 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. CDT
Join Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves botanist Vanessa Voelker on a roadside botanical tour of the wetland communities and flora of Sloughs Wildlife Management Area.
Sloughs WMA consists of a diverse mix of marsh, seasonally flooded bottomland forest, and natural depressions or “sloughs,” that contain flooded stands of bald cypress lined with buttonbush thickets. The hike will consist of “park and pop-ins” to enjoy the charming fall wetland flora. While this hike has minimal walking within the wetlands, we are advising participants to bring footwear appropriate for potential muddy and wet conditions.
Parking at Sloughs WMA is limited, so participants are encouraged to carpool the short distance from the state park to the WMA.
JJA Wetlands – Birding and Botany on the Boardwalk – 1.5 hrs – 1.5 miles (easy, ADA accessible) 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Get into birding and botany with Nour Salam, Frankfort Audubon Society President, at the John James Audubon State Park wetlands. A rocked pathway from the parking lot leads through floodplain forest to a 750-ft. boardwalk over the cypress swamp, immersing visitors into prime habitat for spotting a variety of wetland flora and fauna. Continue from the boardwalk into more forested area along the earthen path of Island Loop Trail. Flat, easy terrain of this 1.5-mile round-trip wetland walk is ADA accessible. Participants are advised to bring their own binoculars to aid in viewing wetland flora and the charismatic late fall migrant and winter resident birds of the wetland.
JJA State Park Forest – Old Growth Coastal Plain Loess Bluff Forest – 1.5 hrs – approx. 1 mile (easy-moderate) 2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Join JJA Park Naturalist Lisa Hoffman to learn about woody plant ID in an Old Growth Coastal Plain Loess Bluff Forest within the state park. Recorded by Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves botanists in the early 2000s, this old growth mesic forest occurs in ravines and ridges on the slopes above the Ohio River Floodplain. The soil is deep loess which supports a diverse flora and trees up to 4 foot in diameter. Participants are encouraged to wear appropriate footwear for forested hiking and potential muddy conditions.
Register for the Fall Meeting
This event is open to KNPS members and friends alike. There is no cost for the event, but in order to plan effectively, we are requesting that folks pre-register for this event. If you are likely to attend, please fill out this form. Thanks, hope to see you there!
Mark your calendars and plan to meet up with other KNPS members and friends as we head to western Kentucky for the Society’s 2023 Fall Meeting, on Oct 28th, at John James Audubon State Park, in Henderson. We will learn about and explore the old growth forests and wetland plant and animal communities in and around John James Audubon State Park and the nearby Sloughs Wildlife Management Area.
John James Audubon State Park Wetlands, video via Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves.
We are still in the planning process, but the basic outline is set. There will be a meeting in the morning, from 10am to noon, with talks and updates from KNPS. After lunch there will be walks to look at some of the plants and plant communities that occur at the state park and wildlife management area. All of the talks and walks will be finalized by next month’s Lady Slipper
Morning session: 10am CDT, in the Audubon Theater in the John James Audubon Museum and Nature Center at John James Audubon SP in Henderson, KY
10am – Welcome and KNPS Updates – KNPS Board
10:45am – One or more talks on plants native to the area and the special plant communities they are part of.
12noon – Lunch on your own. There are no food facilities in the park, so we are recommending that people bring lunch and we can all picnic on the lawns and other park facilities.
1pm – 4:00pm – Afternoon Walks – We are still finalizing our walk schedules, but as of right now, the plan is to have two sets of two walks that folks can choose from. Walks will be led by experts who know the plants and birds in and around the park.
1pm – 2:15pm – 1) A walk through the old growth forest or 2) a birds and botany walk in the Audubon Wetlands
2:30pm – 3:45pm – 1) A walk through the old growth forest or 2) a carpool/caravan to Sloughs WMA for a walk in the wetlands.
The forest along the bluffs of the Ohio River is mature, almost old growth in nature with some trees more than 200 years old. 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. The highlight is a bald eagle nest and 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.
Summer storm clouds over Sloughs WMA
Sloughs WMA consists of a diverse mix of seasonally flooded grain crops and natural “moist soil” vegetation, natural marsh, seasonally flooded bottomland forest, and natural depressions or “sloughs,” that contain flooded stands of bald cypress lined with buttonbush thickets.
Please Let Us Know if You Are Going to Join Us
This event is open to KNPS members and friends alike. There is no cost for the event, but in order to plan effectively, we are requesting that folks pre-register for this event. If you are likely to attend, please fill out the registration form HERE. Thanks, hope to see you there!
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.
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.
