Save the Date! The annual Kentucky Botanical Symposium (virtual) December 8, 9am-12pm

KNPS is hosting a virtual botanical symposium on Wednesday, December 8th from 9AM-12PM EST. For several years, KNPS has organized a botanical symposium in the fall/winter with a goal of bringing together professionals, citizen scientists, academics, gardeners and students in order to learn about what’s going on in the world of Kentucky Botany. Please join us to learn about all things botanical in Kentucky and the surrounding region.

Topics that will be covered will include, but will not be limited to, KNPS updates, plant conservation alliance updates, conservation horticulture and native plant propagation; monitoring and managing native and rare plants and natural communities,; native plant research; plant biodiversity in Kentucky and the surrounding regions and exciting new botanical discoveries.

Save the Date! Fall Membership Meeting

Every year, KNPS hosts a fall membership meeting to discuss yearly updates and upcoming activities. This year, we will be hosting a virtual meeting via Zoom on Saturday, October 23rd at 4pm Eastern time. An agenda and full meeting information will be published in the October Lady Slipper. Please stay tuned if you would like to attend!

Opening & Closing Sessions
Wildflower Week 2021

Opening and Closing Sessions

Wildflower Week 2021 is going to kick off with an opening session on Saturday, April 10, and end with a closing session on Saturday, April 17. Both sessions will be virtual, and presented on Zoom. In order to participate in either or both sessions, fill out the registration form below.

Opening Session, April 10, 2021, 4PM-6PM EDT

Closing Session, April 17, 2021, 4PM-6PM EDT

    • Winners of BotanyBlitz 2021
    • Highlights of finds
    • KNPS activities for the remainder of 2021

The Habitat Management Symposium

The Habitat Management Symposium is a natural areas training event created for landowners and conservation professionals performing or planning habitat improvement practices. This symposium takes place on three Tuesdays: March 16, March 23 and March 30, from 10 am to 12 pm ET and 9 to 11 am CT. Tickets are free, and registration is required to receive the event link. 

Register Now

Topics and speakers include:

● Oak-Hickory Forest Management, Chris Will (President, Central Kentucky Forest Management)

● Amphibian Habitat Management, Stephen Richter (Eastern Kentucky University Professor and Director of Division of Natural Areas)

● Nuisance Deer Management, Matt Springer (Assistant Extension Professor of Wildlife Management, University of Kentucky Department of Forestry and Natural Resources)

● Stream Bank Stabilization, Oakes Routt (Senior Project Engineer, Stantec Consulting Services)

● Edge Habitat Management, Jason Nally (Wildlife Biologist/Environmental Champion, Maker’s Mark Distillery)

● Private Land Management: Challenges and Perspective of an Active Landowner, Melanie VanHouten (Founding Director, Josephine Sculpture Park)

● Small Game Habitat Management, Cody Rhoden (Small Game Biologist, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources)

● Oak Decline, Ellen Crocker (Assistant Professor of Forest Health Extension, University of Kentucky Department of Forestry and Natural Resources)

● Scenarios for Efficient Invasive Plant Control, Jody Thompson (Executive Director, Woods & Waters Land Trust)

Wildflower Week 2021

In lieu of an in-person Wildflower Weekend, the Kentucky Native Plant Society will host a virtual Wildflower Week! This will include virtual events from April 10th through April 17th, including a week-long, statewide BotanyBlitz on iNaturalist. This is an opportunity to broaden our spring wildflower scope to the entire state of Kentucky and allow us to highlight natural areas across the state!  If you would like to host a virtual event at your Natural Area to be included in our Wildflower Week schedule, let us know! Events can include virtual hikes (pre-recorded or live), talks on wildflowers you can find there, or feel free to think up something fun!

Also, if you would like to be more involved in the planning process of Wildflower Week 2021, please reach out to us. We have been brainstorming ideas to make this event as interactive as possible and would greatly appreciate input from KNPS members!

To be included in our schedule or to get more involved, email us at
WildflowerWeek2021@knps.org

The Kentucky Botanical Symposium 2020

On Dec. 11, 2020, KNPS held our first virtual membership meeting and botanical symposium. For several years, KNPS has organized a botanical symposium in the fall with a goal of bringing together professionals, citizen scientists, academics, gardeners and students in order to learn about what’s going on in the world of Kentucky Botany. Despite the pandemic year, we thought it was important to continue this event.

We had over 120 people join us online for several hours of informative presentations and interesting discussions. We know that many people wanted to join us but were unable to for various reasons. Here are all of the presentations.

Keynote Address:
The Flora of the Southeastern United States – its Evolution, Exploration, and Conservation

Dr. Alan Weakley
Alan is the Director, UNC Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Gardens, as well as Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Biology and Ecology, Environment, and Energy Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. More about Dr. Weakley

1 hour 8 minutes long

State of Kentucky Plant Conservation and KNPS Updates.

Jen Koslow, Tara Littlefield, Nick Koenig, & Jeff Nelson
Jen is an Associate Professor in Biological Sciences at Eastern Kentucky University specializing in plant ecology. Tara is the Rare Plant Program Manager & Botanist in the Plant Conservation Section of the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, as well as the KNPS President. Nick is a student at EKU and KNPS Ladyslipper Associate Editor. Jeff is a KNPS Board member and a life long amateur naturalist.

30 minutes long

Inventory, Monitoring and Management of Rare Plants and Communities in State Nature Preserves and Natural Areas

Devin Rodgers
Devin is a Botanist with the Plant Conservation Section of the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves.

28 minutes long

Remnant Grasslands and Pollinator Habitat Along Kentucky’s Roadsides

Tony Romano
Tony is a Botanist with the Plant Conservation Section of the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves.

26 minutes long

Native Plant Propagation Projects

Emily Ellingson & Heidi Braunreiter
Emily is the Curator and Native Plants Collection Manager at The Arboretum: State Botanical Garden and a KNPS Board member. Heidi is a Botanist with the Plant Conservation Section of the Office of Kentucky State Nature Preserves and Vice President of KNPS.

29 minutes long

Exciting Kentucky Botanical Discoveries

Mason Brock & Tara Littlefield
Mason is the Herbarium Collections Manager at Austin Peay State University, Clarksville Tennessee. Tara is the Rare Plant Program Manager & Botanist in the Plant Conservation Section of the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves and President of KNPS.

39 minutes long