Date of trip: July 29, 2023
Start time: 9AM CDT
Location: Ballard WMW, Ballard Co., KY
Difficulty of hike: Easy. We will car pool/caravan on the gravel roads in the WMA, getting out to walk short distances on flat terrain. Conditions will be hot and humid.
Join KNPS President, Jeff Nelson, 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 drive as a caravan around the WMA, making several stops where we will get out and observe the botany of Ballard’s diverse ecosystems. We will carpool as much as possible to reduce the number of cars in the caravan, but anyone who prefers to drive themselves is perfectly welcome to do so.
We should see several uncommon, wetland plant species. We hope to find Carolina spiderlily (Hymenocallis occidentalis) in flower.
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.
There are no bathroom facilities or water available at the WMA. It will be hot and humid. If conditions are such that the heat index will be over 100, we will cancel the trip. We will email you on Friday the 28th if the trip is canceled.
This should be a great field trip with many native species in flower, some that are rare or uncommon in KY. If you have any questions, just email us at KYPlants@knps.org. Register for this field trip using the form below.