Kick-off BotanyBlitz with an iNaturalist Tutorial Hike!
Have you ever struggled to identify plants outdoors or ever wanted a second opinion? The phone app iNaturalist is a great tool for all levels of plant and nature enthusiasts! It is an online social network for amateur naturalists and professional biologists around the world. Posts of plant photos, also known as observations, made on iNaturalist are not only informative for you, but for many professional biologists who use this app to track plant and animal species. The app will suggest plant identifications based on your photos and other users can help determine if that ID is correct.
As a lead-up to KNPS’s Wildflower Weekend and the 2022 BotanyBlitz, there will be kickoff tutorials at Taylor Fork Natural Area and Raven Run Nature Sanctuary on April 1st, followed by a number of iNaturalist tutorial hikes held across the state on Saturday, April 2nd. These tutorial hikes will led by experienced iNaturalist users. The hikes will be geared towards beginner iNaturalist users and will teach you how to make observations and navigate the app. You will need to have the app iNaturalist downloaded to your phone and an account created beforehand in order to participate and learn. Hikes will vary in length from 0.5 mile to 3 miles.
We will be asking folks to register for the hikes so hike leaders will know how many participants to expect. As we are still in the process of setting up the hikes, registration will open in early March and will be announced in the March Lady Slipper.
| Hike Location | Hike Leader(s) |
|---|---|
| APRIL 1ST | |
| Taylor Fork Ecological Area, Richmond KY | EKU Division of Natural Areas |
| Raven Run Nature Sanctuary, Lexington KY | Staff of Raven Run and Floracliff nature sanctuaries |
| APRIL 2ND | |
| Ashland-The Henry Clay Estate, Lexington KY | Heidi Braunreiter |
| Cedar Sink Trail, Mammoth Cave National Park, Park City KY | Steve Kistler, Janet Kistler, and Carol Friedman |
| Eagle Scout Trail, Nancy KY | Tyler Adams |
| Greenway Trail, Stuart Nelson Park, Paducah KY | Jeff Nelson & Bob Dunlap |
| Hematite Lake Trail, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Eddyville KY | Gage Barnes |
| Lilley Cornet Woods Appalachian Ecological Research Station, Hallie KY | EKU Division of Natural Areas |
| Pine Creek Barrens, Shepherdsville KY | Alan Abbott |
| Red Maple and White Oak Trails at the Louisville Nature Center, Louisville KY | Louisville Nature Center Staff |
| Sky Bridge Loop Trail, Red River Gorge, Pine Ridge KY | Barbara Graham |
| St. Anne Woods and Wetlands, Melbourne KY | Dr. Maggie Whitson, Kendall McDonald, and Vanessa Voelker |
lf you are already an experienced iNaturalist user and are interested in leading a tutorial hike in your area, please contact: WildflowerWeekend2022@knps.org.
