Wildflower Weekend 2022 - Kentucky Native Plant Society

The 2022 Wildflower Weekend and BotanyBlitz has ended!

Join with other nature lovers, families, community scientists, amateur naturalists, and professional botanists, from across the Commonwealth, as we explore the beauty and diversity of our native plant communities in April in Kentucky.

For over 30 the Kentucky Native Plant Society, in partnership with Natural Bridge State Resort Park, has held a Wildflower Weekend at the park, offering wildflower hikes, exploring the region’s rich natural history and resources in the state park and the Red River Gorge, as well as evening presentations. In 2020, due to COVID-19, we were forced to cancel Wildflower Weekend for the first time ever. Last year, with the pandemic still disrupting in-person activities, we all participated in a virtual Wildflower Week.

This year we are incredibly excited to be going back to an in-person Wildflower Weekend, April 8th-10th, at Natural Bridge State Resort Park. This year’s Wildflower Week will be a hybrid of in-person and online activities. The week prior to Wildflower Weekend, we will be hosting an online, week-long BotanyBlitz on iNaturalist from April 2nd-9th. 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!

Wildflower Weekend 2022
at Natural Bridge SRP

KNPS’ 2022 Wildflower Weekend is scheduled for April 8, 9, & 10. The weekend will offer wildflower hikes Friday and Saturday, led by some of the best botanists in the state. These hikes will explore the region’s rich natural history and resources in the state park and the Red River Gorge. Friday evening there will be a campfire social gathering at the group campsite near the Middle Fork Campground to meet your fellow native plant enthusiasts. On Saturday night the keynote speaker will be Mike Homoya, former Indiana State Botanist/Plant Ecologist and author of numerous excellent botanical field guides. His presentation is titled, “Rare Plant and Natural Communities along the Ohio River, from Cincinnati to the Mississippi River.”

This event is open to the public and kid-friendly. Admission is $10 for adults, $3 for ages 13-17, and free for ages 12 & under.

As COVID-19 will still be a concern, we will be making every effort to minimize potential exposure for everyone:

Pre-registration: attendees will be able pre-register for both the event as well as guided hikes. This will better help us make arrangements for social distancing, as well as reduce crowding at 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.
Meet-up locations for hikes: each hike will have a separate designated meeting point outside of the lodge, and we ask that everyone head straight to those outdoor locations rather than congregating together in the lodge lobby.
Social distancing: as much as possible, we will keep our group interactions outdoors. However for the Saturday evening presentations in the Woodland Center, we will reduce the number of chairs and spread them out so folks can easily socially distance.
Masks: in all cases, we will abide by the public health rules of our host, Natural Bridge SRP. To that end, we request that folks wear masks when indoors.

We appreciate your help in keeping this event as safe as it can be!

Be sure to check out the complete schedule of events below: Wildflower Weekend Schedule

BotanyBlitz 2022
on iNaturalist

Leading up to Wildflower Weekend will be our week long BotanyBlitz, which will run from Saturday, April 2, through Saturday, April 9, and be hosted on the iNaturalist website. A BotanyBlitz is a community-science event that focuses on finding and identifying as many plant species as possible within a designated location and time period.

Beginning on Saturday, April 2, we are encouraging everyone to visit parks and natural areas throughout the Commonwealth, to find and photograph native plants (with an emphasis on those in bloom), and upload them to our BotanyBlitz 2022 project hosted on the iNaturalist website.

At the end of the week, we will have a map and totals by numbers, species, and by each person of all the great collections we found! Additionally, expert botanists and people with a keen identifying eye will be able to add comments to your specimens on why they agree or disagree with a certain identification, so we can learn better ways to ID plants in the future.

iNaturalist Tutorial Walks

If you are interested in participating in this community science project, but you are not sure how to use iNaturalist, we can help. On Saturday, April 2, at the beginning of the KNPS Wildflower Week BotanyBlitz, several iNaturalist tutorial walks will be held at parks across Kentucky. These walks will be led by local botanizers who are also experienced iNaturalist users, who will demonstrate the basics of the app. Groups will then set out on an easy nature walk to practice uploading iNat observations, troubleshoot questions when possible, and of course, admire the wildflowers.

Friday, April 1st:

4:00 PM EDT Taylor Fork Ecological Station, Richmond KY: Easy walk on grass trails. Kickoff the iNaturalist tutorial hikes and KNPS BotanyBlitz with Eastern Kentucky University Division of Natural Areas staff on a spring walk through this wildlife management area.

3:00 PM EDT Raven Run Nature Sanctuary, Lexington KY: 1 miles, easy to moderate walk. Join staff of Raven Run and Floracliff nature sanctuaries for this hands-on demonstration using iNaturalist in the field at Raven Run. In addition to exploring the basics of iNaturalist, there will be information on the City Nature challenge.

Saturday, April 2nd:

10:00 AM EDT Ashland-The Henry Clay Estate, Lexington KY: 0.5 miles, easy walk. Join Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves Botanist, Heidi Braunreiter, on a walk through the mulched pathways of the Henry Clay Estate. There will be a wintercreeper pull around the Running Buffalo Clover populations following the hike for those interested.

10:00 AM CDT Cedar Sink Trail, Mammoth Cave National Park, Park City KY: 2 miles, easy walk, out and back trail. Learn with Mammoth Cave naturalists Steve Kistler, Janet Kistler, and Carol Friedman on this trail with a wide variety of spring wildflowers and impressive rock formations.

10:00 AM EDT Eagle Scout Trail, Nancy KY: 2.8 miles, moderate walk, out and back trail. Walk with Tyler Adams, amateur naturalist, through a gently sloping trail along Lake Cumberland.

10:00 AM CDT Greenway Trail-Disc Golf Course, Stuart Nelson Park, Paducah KY: 0.5 miles easy walk. Join Kentucky Native Plant Society board member Jeff Nelson and OKNP volunteer Bob Dunlap on an easy hike around a beautiful park in heart of Paducah.

8:00 AM CDT Hematite Lake Trail, Land Between the Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area, Eddyville KY: 2.5 miles, easy walk, loop trail. Walk with Murray State graduate student Gage Barnes along the banks of Hematite Lake and see a mix of woodland and aquatic loving plant species.

10:00 AM EDT Pine Creek Barrens Nature Preserve, Shepherdsville KY: 1.5 miles, easy loop trail. Join Kentucky Native Plant society member Alan Abbott on a spring barrens walk through the preserve, just a short drive from Louisville, KY.

10:00 AM EDT Sky Bridge Loop Trail, Red River Gorge, Pine Ridge KY: 1.3 miles, easy walk, loop trail. Take a walk with naturalist Barbara Graham on this forested arch trail where filmy fern is a star attraction and learn about fire-dependent ridge top plants.

10:00 AM EDT St. Anne Woods and Wetlands, Melbourne KY: 0.7 miles, easy walk, loop trail. Join Northern Kentucky University professor, Dr. Maggie Whitson, and Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves botanists Vanessa Voelker and Kendall McDonald, on this walk through the wetlands and floodplain of the Ohio River. Trails may be muddy, so choose footwear accordingly.

Saturday, April 2:

These two hikes have their own registrations. Follow the links at the end of each hike description to register.

2:00 PM EDT Lilley Cornett Woods Appalachian Ecological Research Center, Hallie KY: Easy walk. Learn with Eastern Kentucky University Division of Natural Areas staff on a spring walk through one of Kentucky’s old growth forests as a part of LCW’s Wildflower Weekend.

10:00 AM & 1:00 PM EDT Red Maple and White Oak Trails, Louisville Nature Center, Louisville KY: Learn all about iNaturalist with Louisville Nature Center staff in this natural area without ever leaving the city. There will be 2 walks, limited to 10 participants per walk.

Parks & Natural Areas with Wildflower Week Activities

Several KY parks and natural areas are having local activities in conjunction with Wildflower Week. New events will be posted here as they are scheduled. Check back often .

Wildflower Walk and BioBlitz – Lilley Cornett Woods, Letcher County

Wildflower walk in the old growth!
Saturday, April 2
Wildflower Walk 10am to 2pm
BioBlitz 2pm to 5pm

To register: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5md9
For more info: naturalareas@eku.edu

Wildflower Weekend Schedule of Hikes and Events

Friday, April 8th – Afternoon Walks

1:00 PM Wildflower & Ecology Walk, Rock Bridge Loop Trail: 1.25 mile loop, moderately difficult walk.
Join KY Nature Preserves botanists Heidi Braunreiter & Tony Romano on a trail that descends into a deep ravine with towering old-growth hemlock trees and a dense rhododendron understory. Scenic views of Creation Falls and Rock Bridge.
1:00 PM Woody Plants Walk, Boardwalk: easy, accessible walk.
Join U.S. Forest Service botanist David Taylor and EKU graduate Ted Brancheau around the Hemlock Lodge and Woodland Center to learn about trees and shrubs.
2:30 PM Wildflower Walk, Original Trail: 1-2 miles, moderately difficult walk.
Walk with state park naturalist Samantha Evans and KY Nature Preserves botanist Rachel Cook to see what is blooming along the Original Trail, which leads up to the Natural Bridge Arch.
2:30 PM Lichen Walk, Rush Ridge Trail: 1-2 miles, easy walk.
Join KY Nature Preserves lichenologist Kendall McDonald and botanist Devin Rodgers to learn about the anatomy, ecology, and reproduction of lichens along this flat ridgetop in the Red River Gorge. If you have a hands lens (aka jewelers loup) or magnifying lens handy, bring along for better viewing of these small organisms.

Friday, April 8, 7:30 PM Members & Friends Social, Natural Bridge SRP Group Campsite:
Join us around the fire pit to gather with fellow wildflower enthusiasts. Meet the KNPS board members & officers. Bring your own camp chairs. No alcohol allowed per state park. S’mores fixings will be provided (you might want to bring a stick for roasting the marshmallows).

Saturday, April 9th – Morning Walks

8:30 AM Bryophyte Walk, Boardwalk: easy, accessible walk.
Walk with U.S. Forest Service botanist David Taylor around the Hemlock Lodge to learn about these interesting seedless plants including mosses, liverworts, and hornworts that have considerable diversity in form and ecology.
8:30 AM Wildflowers & Salamanders Walk, Suspension Bridge Trail: 1-2 miles, easy to moderately difficult walk.
Join KY Nature Preserves ecologist Martina Hines, UK-LFUCG Arboretum curator Jess Slade, and botanist Steele McFadden to learn about wildflowers along this botanically diverse trail. Also, take a stop at the creek to look for salamanders!
9:00 AM Natural History Walk, Rock Bridge Trail: 1.25 mile loop, moderately difficult walk.
Walk with David Kuehner, senior biologist James Kiser from Stantec Consulting, and KY Nature Preserves botanist Vanessa Voelker to learn about wildflowers, ferns, herps, and mosses on a trail that descends into a deep ravine with towering old-growth hemlock trees and a dense rhododendron understory. Scenic views of Creation Falls and Rock Bridge.
10:00 AM Naturalist Walk with a Focus on Wildflowers, The Wilds Trail: 1-2 miles, easy to moderately difficult walk.
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.”
10:00 AM Search for Sweet Pinesap, Gray’s Arch Trail: 1-2 miles, easy to moderately difficult walk.
Join KY Nature Preserves Botanist Tara Littlefield and her daughter Estella on a search for the rare and elusive sweet pinesap, aka pygmy pipes (Monotropsis odorata). Wildflowers, shrubs, trees, and general ecology will also be discussed.

Saturday, April 9th – Afternoon Walks

1:00PM ¡Despierta, Bosque! Un paseo de la primavera de los polinizadores, Rock Garden Trail; 1-2 millas, caminata fácil a moderadamente difícil.
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.
Wake up, Woods! A spring pollinator walk, Rock Garden Trail; 1-2 miles, easy to moderately difficult 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.
1:30 PM Wildflower Walk, Whittleton Branch Trail: 1-2 miles, easy walk.
Join U.S. Forest Service botanist David Taylor, KY Nature Preserves botanist Rachel Cook, and David Kuehner along this botanically diverse trail north of Whittleton Campground to see a dazzling display of spring ephemerals!
2:00 PM Natural History Walk, Rock Garden Trail: 1-2 miles, easy to moderately difficult walk.
Walk with retired Indiana heritage botanist Mike Homoya, senior biologist James Kiser from Stantec Consulting, and KY Nature Preserves botanist Heidi Braunreiter to learn about wildflowers, ferns, herps, and mosses on the forested slope above the Hemlock Lodge.
2:30 PM Plant Identification 101 & Intro to iNaturalist Workshop, Woodland Center & Boardwalk: easy, accessible.
Join University of Cambridge graduate student Nick Koenig to learn how to use the smartphone app iNaturalist to identify unknown plants, as well as how to identify plants using a key. Please bring a copy of Plant Life of Kentucky (if possible) and have iNaturalist downloaded onto your phone prior to this workshop. However, neither are mandatory to join, teaming up on a key and/or phone is encouraged!

Sunday, April 10th – Morning Walk

9 AM East Fork of Indian Creek: round-trip is 3-4 miles on easy flat gravel road.
Join botanist Julian Campbell on a hike along the East Fork of Indian Creek, from its mouth (about 1 mile north of Red River) to the mouth of Powell Branch: We will see acres of bluebells and trout lilies, though sullied by patches of Ficaria; butternuts; maturing riparian forest along a violent flashy stream through massive boulders; what appears to be a remarkable disjunct patch of the rare diploid “golden-star” trout lily (Erythronium rostratum); extraordinary evidence of giant beavers… And, last but not to be the least, a gob-smacking look at the “stream restoration” project of Daniel Boone National Forest.

Saturday April 9th – Evening Talks at the Woodland Center

6:00 Welcome/Introductions, Tara Littlefield & Heidi Braunreiter
6:15 Membership Business Meeting, Jeff Nelson
6:45 iNaturalist BotanyBlitz Results, Vanessa Voelker
6:55 Lilley Cornett Woods Revisited: A Half-Century of Overstory Change in an Old Growth Forest, Ted Brancheau, former EKU graduate student.
7:15 An Exploration into the Funky Fern World, Nick Koenig, graduate student at The University of Cambridge. The naming of fern species is a complicated process that has interesting histories. Nick will explore the ways in which taxonomists have gone about naming fern species, ongoing research investigating triplets of ferns, and how hybridization has led to interesting morphological relationships.
7:35 Rare Plants and Natural Communities along the Ohio River, from Cincinnati to the Mississippi River, Mike Homoya is a recently retired botanist and plant ecologist who worked for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Natural Heritage Program since 1982. He discovered, inventoried, and assessed natural communities and surveyed for rare species. He shared his knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm about plants by authoring several books, teaching at the collegiate level, and serving as president of professional science associations.
8:35 Raffle Drawing – Must be present to win
9:00 PM Nighttime Salamander Walk to Natural Bridge Cave. Join Senior Biologist James Kiser from Stantec Consulting to search for salamanders at the Natural Bridge Cave. Bring a headlamp or flashlight.