Cincinnati Wildflower Preservation Society
(Ohio Native Plant Society, Southwest Ohio Chapter)
Updated Thurs Feb 19, 2015 at 10pm Our hikes and lectures are free and open to the public, (but we depend on our memberships to cover our expenses.) Come learn about Cincinnati Native Plants. The Cincinnati Wild Flower Preservation Society welcomes you to our great (and free) events. All are welcome.
What you missed- On Fri Feb 13, 2015 Dr. Robert Klips of Ohio State University in Marion gave us an excellent talk on the mosses and lichens of Ohio. He descibed the moss life-cycle and showed fine photos of some of our 400 Ohio species including the characters that are used to distinguish them. He then moved on to the unrelated lichens (240 in Ohio), algae and fungus together. For those interested, he mentioned the recent book "Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians" by Karl B McKnight et al, and the website of the Ohio Moss and Lichen Association, http://ohiomosslichen.org/
Dr. Klips provided full tables of amazing mosses and lichens. Photos- Dr. Klips, Moss Smorgasbord, Broom Moss-Dicranum , Lichen Table , British Soldier Lichen-Cladonia cristatella, As you can see Dr. Klips is leading our expedition to nearby Caesar Creek on March 7.
----------------- March 2015----------------- Saturday, March 7, 2015, 10 am: Mosses & Lichens at Caesar Creek State Park, Warren County, Ohio (near Waynesville, Ohio) Dr. Bob Klips (who gave our excellent Feb 13 lecture on the subject) will lead this walk in search of mosses and lichens. Many CWFPS members are interested in these organisms but we rarely have the opportunity to go out into the field with an expert in these groups, so this is certain to be one of the highlights of our program year. We are hoping for good weather. Contact Christine Hadley at 513-850-9585 or if you have questions and to let her know if you will be attending. Directions: Take I-71 to Wilmington Road (exit 36). Head east on Wilmington Road. Take the first left onto Olive Branch Road (crossing over I-71). Take the first right onto Jeffrey-Lincoln Road. At the first stop sign, take Oregonia Road; jog right and then jog left onto Clarksville Road. Follow across the dam, turn left at the gorge sign, and drive to the parking lot. We’ll meet near the gorge shelter. Friday, March 13, 2015, Annual Meeting & Lecture, Northern Hills Fellowship, 460 Fleming Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231 Come to any part or all of the annual meeting. 5:15 pm Appetizers and fellowship 5:45 pm Covered dish potluck dinner 7:00 pm Annual Meeting and Program “Effects of Emerald Ash Borer-caused Tree Mortality on Forest Regeneration” Brian M. Hoven, Biology Department, Miami University Since 2003,when the Emerald Ash Borer was found in Ohio, millions of our native ash treeshave died. Doctoral candidate Brian Hoven will discuss both the short-term and long-term consequences of this event. **Friday, March 27, 2015, 8 am – 4 pm: Ohio Botanical Symposium, Columbus, Ohio Cost $40, includes continental breakfast and lunch buffet. It’s a great way to hearupdates on Ohio plant news. The keynote address is “The Extraordinary Biology of Some Ohio Ferns” by Dr. Robbin Moran, New York Botanical Garden. Registration info is at www.cmnh.org/discover/nature/Ohio-Botanical-Symposium.For more information, contact Rick Gardner at or by phone at 614-265-6419. Our Society is one of the sponsors of this event and we will host a silent auction to support DNAP (Ohio's Department of Natural Areas and Preserves). Saturday, March 28, 2015, 10 am: Fort Hill State Memorial, Highland County, Ohio Marjie Becus will lead this moderately difficult hike. Fort Hill is named for the hilltop enclosure presumed to have been constructed by the Hopewell Culture 2,000 years ago. Dr. E. Lucy Braun of the University of Cincinnati described it in her monograph “The Vegetation of Fort Hill.” This natural area includes 1,300 acres and preserves an estimated 800 vascular plant species. Visiting at this time of year will allow us to see the impressive large trees, snow trillium, and the scenic Baker’s Fork Gorge. The trail is more than four miles and is moderately difficult, in addition to its length, because of the numerous ups and downs and small stream crossings. It will probably be wet and icy in the hollows, so hiking boots and a pole are strongly recommended. This hike will take several hours,so bring lunch and plastic to sit on. Contact Marjie Becus at 513-683-2672 or with questions and to let her know you are attending. Directions: Take I-275 to exit 63 and turn east on OH 32. (Be aware that this intersection has been drastically changed.) Drive 50 miles into and through most of Adams County and turn left on OH 41. Drive 14.7 miles, crossing into Highland County, and turn left on Fort Hill Road. Go 0.8 miles and take the left fork to the parking lot at the end ofthe road. Allow 1 hour 45 minutes from downtown Cincinnati. Or, if you prefer to go through Hillsboro, from there take OH 124 for 15.5 miles and turn left onto OH 41, go 3 miles and turn left onto Fort Hill Road. Go 0.8 miles and take the left fork to the parking lot. There is a latrine near the parking lot. ----------------- April 2015----------------- Saturday, April 11, 2015, 10 am: Tower Park, Campbell County, Kentucky Judy Komorowski will lead this hike. The trails of Tower Park are hillside trails in a riverside forest. There are lots of Yellow Buckeyes and a good view of the Ohio River below. The trail section of the park has been and is currently going through an ecologica lrestoration. Bush honeysuckle is being cut in almost all areas of the trails,which is good news. The forest is nice (especially with a lot of the honeysuckle cut). There are deep ravines that are sure to be excellent habitat for beautiful spring wildflowers. The trails can be muddy and challenging in spots, with trees fallen across trails or roots and rocks jutting up from the worn path, so this is a moderate-to-difficult hike. There is a shelter with picnic tables, but no public restrooms (or port-o-lets) in sight. Hikers are expected to meet at 10:00 am. This is not a large area so we should finish by noon if you would like to bring your lunch. Contact Judy at 859-757-6094 or if you have questions and to let her know whether you will be attending. Directions: Take I-471 South to Exit 3, Newport/Fort Thomas. Turn LEFT on North Grand Avenue into Fort Thomas. After 1.8 miles you will come to a three-way intersection; go straight (which means veering slightly right) onto Route 1120. Travel 0.3 miles and take a left onto Douglas Drive. Follow this into the park and go right onto Cochran Drive for 0.02 miles and park at the tennis court parking lot. **Friday, April 17, 2015, 6–9 pm: Western Wildlife Corridor Wildflower Festival, College of Mount St. Joseph, Cincinnati, Ohio A great family event! Buy locally grown native plants and enjoy the camaraderie of other conservation organizations. Check out www.westernwildlifecorridor.org for more details, or contact Rebecca at 859-512-1983 or . **April 17–19: The Arc’s Tenth Annual Wildflower Pilgrimage, Southern Ohio A weekend of guided hikes to botanical hotspots in the Arc of Appalachia Preserves (Highlands Nature Sanctuary) and surrounding area (southern Ohio) at the peak of wildflower season. This is a major event; the natural areas are of extremely high quality and the hike leaders are experienced naturalists and botanists. Call 937-365-1935 or go to
www.arcofappalachia.org/events/wildflower.html for more info. **Saturday, April 25, 2015, All Day: Western Wildlife Corridor Annual Flower-a-thon, Delhi, Ohio This fundraiser event, sponsored by Western Wildlife Corridor, is educational and fun for all. There is a choice of two start times and small groups led by experienced wildflower enthusiasts. Contact Tim Sisson at 513-922-2104 or for more info. For more details check out
http://westernwildlifecorridor.org/
Sunday, April 26, 2015, 1 pm: Whipple State Nature Preserve, Adams County, Ohio Marjie Becus and Dave Kuehner will co-lead this spring wildflower hike. We (CWFPS) visited a part of Whipple last August with Rick Gardner, but don’t assume you’ve seen it all. The public-access section of Whipple has profusions of celandine poppies, large flower trilliums, Virginia blue bells, miterwort and various other spring ephemerals. The leaders think you’ll be impressed with the colorful array. The loop trail is two miles and has some hills, but we’ll bemoving slowly to take in all the flowers. Contact Marjie Becus at 513-683-2672 or if you have questions and to let her know you are attending. Directions: Meet at Walmart in West Union to carpool to Whipple, as there is limited parking at the preserve. From Cincinnati, take I-275 to exit 63 for OH 32 East. (Be aware that this intersection has been drastically changed.) Travel 41 miles on OH 32. Turn right onto OH 247 South and travel for 9.7 miles. Turn right onto West Main Street (which is also OH 41 and OH 125) and travel for 0.1 miles. Turn left onto South Manchester Street/OH 41South and drive 1.1 miles to Walmart, located on the right, where we will meetin the parking lot to carpool. The Walmart address is 11217 OH 41, West Union,OH 45693. Details of the following events will appear in our May 2015 Newsletter May 9, 2015: Saturday Field Trip
Orchids of Adams County and Shawnee State Forest, Adams and Scioto Counties, OH May 16, 2015 : Saturday Give Back Day, Garlic Mustard Pull, Caesar Creek Gorge State Nature Preserve ** June 7, 2015 : Sunday Field Trip
Picnic at Keystone Flora, Hamilton Co., OH July 11, 2015 : Saturday Field Trip
Kamama Prairie, Adams Co., OH July 18, 2015: Saturday Field Trip
Shawnee State Forest, Scioto Co., OH August 8, 2015: Saturday Field Trip Hazeldell Meadow and Daniel Boone National Forest, PulaskiCo., KY August 22, 2015: SaturdayField Trip Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge, Jackson and Jennings counties, IN September 11, 2015: Friday Program
Avon Woods Nature Center6:30 pm Picnic Supper 7:30 pm Members' Photo Sharing Program September 12, 2015 :Saturday Field Trip
Spiranthes & Gentians of Adams County and Shawnee State Forest, Adams and Scioto counties, OH
If you are not yet a member, you are welcome to attend events. All of our events are free and open to the public. Of course if you enjoy our events, as we think you will, it is nice to join to help support the Society. Our hikes and lectures are excellent, in a wonderful casual atmosphere. You will have the opportunity to talk with our speakers after the meetings. Our hike leaders are knowledgeable and will be glad to point out the plants that we are seeing | 
