Cincinnati Wild Flower Preservation Society
Ohio Native Plant Society, Southwest Ohio Chapter
Updated Wed Sept 25, 2019 at 1pm
Our hikes and lectures are free and open to the public, and all are welcome. (but we depend on our memberships to cover our expenses.) .
For descriptions and photos of the our other missed events, scroll down on our Newsletter tab
What you missed- On Saturday Sept 21, 2019, Jim Mason led our group of 14 on a non-Society Invasive removal at Burnet Woods, working on west side of the Lake, part of a plan to restore the natural areas of the park. Pizza afterwards on nice 80 temp day. Group Photo
Our Next Event
** Saturday, September 28, 2019 at 10 am: Great Outdoor Weekend: “Beach” Hike to the Miami Whitewater River, Campbell Lakes Preserve, Hamilton County, Ohio
The event Location on the GOW website was corrected on Sept 25, though their map may still be incorrect. The location below is correct.
This three hour walk is the Society's event in the 16th Annual Great Outdoor Weekend. You are sure to find many other exciting events about birds, butterflies and more by scrolling down at https://www.greatoutdoorweekend.org/events
Lakes, white sand- clear stream- In Cincinnati! Join us as we walk in Campbell Lakes Preserve, a unique landscape that will certainly be new to you. From the parking lot (a great area to see birds e.g. hawks, eagles and herons) we will walk along the sandy shore of small lakes, passing a beaver dam, looking at plants, birds, insects and tadpoles.
Our trail leads to the beautiful Miami Whitewater River (a tributary of the Great Miami River) where we will relax, wade, and net (temporarily) some of our native fish for observation.
Please show your discoveries to our leaders Wayne Wauligman and Denis Conover, fine naturalists, who can share their knowledge with you. Great hike for kids and all! You may wish to wade, so dress so feet can get wet. For more information, contact Bob Bergstein at 513-477-4438 or Bergstein123@gmail.com.
Directions: Google knows the address “Campbell Lakes Preserve” at 10431 Campbell Rd Harrison, OH 45030. Only 26 minutes from Downtown Cincy.
From Downtown, drive 4 miles north on I-75.
Take exit #4 (from I-75) onto I-74 West (always towards Indianapolis) and drive 19 miles.
Take exit #3 (Dry Fork Road).
At the bottom of the exit, turn left and drive 0.4 miles.
Turn right onto Simonson and drive 0.5 miles.
Turn left onto Kilby Road and drive 0.1 miles.
Turn right onto Campbell Road and drive 0.3 miles.
Turn left into the Campbell Lakes parking lot where we will meet.
Friday October 11, 2019 at 7:30pm: Lecture Program, Avon Woods Nature Center
Crayfish, Crawdads, and Mudbugs: Our Curious Crustaceans
by Dr. Emily Imhoff
Emily Imhoff is an astacologist (crayfish scientist) and a bona fide crayfish enthusiast. She will tell us "Everything you ever wanted to know about crawdads but were too afraid to ask", including their life histories, the kinds we have in our region, worldwide crayfish facts (which even includes a few plants), and some current crayfish research topics.
Every kid (and former kid) will want to finally discover the full story of these mysterious, and rarely seen, creatures that build mud drip towers in wet areas, scurry under rocks when we cross creeks, (and what if you pick them up!)
Emily Imhoff, PhD is the Zoology Collections Manager at Cincinnati Museum Center.
Directions: Avon Woods Nature Center is a Cincinnati City Park at 4235 Paddock Road, Cincinnati 45229.
From the Norwood Lateral (SR #562), drive 9/10 mile South on Paddock to the Avon Woods Park driveway.
Turn sharp right and go to the lodge at the end of the long dark drive.
Sunday, October 27, 2-4 pm: Hueston Woods State Nature, Butler and Preble Counties, Ohio
Join Jodi Farrell Sparks on a fall color hike along the Blue Heron Trail. This will be a great opportunity to brush up on tree and shrub identification. Hueston Woods is a tiny remnant of an old growth beech-maple forest that once stretched in a broad band from southwestern Ohio to its northeastern corner. This will be an easy 1.4 mile loop hike within the preserve.
Directions: Meet at the Blue Heron Trail parking lot off Main Loop Road. From I-275 follow US-27N for 10.8 miles and turn left onto US-27N/Millville Oxford Rd. Continue for 8.9 miles and turn left onto E Chestnut St. After 0.6 miles, turn right onto S Main St. Stay on S Main St for 1 mile and turn left onto W Sycamore St. and take the third right onto Brown Rd. Drive 4 miles and turn right onto Main Loop Rd; the parking lot for Blue Heron will be 0.1 miles on your left.
** Sunday, October 27 & Saturday, November 2, 9 am-noon, 2019 : BIG Give Back Days, Honeysuckle Blitz at Caesar Creek Gorge State Nature Preserve and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gorge Tail Water Area, Warren County, Ohio
Join the Cincinnati Wild Flower Preservation Society, Cincinnati Wild Ones, state botanist Rick Gardner, state preserve manager Michelle Comer, the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves (DNAP), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and supporters as we sponsor Ohio’s largest volunteer effort to help remove that invasive alien, bush honeysuckle, from the Caesar Creek Lake Spillway Tail Water area and the Caesar Creek Gorge State Nature Preserve.
Come help your friends and kindred spirits continue the protection of this natural treasure. Caesar Creek Gorge State Nature Preserve was the third property acquired under the newly formed natural areas program in 1972. One of the preserve’s prime features is a gorge formed by glacial meltwaters cutting down through the bedrock. Steep walls formed, rising 180 feet above the river, with more than two miles of Caesar Creek flowing through the gorge. We will be working in the diverse habitat of this preserve area, which features heavily wooded hillsides above the gorge of beech, maple, hickory, oak and a luxuriant herbaceous-flora-covered floodplain. Rare plants occurring here include sweet Indian-plantain, large summer bluets, glade mallow, and Carolina willow. The Cincinnati Wild Ones have been working in these areas for over ten years with a very positive impact to wildflower diversity.
This is going to be a terrific social, educational and work activity, with a great lunch provided.
Your RSVP would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Christine Hadley at 513-850-9585, or email christinehadley@earthlink.net, for more information, and to tell us where you would like to volunteer. Chainsaw & steel blade trimmer operators must be pre-registered.
Bring your favorite tools: gloves, pruners, loppers, saws, trimmers, and protective gear for power equipment. We will provide tools and safety equipment to volunteers new to honeysuckle removal. Stump treatment will be furnished.
Directions: Meet at the Gorge parking lot off Clarksville Road. 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 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. (Note: if you’re looking at Google Maps, this area is called Caesar Creek Fishing Pier. DO NOT go to the state nature preserve area off Corwin Road.) Look for signs directing you to the event.
Friday November 8, 2019 at 7:30pm: Lecture Program, Avon Woods Nature Center Dr. Charles Louis Metz and the American Indian Archaeology of the Little Miami River Valley- by Dr. Kenneth Barnett Tankersley
Our speaker this month is Dr. Tankersley, who, along with Robert Brand Newman, co-authored the book, Dr. Charles Louis Metz and the American Indian Archaeology of the Little Miami River Valley.
He will tell the story of Dr. Metz’s search for archaeological sites in the Little Miami River Valley seeking to understand the American Indians who had inhabited them. It is a thrilling tale seen through the eyes of an unsung hero and country doctor, self-taught in archaeology, who lived his whole life (1846-1926) in Southwest Ohio, pursuing his scientific research. His life and times and those of American Indians are revealed in this journey into Ohio's past.
Dr. Tankersley, an archaeology professor at University of Cincinnati, is an enrolled member of the Piqua Tribe of Alabama, and has been featured on PBS and National Geographic Television. Books will be available for purchase, and Dr. Tankersley will be glad to sign your book after the lecture.
Directions: Avon Woods Nature Center is a Cincinnati City Park at 4235 Paddock Road, Cincinnati 45229.
From the Norwood Lateral (SR #562), drive 9/10 mile South on Paddock to the Avon Woods Park driveway.
Turn sharp right and go to the lodge at the end of the long dark drive.
Sunday, November 10, 2019, 10 am till 3pm: Red River Gorge Area, Wolfe County, KY
Dan Boone will guide us along a section of the Pinch-Em Tight Trail connecting to a trail back to Gray's Arch. This will be a strenuous hike approximately 2.5 miles, maybe a little more. The area we will be visiting has oak-pine woods, mixed mesophytic woods on slopes, four native pine species, several oaks and American chestnut. We may see several aster species and Polygala curtissii, Appalachian milkwort, as well.
Please pack a lunch, snacks and water and plan on arriving at the Junior Williamson Rest Area at 9:45am for carpooling since the Gorge can be crowded rather early on weekends. You may want to bring a hiking stick.
Contact Angela Carter at 513-300-2787 or amcarter@fuse.net if you have questions and plan on attending.
Directions: Follow I-75S to I-64E. Continue for 16.4 miles and take exit 98 towards Mountain Pkwy. Drive 32.3 miles on Bert T Combs Mountain Pkwy and take exit 33 toward KY-11 toward Slade/Beattyville. After 1 mile on KY-11S, you will reach the rest area on your right.
Saturday, November 16, 2019 at 9 am: Give Back Day, Honeysuckle Removal, Hazelwood Botanical Preserve, Hamilton County, Ohio
Join us to help eradicate invasive bush honeysuckle in the preserve. Volunteers need to bring gloves, loppers, and other implements of destruction. Spray bottles with glyphosate will be furnished. Loaner loppers are available if needed. Dress appropriately for the weather.
The Harris M. Benedict Nature Preserve, aka Hazelwood Botanical Preserve, owned by the University of Cincinnati Department of Biological Sciences, was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1977 by the Department of the Interior for the study of plants and animals in eastern deciduous forests. This preserve, unique for its location and diverse habitat, has a wonderful mature forest. Harris Benedict was chair of the UC Botany Department at the time of his death in 1928, when a streetcar struck his auto. Benedict was E. Lucy Braun’s doctoral advisor. Braun studied Hazelwood.
Many of the mature trees were destroyed by the lethal F4 tornado of April 9, 1999, drastically altering the landscape. Although our members have successfully removed honeysuckle here for 23 years, the honeysuckle experienced a great resurgence after the tornado opened the forest canopy.
For more information, contact Christine Hadley at 513-850-9585 or email christinehadley@earthlink.net.
Directions: From I-71, take exit 15 (Pfeiffer Road). Drive east for 0.7 miles. Turn left (north) on Deerfield Road for 0.8 miles to the "T". Turn left (west) STILL on Deerfield Road for 0.1 miles. Meet at the Johnson Nature Preserve parking lot on the right. The address is 10840 Deerfield Road, Montgomery, OH 45242. Driving time from downtown Cincinnati is 20 minutes.
---------------- December 2019-------
Sunday, December 5, 2019, 3:00 pm: Annual Hardy Souls Hike, Buttercup Valley Preserve (followed by the holiday potluck and program)
Please join us as Greg Torres leads our annual hike. This year's site has been selected in memoriam of Skip Meinhart who tirelessly dedicated his time to fight invasives in this preserve. Buttercup Valley is a beautiful piece of forest which has been untouched since the pioneer days and some of the trees in the valley are over 200 years old. We'll meet at the end of Stanford Drive in Northside, at the entrance to the trail.
Contact Angela Carter at 513-300-2787 or amcarter@fuse.net if you have questions.
Directions: The are multiple options to reach the preserve depending on your location. Turn east onto Stanford Drive from Hamilton Ave and the on street parking is limited; the address is 1558 Stanford Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45223.
After the hike you may proceed to the Gathering at Northern Hills at 460 Fleming Road for Wine and fellowship at 5:15; dinner at 5:45.
Please bring a dish of your choice, appetizer, meat, side dish or dessert.
Sunday, December 5, 2019 at 7:00 pm: Lecture Program, Gathering at Northern Hills
“Wildflowers and Ferns of Red River Basin” – Daniel and Judy Dourson
Dan Dourson spent more than 20 years with the US Forest Service as the wildlife biologist for the Stanton Ranger District of the Daniel Boone National Forest. During that time, he managed and documented both plant and animal species.
Dan and his wife, Judy have just completed their first book in a biodiversity series “Wildflowers and Ferns of the Red River Gorge and the Greater Red River Basin” which highlights many of the over 1500 flowering plants that occur within the Red River Watershed.
The book will be available for purchase at the talk. After the talk, there will be an opportunity for a book signing as well.
(**Dayton Controversy - Paul Knoop Prairie- The Dayton Airport is seeking to sell for development 140 acres of restored Prairie. It had been farmland and was purchased by the airport in 1993, then leased to Aullwood Audubon Center and restored as a prairie. It is named after Paul Knoop, former director of Aullwood. (Paul spoke to the Society and led a hike for us in 2017). The Society has not taken a position on this, but if you wish to sign a petition, click here , or see much more info at Aullwood’s website https://aullwood.audubon.org/preserve-knoop-prairie)
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.
