Cincinnati Wild Flower Preservation Society
Ohio Native Plant Society, Southwest Ohio Chapter
Updated Tuesday Jan 7, 2020 at 11pm
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 Sunday Dec 8, 2019. Greg Torres led our annual Hardy Souls hike at Buttercup Valley in Northside. This year's site was selected in memory of Skip Meinhart. Many attended on this warm 55 degree day. This was followed by delicious potluck dinner at Gathering at Northern Hills. And lecture “Wildflowers and Ferns of Kentucky’s Red River Basin” presented by Dan and Judy Dourson, based on their fine new book Much info https://www.amazon.com/Wildflowers-Ferns-River-Greater-Limestone/dp/1949669009#reader_B07NJDVZ5Z which shows the excellent intro text but doesn’t show the fine plant photos and descriptions.
Our Next Event
January 10, 2020 at 7:30 pm: Friday Program at Avon Woods Nature Center
Rare Plant Projects throughout Kentucky: Inventory, Monitoring, Management, and Restoration
presented by Tara Littlefield Berry, Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission (KSNPC)
Tara will talk about current plant conservation projects across Kentucky that she has been involved with over the past few years either through the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, Kentucky Native Plant Society or on botanical family adventures.
Projects discussed will include a wide array of topics ranging from the study of mountain bogs, rare orchid restoration, long term vegetation monitoring of the grasslands of the central/western region, restoring lost ecosystems of the Cumberland plateau (seeps and barrens), riparian vegetation study of the Green River, best KY botanical finds for 2019, rare plant and community propagation/restoration, rare plant status surveys, plant citizen scientists projects, and more.
Bio: Tara Littlefield is the senior botanist and manager of the Plant Conservation Section at the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves. She also currently serves as the President of the Kentucky Native Plant Society and coordinator of the Kentucky Plant Conservation Alliance.
She grew up on the southern edge of the cedar creek glade complex in Hardin County, Kentucky and has had a fascination with the natural world since a small child. Tara has a B.S. in Biogeochemistry from University of Louisville and a M.S. in Forest/Plant Ecology from the University of Kentucky. Much of her work involves rare species surveys (state/federally listed/globally rare), general floristic inventories (vascular and nonvascular), natural areas inventory, protection of natural areas, rare plant propagation, restoration and recovery, and rare plant/community management.
She is particularly interested in plant distributions, endemism, paleoecology/botany, seed collecting, mushrooms, lichens, caterpillars, spiders, exploring natural areas, environmental education for kids, medicinal/edible plants, and the chemistry of plants. click here or https://kentuckybotanist.com/
Directions: Avon Woods Nature Center is a Cincinnati City Park at 4235 Paddock Road, Cincinnati 45229. Google maps knows the name Avon Woods Nature Center and their map now shows the long driveway with the Nature Center at the end.
From the Norwood Lateral (SR #562), take the Paddock Road exit and drive 9/10 mile South on Paddock Road to the Avon Woods Park driveway.
Turn sharp right and go to the lodge at the end of the long dark drive.
Please bring a snack to share with others if you can. We have short announcements before the lecture.
If late or lost, contact Bob at 513-477-4438
Info about the following events will be posted soon
--February 2020--
February 14, 2020 at 7:30 pm: Friday Program
Avon Woods Nature Center
Discovery and Renewal on Huffman Prairie
David Nolin
February 22, 2020: Saturday Indoor Tour, Northern Kentucky University
Herbarium, Conservatory, Planetarium (Slight Program Change: Sorry, Planetarium is no longer operational, rest of tour as planned)
--March 2020--
March 13, 2020: Friday Potluck & Lecture at the Gathering at Northern Hills
5:15 pm Appetizers and fellowship
5:45 pm Covered dish potluck dinner
7:00 pm Annual Meeting and Program
Why Scientific Names Change and Why You Should Be Happy About It
Allison Cusick
March 21, 2020: Saturday Field Trip
Madison Tract- Edge of Appalachia Preserve, Adams Co, OH
--April 2020--
April 11, 2020: Saturday Field Trip
Red River Gorge, Powell & Wolfe Co, KY
April 25, 2020: Saturday Field Trip
Round Pond Sanctuary, Pope Co, IL
April 26, 2020: Sunday Field Trip
Caesar Creek Gorge, Warren Co, OH
--May 2020--
May 2, 2020: Saturday Field Trip
Red River Gorge, Powell/Wolfe Co, KY
May 9, 2020: Saturday Field Trip
Kope Hollow. Brown Co, OH
May date TBD, 2020: Give Back Day Garlic Mustard Pull, Caesar Creek Gorge SNP. Warren Co, OH
May 30, 2020: Saturday Field Trip
Gross Memorial Woods SNP, Shelby Co, OH
** May 31, 2020: Sunday Field Trip
Wise’s property, Butler Co, OH
--June 2020--
** June 7, 2020: Sunday Field Trip
Picnic at Keystone Flora, Hamilton Co, OH
June 14, 2020: Sunday Field Trip
Lake Katherine SNP, Jackson Co, OH
--July 2020--
July 18, 2020: Saturday Field Trip
Shawnee State Forest, Scioto Co, OH
July 25, 2020: Saturday Field Trip
Huffman Prairie, Greene Co, OH
July 30, 2020: Thursday Field Trip
Versailles SP, Ripley Co, IN
--Aug 2020--
Aug 2, 2020: Sunday Field Trip
Strait Creek Prairie Bluffs, Adams Co, OH
August 16, 2020: Sunday Field Trip
Donnybrook Fen & Woodman Fen, Montgomery Co, OH
--Sept 2020--
September 11, 2020, 7:30 pm: Friday Program
Avon Woods Nature Center
6:30 pm Picnic Supper
7:30 pm Members' Photo Sharing Program
Our next newsletter will be mailed in Early January, 2020
(**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.
