Cincinnati Wild Flower Preservation Society
Ohio Native Plant Society, Southwest Ohio Chapter
Updated Tuesday March 17, 2020 at 10pm
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.
Important Update- March 17, 2020- Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, the Society has cancelled our events through April 11, 2020. Later events may also be cancelled, so please check back. We hope to reschedule our missed events in year 2021! Stay healthy.
What you missed- On Sunday March 8, 2020, we had 22 enthusiastic workers removing invasive vines and bush honeysuckle from Avon Woods Preserve. This is part of the Society’s ongoing efforts working to fully restore our Cincinnati Parks to their original beauty. Weather a fine 40-50 and sunny. We enjoyed pizza on the picnic tables afterward. Thanks to all who helped. Group Photo (missing several people)
---March 2020--
Cancelled- Saturday, March 21, 2020 at 10 am: Madison Tract, Adams Co, OH
Join Rich McCarty on an early Spring hike to explore a tract that the Nature Conservancy acquired late in 2017 along the west side of Ohio Brush creek. Although it is on the west side of Ohio brush creek, it sits above Soldiers Run which is a tributary stream to Ohio Brush Creek and it is still considered a part of Buzzard Roost Rock Preserve. The parcel offers some steep slopes and a rocky ravine that contains good numbers of spring wildflowers. This will be an off-trail hike that may be difficult due to the steep slopes and no established trails. Parking will be limited at the site so we can plan to meet at the Eulett center and carpool from there.
Cancelled-Directions: It is about 90 minutes from Downtown Cincinnati. On the east side of Cincinnati, take I-275 (exit #63) for OH 32 East. (Be aware that this intersection has been drastically changed.) Travel 41 miles East on OH 32. Turn right onto OH 247 South and travel for 9.7 miles to West Union. Turn left (east) onto Main Street (which is also OH 125). Continue on OH 125 (Sunrise Avenue) and travel about 6 miles. After crossing Brush Creek, turn right (south) onto Waggoner Riffle Road and drive for 1.3 miles and turn left onto the driveway. The Eulett Center address is 4274 Waggoner Riffle Rd, an address Google maps knows.
Cancelled- Saturday, March 28, 2020 at 10 am: Highland Cemetery, Kenton County, Kentucky
Join hike leader Bill Edwards for a walk through the Highland Cemetery, a tract of more than 250 acres, half of which is presently undeveloped and used for nature trails. The facility contains three lakes, hundreds of large trees, and rolling hills, waterfalls, and streams. 150 acres are currently managed to enhance wildlife habitat, with snags left in place and nest boxes added for various songbirds and raptors. There are more than four miles of hiking trails, routed to minimize disturbance.
The Highland Cemetery natural area is one of Greater Cincinnati’s best places for spring ephemerals. The preserve is a rugged, hilly patch of land crisscrossed by streams, so it is geologically as well as botanically interesting. A few pioneer features, such as a stone springhouse, can also be seen. And it is only 11 minutes from Downtown Cincy!
Please let Angela Carter know if you will be attending at 513-300-2787 or amcarter@fuse.net.
Cancelled-Directions: From Cincinnati, take I-75 south entering Kentucky to exit 188 (Fort Mitchell, Dixie Highway South). Off the exit, turn left onto Dixie Highway and drive about 0.4 mile, crossing over the highway, and turn left into the cemetery; its white gates are located directly across from Kroger and Expressway Plaza Shopping Center. Take all right-hand turns after you enter the cemetery to find the trailhead and park there. The address is 2167 Dixie Highway, Fort Mitchell, KY 41017.
Since parking may be limited in the Cemetery, some of us are meeting at 9:50am in the Kroger Parking lot to carpool the short distance to our hike.
---------------- April 2020 -----------------
Cancelled-Saturday, April 4, 2020 at 1 pm (till 4pm): Burnet Woods, Followed by a visit to UC Herbarium, Hamilton County, OH
Join Dan Boone on a walk through Burnet Woods before heading over to the Margaret H. Fulford Herbarium, located at the University of Cincinnati. Eric Tepe and Jacob Keshtvarz will have an open house to allow us to view specimens, demonstrate pressing and mounting specimens and discuss volunteer opportunities.
Cancelled-Directions: Google maps knows the meeting address “Trailside Nature Center, 3251 Brookline Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45220” Brookline is a street off of Ludlow Avenue. Don’t use the Google address “Burnet Woods” which goes to a different area of the park. Only 10 minutes from Downtown Cincy.
From Downtown Cincinnati, drive North on I-75 for 3.0 miles.Take exit #3 (Hopple Street, which becomes Martin Luther King) and at the bottom of the exit turn right (east towards UC) and drive 0.5 miles. Turn left onto Dixmyth Ave (traffic light) and drive 0.3 miles. Turn left onto Clifton Ave (traffic light) and drive 0.2 miles. Turn right onto Ludlow Ave (traffic light) and drive 0.2 miles. Turn right onto Brookline (traffic light) into the park and drive 0.1 miles to Trailside Nature Center, where we will meet.
Cancelled- Saturday, April 11, 2020, 9:45 am (till 3pm): Red River Gorge Area, Wolfe and Powell County, KY
Dan and Judy Dourson will guide us on trails and areas within the Red River Gorge Geological Area to be determined by weather and the progression of the wildflower season. This will be a moderate hike that may possibly include ascending a hill.
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.
Cancelled-Directions: Driving time from downtown Cincy to Rest area is about 2 hours. Google maps know our meeting place as "Junior Williamson Rest Area, 24 L&E Railroad Pl, Slade, KY 40376.
From Cincinnati, drive South on I-75 for 82 miles to left-lane I-75 exit #111 onto I-64 (I-75& I-64 are concurrent for about 6 miles near Lexington, you stay on I-64 when they separate). From where I-64 splits from I-75, continue on I-64 for 16.4 miles and take exit #98 onto Mountain Pkwy. Drive 32.3 miles on Mountain Pkwy and take exit #33 toward KY-11 toward Slade/Beattyville. After 0.1 mile on KY-11S, you will reach the rest area on your right.
Cancelled-**April 17–19, 2020: The Arc’s 15th 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, email info@arcofappalachia.org, or go to www.arcofappalachia.org/arc-events/ for more info.
Please check later to see if the following events have been cancelled or changed!
(check the western wildlife corridor website for the status of this event)
**Saturday, April 25, 2020 from 9:00 am–8:00 pm: Western Wildlife Corridor Fourteenth Annual Flower-a-thon, Kirby Nature Center and Bender Mountain Nature Preserve
The Western Wildlife Corridor Flower-a-thon hikes give everyone a great chance to learn about the wildflowers of our region. Experts will lead hikes through several preserves in the corridor, showing participants the amazing variety of plants there. You will have a chance to see uncommon flowers such as drooping trillium, blue-eyed Mary, fern-leaf phacelia and, with a little luck, the green dragon and federally endangered running buffalo clover. You may do half -day if you wish. Contact Tim Sisson at 513-922-2104 for more information. Check out www.westernwildlifecorridor.org for details
Saturday, April 25, 2020, at 11 am (till 3pm): Round Pond Sanctuary, Pope County, IL
You are in for botanical treats and adventure with Paul Marcum and Andrew Lane Gibson. Hottonia inflata (featherfoil), will be our target plant. Several rare plants also are known from the site including Styrax americanus (American snowbell), Carex alata (broadwing oval sedge), Carex decomposita (cypress-knee sedge), Carex intumescens (greater bladder sedge), Hydrolea uniflora (one-flowered false fiddleleaf), Platanthera clavellata (club-spur orchid), Sceptridium biternatum (southern grapefern), Helianthus angustifolius (narrow-leaved sunflower), and Malus angustifolia (narrow-leaved crabapple). Ludwigia sphaerocarpa (round-fruit loosestrife) was just rediscovered at the site in 2019, after last being seen in 1860. This may be a moderate to challenging hike with flooded fields, high water, mud, and venomous snakes. Depending on time and interest, we will visit Heron Pond afterwards. This is an optional weekend trip with additional sites pending on Sunday that may allow us an opportunity to see Dodecatheon frenchii (French’s shooting star) and Vandenboschia boschiana (filmy fern).
Please pack a lunch, snacks, water and rubber boots.
Contact Angela Carter at 513-300-2787 or amcarter@fuse.net if you have questions and plan on attending. Meeting location and directions will be sent 7-10 days prior to the event.
Sunday, April 26, 2020, at 2 pm (till 4pm): Caesar Creek Gorge State Nature Preserve, Warren County, OH
Marjie Becus will guide us on the trails and areas within the Caesar Creek Gorge SNP in the area just below the dam, down the Access Road off of Clarksville Road (and pretty near the Visitor Center). This is one of the best natural woodlands near Cincinnati and has a fantastic display of spring ephemerals (without honeysuckle). This is a moderately strenuous hike, so expect hills. Rest rooms are available.
Directions: Google knows the location as “Caesar Creek Fishing Pier, Caesar Creek Gorge Access Road, Waynesville, OH 45068”. This is the area just below the dam, off of Clarksville Road and near the Visitor Center. DO NOT go to the similarly named state nature preserve on Corwin Road.) Driving time about 47 minutes from Downtown Cincy.
From Cincinnati, drive north on I-71 N for 36 miles to exit #36 (Wilmington Road). At bottom of the exit, turn right (east) onto Wilmington Road and drive 0.3 miles. Take the first left onto Olive Branch Road (continuing straight on Murray Road as Olive Branch turns left) and drive 2.2 miles. Turn right onto Oregonia Drive and go 1.5 miles. Turn left (little store) onto North Clarksville Road and go 1.5 miles (crossing the spillway). Turn left onto Caesar Gorge Access Road (first road after crossing spillway) and drive 0.8 miles down the hill to the parking lot, where we will meet.
---------------- May 2020 -----------------
Saturday, May 2, 2020, 9:45 am till 3pm: Red River Gorge Area, Wolfe and Powell County, KY
Rob Parateley will guide us on trails and areas within the Red River Gorge Geological Area to be determined by weather and the progression of the wildflower season. This will be a moderate hike that may possibly be 4-5 miles and take us through various habitats. More details be announced prior to the field trip.
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: Same directions as our April 11 hike.
Saturday, May 9, 2020, 10 am: Kope Hollow (Kope Nature Preserve), Brown County, OH
Dan Boone will guide us through Kope Hollow, one of Cardinal Land Trust’s newest preserves, that he has been surveying with over 150 species. This will be a moderate hike through mesophytic woods with waterfalls. You will have an opportunity to brush up on tree, grass and sedge ID and we hope to see Miami Mist and wild hyacinth in bloom.
Contact Angela Carter at 513-300-2787 or amcarter@fuse.net if you have questions and plan on attending.
Directions: Google maps knows the address “Kope Hollow, Union Township, OH 45167” which is on US-52 East of Higgensport Ohio (and West of Ripley, Ohio) in Brown County, Ohio.
From Downtown Cincy get onto I-471 S into Kentucky . After 4.9 miles stay left to take exit 1A for I-275E toward Columbus/Ohio.US-52. Drive 3.9 miles on I-275 re-entering Ohio and take exit #71 for East US-52 toward New Richmond. Continue straight onto East US-52 and drive 30 miles passing through Higgensport, Ohio and just past Pisgah Hill Road, to address 5061-5051 on US-52 (Google doesn’t know this address, but does know “Kope Hollow, Union Township, OH 45167”. Kope Hollow Preserve will be on your left.
Next Newsletter will be available in May 2020
May 16, 2020: Saturday Give Back Day Garlic Mustard Pull, Caesar Creek Gorge SNP on Corwin Road. Warren Co, OH (Date is now specified)
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.
