Department of Parks
Wildflower Weekend Is April 27-29 at Natural Bridge

SLADE, Ky. -- The Kentucky Native Plant Society’s Wildflower Weekend, April 27-29, is a chance for botanists, gardeners and nature lovers to enjoy the hundreds of species of native plants at Natural Bridge State Resort Park. 

Field trips and walks will be offered at 8:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday; 8:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. on Saturday; and at 9 a.m. on Sunday.  All field trips leave from the Hemlock Lodge lobby.

Beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Friday evening in the Woodland Center, Zeb Weese, biologist for the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund, will speak about land conservation in Kentucky.  Afterward, Dr. Mary Arthur, a forest ecology professor for the University of Kentucky, will give a presentation titled “The Role of Fire in the Development and Maintenance of Kentucky Ecosystems.”

Beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday evening in the Woodland Center, the Kentucky Native Plant Society will have its general meeting followed at 7 p.m. with a “puzzling wildflower” photo quiz. At 7:30 p.m., Tavia Cathcart, author and executive director of the Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve, will give a presentation titled “How Flowers Flirt and Flourish - The tricks and trials of floral reproduction.”

On-site registration fee is $10 per adult and $3 per child. Registration is open 30 minutes before all field trips and presentations. A detailed agenda will be available upon registration. For more information about Wildflower Weekend, contact Brian Gasdorf at brian.gasdorf@ky.gov or call 1-800-325-1710. For more information about the Kentucky Native Plant Society visit www.knps.org

Natural Bridge State Resort Park is home to large natural arches and is surrounded by Daniel Boone National Forest. The park offers lodging, cottages, and campground accommodations. Hiking trails and other recreational opportunities are available. For more information call 1-800-325-1710 or visit: http://www.parks.ky.gov/parks/resortparks/natural-bridge/default.aspx

Natural Bridge State Resort Park is 52 miles southeast of Lexington and 2 miles off the Mountain Parkway at Slade, exit 33.

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