St. Anne Woods and Wetlands: Flora & Fauna's Journal

10 am, Saturday, April 6:

NKU's REFS is hosting a wildflower hike for members of the Kentucky Native Plant Society as part of the statewide botany blitzes leading up to Wildflower Weekend ( see the project at https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/knps-wildflower-week-2024-botany-blitz ).

We'll meet at the field station building and then carpool over about 2 blocks to the trailhead of the public, South Wetland trail (parking is pretty limited there).

The trail makes perhaps a mile long loop out through swampy woodland with lots of beech trees. There is an astounding population of trout lily at the back of the trail, and all sorts of other interesting spring ephemerals blooming throughout the woodlands. Paw-paw and spicebush are also common along the trailsides.

The trail is flat, but a bit muddy at this time of year, so shoes good for hiking are recommended.

If you're in the area at the time, feel free to join us.

Want a virtual flower guide for your hike through the St. Anne Woods or Wetlands?

You can view all collections from this project sorted by species to see what's most commonly being reported.

For a more seasonally-focused look at what might be around, here are some links to what's been reported from the area organized by months. The searches were based on nearby properties as well as the St. Anne Woods & Wetlands, so will include things not yet reported from here, but still likely to be seen.

January to February: Good trees and perhaps a few early flowers are visible at this time.

March to April: This is peak spring ephemeral season: troutlilies, toadshades, and wild ginger abound.

May to June: The summer flowers are starting up. Composites, beebalm, and milkweeds add color to open fields in and around the wetlands.

July to September: This is a great time to see bumblebees and butterflies active on the summer and early fall flowers. Jewelweed is blooming in the woods and the swamp milkweed is blooming in the wetlands. It's also a good time to keep an eye out for caterpillars who are enjoying the foliage.

October to December: The last of the fall flowers wrap things up, but never fear: Fall and winter are a good time to check out the local trees. This is the time of year when you can see how oaks, hickories, beeches, buckeyes, persimmons, and paw-paws all do their part to contribute fruit and seeds to the forest floor (and the local critters).

Earth Day is April 22nd! Join us to celebrate Earth Day at the NKU Research and Education Field Station (NKU REFS) on Saturday, April 20! Guided tours through the St. Anne Wetlands will be available every half hour (2:00, 2:30, 3:00, and 3:30 pm). Bring your rain/muck boots and dress for the weather!

Celebrate Earth Day by getting outside and learning about the flora and fauna that call these wetlands home. The St. Anne Natural Areas Woods and Wetlands are a conservation easement purchased with a Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund grant to the Campbell County Conservation District, and are managed in collaboration with NKU REFS.

Saturday, April 20, 2024
2 pm to 4 pm
NKU Research and Education
Field Station (NKU REFS)
99 Harrison Ct, Melbourne, KY 41059

Questions? Contact NKU REFS or the Campbell County Conservation District
Phone: 859-572-6637 / 859-635-9587
Email: refs@nku.edu / cccd@campbellkyconservation.org