In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in line with the advice of health officials to minimize exposure by limiting gatherings, KNPS has decided to cancel our annual Wildflower Weekend event at Natural Bridge State Resort Park that was to be held April 3rd & 4th. Please note that this step was not taken lightly. The Kentucky Native Plant Society board made this decision out of a desire to protect the health and welfare of our members and the community.
As an alternative to this cancelled event, we encourage our members to join iNaturalist if you haven’t already. It is a smartphone app and online platform for recording observations of plants or any kind of organism you see outdoors, and connects you to a community of over 750,000 naturalists worldwide. Many of your fellow native plant enthusiasts here in Kentucky have already been posting spring ephemerals in bloom this year. Join our project Kentucky Botanists Big Year 2020 to see all the plants observed in Kentucky in 2020. We will award prizes at the end of the year to the people with the most observations, most observed species, and most identifications.
Not great at identifying plants? No worries! One of the best benefits of iNaturalist for a ‘budding botanist’ is the aid of identifying what you see in the field by suggesting species based on photographs already posted, as well as connecting you with experts who you can identify the organisms for you.
By interacting with your fellow native plant enthusiasts through iNaturalist, you can maintain social distancing, while still being able to get outdoors, clear your head, and enjoy the beauties our Kentucky flora has to offer you! We will be posting highlights of your exciting iNaturalist observations on our Facebook and Instagram pages as a way to stay connected with our members during this time of social isolation.
If you have questions about iNaturalist, check out their instructional page or reach out to us!