Botany Blitz 2026 & Kick Off Hikes – Call for Hike Leaders

Leading up to Wildflower Weekend 2026, at Natural Bridge SRP, KNPS will be holding our 6th annual Botany Blitz 2026, which will run from Saturday, April 11th, through Sunday, April 19th. The spring Botany Blitz is a group effort to document as many plant species as possible within Kentucky during the week preceding Wildflower Weekend, and will again be hosted on the community science platform iNaturalist. Participants can use the iNaturalist mobile app in the field (or use the website if your preferred camera is not a smartphone!) to document their observations of Kentucky’s flora.

As in previous years, Botany Blitz 2026 will commence with a series of Kick Off Hikes on Saturday, April 11th and Sunday, April 12th, in parks and natural areas across the Commonwealth. These easygoing wildflower walks are led by local botanizers and naturalists who are familiar with the native flora that hikers will encounter. As the Kick Off Hikes are meant to start the Botany Blitz, we are hoping that folks who plan to participate will sign up for an iNaturalist account (if they don’t already have one) and join the Botany Blitz 2026 project, although you do not need to be an iNaturalist user to enjoy these hikes.

Call for Kick Off Hike Leaders

Although we have several Kick Off Hikes in the planning process, we are seeking more hike locations and hike leaders! If you would like to lead a Kick Off Hike in your area, please fill out and submit the form below. All hike details are up to you, the hike leader, to choose, however we have a few suggestions to guide you:

Before selecting a hike location, we recommend that you visit the official website for that location or contact the owning agency/organization to check if there are any rules or guidance regarding larger groups of hikers.
Please also consider the amount of parking at the site, the typical weekend visitation levels during peak wildflower season, and the maximum number of participants you want to set. You may want to avoid choosing locations with limited parking that can fill up quickly on weekend days.
We also recommend arranging for a friend to co-lead the hike with you. A co-lead can assist you in keeping your the group together on the trail, watch the clock to help you stay on schedule (wildflower walks are notorious for running long!), and help guide any hikers that need to leave early back to the trailhead.

If you have any questions or if you need to change any hike details after you’ve submitted this form, please email us at WildflowerWeekend2026@knps.org.

If you are willing to lead a KNPS Botany Blitz Kick Off Hike on April 11th or 12th, 2026, please submit the following information.

2026 Botany Blitz Kick Off Hike Volunteer Leaders

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This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Name(Required)

First Last

Email(Required)

Best Phone Number to Reach You(Required)

Hike Co-Leads

If you will have any co-leads for your hike, please list their names and email addresses here.

Name of Trail

If the trail is a named trail, please enter it here.

Name of park, preserve, or natural area(Required)

County(Required)

Name of Kentucky county where the hike will be.

Day of Hike(Required)

Chose the day of the hike.

Meeting Time(Required)

The time that folks should plan on meeting.

Time Zone(Required)

The time zone of the hike.

Estimated Hike Time Length (in hours)(Required)

Please provide your best estimate of how long the hike should take to the nearest half hour.

Approximate Distance of the Hike (in miles)(Required)

Please provide your best estimate of the distance of the hike to the nearest quarter mile.

Trailhead or Parking location (if parking is not right at the trailhead)(Required)

Please provide map coordinates of the trailhead location. If parking is not available at the trailhead, please provide the coordinates of the parking area.

Habitat(Required)

Please provide 1-2 sentences describing the habitat participants will see, highlighting any attractive, unique, or rare plants that may be blooming at that time.

Accessibility Information(Required)

Briefly mention any aspects of the trail that hikers should be aware of, such as steep slopes, significant stair climbs, slick trails, etc (see the “Accessibility Information” sections for the Mammoth Cave Cedar Sink Trail and Heritage Trail for examples)

URL where hikers can view a map of the facilities and trail (if available)

Maximum Number of Participants(Required)

Please choose according to your personal preference, as well as any rules the site may have regarding large groups. Some factors to consider are: if your hike is on a broad, level trail and you can project your voice well, you may be comfortable leading a larger group. If the trail is narrow and hikers will be single file, you may want to have a smaller number of hikers since this can affect how well folks at the back of the line can hear you.

Registration Options

After the Kick Off Hike schedule is finalized and published online, participants will be able to register for the hikes on the KNPS website. However, if you are affiliated with an agency or organization that would prefer participants register for your hike through your own registration page, please let us know

Are you currently an iNaturalist user and relatively familiar with the iNaturalist mobile app?(Required)

Yes

Would you be comfortable helping to review/confirm/suggest ID's for observations in the Botany Blitz 2025 project?

Yes

Botany Blitz 2026 & Kick Off Hikes – Call for Hike Leaders

Call for Kick Off Hike Leaders

2026 Botany Blitz Kick Off Hike Volunteer Leaders

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