iNaturalist Tutorial

By Nick Koenig

Ever run across a flower in the forest and want to know what it is immediately? The app “iNaturalist” is a great tool that can serve as an excellent addition to field guides to help a plant lover come to a correct identification!

Video on How to Use iNaturalist

Associate Editor – Nick Koenig
Nick Koenig is a senior Biology Major with a Botany Concentration at Eastern Kentucky University.  At EKU, he serves as the Co-President of the student environmental group, Green Crew, works as a Biology Tutor, and volunteers in the Greenhouse. He fell in love with plants through gardening and the Kentucky State Fair but has continued with his passion through research at EKU.

2020 Wildflower Weekend Cancelled

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!

Wanted: KNPS Native Plant Stewardship Certification Coordinator Position for 2020

KNPS’s native plant stewardship certification program is making a comeback in 2020! KNPS organized this successful program for 7 years but has put the program on hold since 2017. But now, KNPS is planning to offer this series again for professionals, students, landowners, citizen scientists, and anyone interested in learning more about native plant identification and stewardship. This 6-part program will train you on native plant ID basics, Kentucky’s botanical and natural community diversity, invasive species ID and management, rare and native plant management, seed collection, native plant gardening, and more. The goal of the program is to train more botanical stewards/guardians in the state and ultimately connect these graduates with native plant stewardship projects across Kentucky. If you are interested in the coordinator position or would like to help with the program by participating as an instructor, please contact us at KYPlants@knps.org!

Duties of the coordinator position include:

  • Emailing class participants and instructors a few times a month prior to classes
  • Distributing/mailing program packets to class participants
  • Emails and phone calls about general program logistics

Botanizing Across Kentucky: Join KNPS On The Trail In 2019!

All KNPS activities are open to everyone. All activities, except Wildflower Weekend, require advance registration on our website and they fill up quickly. Members of KNPS will be given the opportunity to register for these activities before they are opened to the general public. If you are not a member, you can join at https://www.knps.org/membership/.

April 5th- Hazeldell Meadow Nature Preserve, Pulaski County, 10 AM to 1 PM EST
Join Dr. Krupa at Hazeldell Meadow Nature Preserve and hear all about his latest studies of Kentucky’s rarest carnivorous plant, the dwarf sundew (Drosera brevifolia). He has been studying this plant and it’s fascinating habitat for over 13 years! We will also learn about other associated species, such as spiders and other interesting plants. Tara Littlefield (botanist at the office of Kentucky Nature Preserves) will be there to answer any rarity, natural community or floristic questions, as well as John Burnett (Pulaski County Conservation District Land Manager). In addition, you will learn how to help in ongoing efforts to protect rare species and communities at Hazeldell through assisting with monitoring, management and restoration projects at Hazeldell Meadow Nature Preserve. Registration is now open. 10 person limit.
 
April 12 & 13- KNPS Annual Wildflower Weekend
Hikes will be offered on Friday and Saturday at Natural Bridge State Park and the Red River Gorge during Wildflower Weekend. See more details below.
 
May 11th- Griffith Woods WMA, Harrison County, 9 AM to 12 PM EST
Join Dr. Julian Campbell at Griffith Woods and hear all about this iconic bluegrass woodland with old growth oaks and hickories, cane thickets, and remnant mesic herbaceous flowers, such as bear grass and running buffalo clover. Julian has been studying bluegrass woodland vegetation for over 40 years and is the authority on past and present plants and communities in the region. Go to http://bluegrasswoodland.com/Griffith_Woods.html for information on Griffith Woods compiled by Julian. Plus, you will learn how you can help in ongoing efforts to protect rare species and communities at Griffith Wood WMA through assisting with monitoring, management, and restoration projects. If you would like stay late from 1pm-4 pm, you can help to work on invasive species removal. We will meet at 9 am in the main parking lot on east side of US 62 about 1500 feet north of the T junction with Russell Cave Road (Route 353). 15 person limit.
 
May 21 & 22- Sedge Workshop
Dr. Rob Naczi will lead a workshop at Eastern Kentucky University and nearby natural areas- FULL.
 
June 7th- Pine Barrens of the Cumberland Plateau, Pulaski County, 10 AM to 2 PM EST
Join Jim Scheff (Director of Heartwood), Tara Littlefield (botanist at the office of Kentucky Nature Preserves) and David Taylor (forest botanist at the Daniel Boone National Forest) as we explore the Keno and Curt Pond Ridge Conservation Site, a botanical hotspot of prairie and pine oak barrens, seeps and upland ponds just south of Somerset. Wood Lily should be in full bloom along with several other interesting plants. Plus, you will learn about ongoing efforts to protect rare species and communities at this site and how you can help by assisting with monitoring, management and restoration projects. Hike will be approximately 2 miles, moderate, mostly roadside. 10 person limit. 
 
June 22nd- Prairies and Forests of Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, 10 AM to 1 PM EST
 Join Laura Baird, assistant preserve manager and naturalist, on a hike to view the prairie restoration, as well as the adjacent forests at Shakertown. You will learn many prairie flowers, trees and shrubs, woodland flowers, and even some pollinators! Hike will be 2-3 miles, moderate. 10 person limit. 
 

July 6- Land between the Lakes- Botanical Hotspot Tour, 10 AM to 2 PM CDT
Join Devin Rodgers, botanist at Kentucky Nature Preserves, as we stop at several botanically important sites at LBL from prairies to wetlands. Devin has worked extensively at LBL conducting floristic surveys, rare species surveys and habitat characterizations. Elizabeth Raikes (LBL staff biologist), Tara Littlefield (botanist at Kentucky Nature Preserves), Jim Scheff (Heartwood Director), and representatives from Austin Peay University and Southeastern Grassland Initiative will also be there to assist in logistics and identifications. In addition, you will learn about ongoing efforts to protect rare species and communities at botanical sites at LBL and how you can help by assisting with monitoring, management, and restoration projects. A new way to document and assist in monitoring rare plants is iNaturalist. We will hike approximately 2 miles total between a few sites, moderate. 10 person limit. 
 
July 13- Mantle Rock Nature Preserve, Livingston County, 10 AM to 4 PM CDT
Join Chris Benda (Illinois botanizer), Jeff Nelson (KNPS Board Member), Tara Littlefield (botanist at Kentucky Nature Preserves/Kentucky Botanist), and Shelly Morris (Western Kentucky TNC Project Director) as we conduct a floristic inventory at Mantle Rock of sandstone glades, barrens, woodlands and mesic forests at this floristically fascinating site. Bring a GPS, hand lens, and field notebook and help with the floristic inventory. A new way to document and assist in monitoring plants is iNaturalist. We will hike 3-4 miles, difficult, off trail. 10 person limit.
 
October 12- KNPS Fall meeting and hike, Frankfort, Kentucky. Details TBA.