Wildflower Pilgrimage

The 40th Annual Spring Wildflower and Bird Pilgrimage

April 27-29, 2012

We cordially invite you to participate in Asheville's 40th Annual Spring Wildflower and Bird Pilgrimage, a three-day event sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Asheville Biology Department and the Botanical Gardens at Asheville.

Because of its great age, the Appalachian region has a rich assortment of wildflowers unequaled on the continent, and flowering plants abound in our mountains in the spring. We have designed our tours to be informative and enjoyable, and you will come away with a fuller appreciation of the beauty of our region's wildflowers and bird life.

Registration

Registration for field trips begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 27th, in the lobby of Robinson Hall on the UNC Asheville campus. Signs on campus will direct you. The registration fee ($5 for adults and $1 for students) covers all events. Activities will take place regardless of weather conditions. Be prepared for rain and bring a lunch for morning or all-day trips. A hand lens or magnifying glass will be useful for wildflower tours, as will binoculars for birding trips. Motorcades are limited to 10 cars, and we do not furnish transportation. The mileages given are approximate one-way distances from tour starting points. All trips leave from the Robinson Hall parking lot at UNCA or from the Folk Art Center lower parking lot on the Blue Ridge Parkway near milepost 382. The sponsoring organizations assume no responsibility for lost articles or injuries.

Friday Events (April 27)

ALL-DAY EVENT: DAY IN THE GARDENS

Friday (April 27) 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Also on Saturday (April 28) from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

The 43rd Day in the Gardens will feature a wide variety of plants for sale by the Botanical Gardens and many other plant vendors, food (on Saturday), and entertainment. Proceeds go toward maintenance of the gardens, which do not receive state or federal support. There is no charge for outdoor activities. The Botanical Gardens are located adjacent to the UNC Asheville campus at Weaver Boulevard and Broadway.

REGISTRATION FOR EVENING PROGRAM AND GUIDED WALKS

When and where to register:  6:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the Robinson Hall lobby (UNC Asheville science building)

FRIDAY EVENING PROGRAM

Native Orchids of North Carolina

 ( 7:30 p.m. Robinson Hall Auditorium, UNC Asheville)

Presented by David McAdoo of Kernersville, NC, who has been an avid native orchid enthusiast for the past 40 years.  His interest led to coauthoring "An annotated catalogue and distribution account of the Kentucky Orchidaceae" in 1978.  He is a co-founder and has been past President of the Native Orchid Conference, Inc. and is currently a board member of the NC Native Plant Society.  His photographs have been displayed at the Smithsonian and in numerous magazines and books.

North Carolina (after Florida) is probably the richest state in terms of native orchids. With about 70 different species there are many that reach their northern limits coming up the coast from their southern habitats and several that are at their southern limit as they come down the Appalachian Mountains. David’s talk will show photos of the state’s orchids along with information on their distribution, bloom times and conservation status.

SATURDAY EVENTS (April 28)

ALL-DAY EVENT: DAY IN THE GARDENS

Saturday (April 28) 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

The 43rd Day in the Gardens will feature a wide variety of plants for sale by the Botanical Gardens and many other plant vendors, food (on Saturday), and entertainment. Proceeds go toward maintenance of the gardens, which do not receive state or federal support. There is no charge for outdoor activities. The Botanical Gardens are located adjacent to the UNC Asheville campus at Weaver Boulevard and Broadway.

HALF-DAY FIELD TRIPS (all morning trips will return in time to take afternoon trips):

Trip #1.  7:30 a.m.    Birding Trip

Start from the Folk Art Center and travel north by carpool along the Blue Ridge Parkway to Craven Gap and, depending on weather conditions, stopping at Beaver Lake, overlooks, and trailheads to observe spring migrant songbirds. Driving distance 30 miles, walking distance 1 1/2 miles or less. Leader Kitti Reynolds.

Trip #2. 9:00 a.m.       Beyond Beauty: A Look at Plants and Their Historic Uses

Start from Robinson Hall and travel to selected sites along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Learn identification and uses of trees and wildflowers, from the showy to the shy, you encounter along the way. Driving distance 20 miles, walking distance 1/2 to 1 mile. Leader Cindy Carpenter.

Trip #3. 9:30 a.m. Wildflowers: Local Treasures

Start from Robinson Hall to selected sites in the Asheville vicinity. For those who wish to learn about a rich assortment of wildflowers close to Asheville. Driving distance 25 miles, walking distance 1/2 mile. Leader David Clarke.

Trip #4.    9:00 a.m.    Wildflower Motorcade

Start from the Folk Art Center and travel north on the Blue Ridge Parkway to a point near Tanbark Ridge Tunnel and on to Craggy Gardens with frequent stops. Driving distance 18 miles, walking distance 1/2 mile or less. Leader Dan Lazar.

Trip #5.   1:30 p.m.     Spring Wildflowers and Ferns

Start from the Folk Art Center and travel south on the Blue Ridge Parkway for stops at selected sites and a walk on the Shut-In Trail. Driving distance 20 miles, walking distance 1 mile. Leader Jim Perry.

Trip #6. 1:30 p.m.   Trees and Wildflowers

Start from the Folk Art Center and travel north on the Blue Ridge Parkway to Craven Gap and Bull Gap. Driving distance 15 miles, hiking distance 2 miles or less. Leader Scott Pearson.

Trip #7.   2 to 4:30 p.m.      Wildflower Walk in the Shinn Gardens

Start from Robinson Hall to the Thomas S. Shinn property (Stone Knife Farm) in Leicester for study of wildflowers, shrubs and trees in an extensive natural setting. Driving distance 10 miles, walking distance 1/2 mile. Leaders: Nancy Shinn and David Clarke.

SATURDAY EVENING PROGRAM: Ebible, Medicinal, and Utilitarian Plants Used by the Cherokees and Early White Settlers

( 7:30 p.m. Robinson Hall Auditorium, UNC Asheville)

Presented by George Ellison, who has lived near Bryson City, NC since 1973. A collection of his essays, Mountain Passages: Natural and Cultural History of Western North Carolina, was published in 2005. In 2006, he published A Blue Ridge Nature Journal: Reflections on the Appalachians in Essays and Art, which includes his essays on the natural areas, flora and fauna of the southern mountains, as well as watercolors and illustrations by his wife, Elizabeth Ellison. He writes the Nature Journal column for the Asheville Citizen-Times and the Botanical Excursions column for Chinquapin: The Newsletter of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society.

After considering the mythic origins of traditional Cherokee plant lore, this slide-lecture presentation will depict their beliefs about and uses of specific plants: ginseng, ramps, liver-leaf, paw-paw, river cane, Indian hemp, May-apple, touch-me-not, poison ivy, devil’s shoestring, twisted stalk, branch lettuce, green-headed coneflower, shrub yellow-root, bloodroot, butternut walnut, and others. Topics will include: the Cherokee version of the Doctrine of Signatures, fish doping, mushrooms, medicine men, spring greens, and basket dyes.

SUNDAY EVENTS (April 29)

Trip #8.    8 a.m.     Birding Trip

Start at the UNCA campus by carpool and travel north along the Parkway towards Mt. Mitchell.  Driving distance 25 miles, walking distance 1 mile or less. Leader Jim Petranka.

Trip #9.     9 a.m. to 1:00     Old Growth Forests of the Craggy Mountains

Start from Robinson Hall and travel to old growth sites in the Craggy Mountains. These areas are renowned not only for their impressive trees, but also for a profusion and diversity of wildflowers not found in less mature forest. Walking distance 3 miles and partially steep and off-trail. Driving distance 30 miles. Leaders: Dan Lazar and David Clarke.

Trip#10.   2 to 4:30 p.m.   Wildflower Walk in the Shinn Gardens

Start from Robinson Hall to the Thomas S. Shinn property (Stone Knife Farm) in Leicester for study of wildflowers, shrubs and trees in an extensive natural setting. Driving distance 10 miles, walking distance 1/2 mile. Leaders:  Scott Dean, Jim Perry, Jim Drake, and David Clarke.

Next Year's Pilgrimage: May 3-5, 2013