Spring Botany Blast! New River Gorge, West Virginia, April 11 - 14

The inaugural Spring Botany Blast! takes place this April 11 - 14 in and around the incredible New River Gorge in West Virginia. This region is a plant aficionado's paradise. A diversity of habitats, mostly wooded, in stunning mountain environs, harbor scores of wildflower species, often in great profusion. We'll be based at Hawk's Nest State Park, which is convenient to all of the special hotspots that we'll be visiting.

Spring Botany Blast! was started as an offshoot of the New River Birding & Nature Festival, in which I have participated as a guide and speaker for about 20 years. So, I feel I know the area pretty well, but my co-leaders Rosanna Springston, Jodi French-Burr, and Mitchell Dech know the region even better, as locals, and are also intimately familiar with the flora (and fauna).

CLICK HERE for more details, and registration information. It'll be a whirlwind weekend filled with great botanizing amid some of the showiest scenery in the eastern U.S. Following are some shots of some of the wildflowers that we'll see, but this is just a tiny snippet of what to expect. Photo ops will abound, and I'm glad to work with anyone on improving their tactics for making plant imagery.

There aren't many spaces left, so I'd suggest acting soon. Hope to see you there!

Carolina Spring-beauty (Claytonia caroliniana)

Mountain Magnolia (Magnolia fraseri)

Long-spurred Violet (Viola rostrata), rare white-flowered form

Fire-pink (Silene virginica)