Weather Policy: For the safety and enjoyment of our visitors, all programs are subject to cancellation due to inclement weather, including rain, wind, and severe weather warnings and advisories.
The Aster family- Asteraceae: An introduction to navigating this large and important plant family
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesThe Asteraceae, or composites, contain more species of flowering plants than all others (but the orchids). There are more composites in our regional flora, and indeed any temperate flora, than any other plant family. They inhabit just about every habitat and are conspicuous throughout the growing season, especially in late summer and fall. Easy to recognize as a family when flowering, the large number of species and its sometimes inconspicuous but important identifying field characters, can overwhelm us. Knowing what to look for and how the family is organized will help! We will review the features and specialized terms that allow us to recognize a composite to the family. Then we will dive into Asteraceae organization (systematics)- learning to recognize groups of genera called tribes- that can help us work our way through and identify most composites, at least to genus. We will look at herbarium specimens and collected live plants, as well as explore late-blooming composites within Floracliff.
Bluegrass Land & Nature Symposium
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesFloracliff and the Lexington Chapter of Wild Ones are partnering this fall to host the Bluegrass Land and Nature Symposium. Join us Saturday, October 1st, for a full day focused on the biodiversity, ecology, and stewardship of the Bluegrass region. Registration opens August 2, 2022.
Tree Week Golden Hour Hike to Elk Lick Falls
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees. This will feature Elk Lick Falls and one of Kentucky’s oldest trees. We are offering this free hike in celebration of Tree Week. Hike Leader: Terri Koontz, Floracliff Volunteer Hike distances: 1.5 miles; […]
A Tour of Floracliff’s Old Oaks
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesFloracliff’s forested ravines are home to some of the oldest known trees in Kentucky. This hike will feature many of these 17th- and 18th-century chinquapin oaks. We will discuss the characteristics of old trees, the uniqueness of Floracliff’s old trees, and their significance to the region.
Golden Hour Hike to the Kentucky River
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees. This hike will head down to the Kentucky River floodplain, where setting sun lights up the palisades.
Birding For Beginners
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesIf you’ve ever thought birdwatching would be fun or interesting but didn’t know how to start come join us for a Birding for Beginners walk and sit. We’ll discuss the use of binoculars (we have nice ones you can use for the day); what to look for when you see a bird; discuss some free apps that help you figure out what you are seeing and we’ll go see some birds! The bird walk will be slow and relaxing and we’ll end with watching some feeders for our most common feeder birds.
Fall Long Hike
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesOur “long hikes” provide a great opportunity to see a lot of Floracliff in one day. In late fall, most of the leaves have fallen, making way for scenic views of the Elk Lick Valley. This hike will cover about 5 miles and will feature Trail’s End, the Kentucky River, Elk Lick Falls, and Elk Lick Creek.
Thanksgiving Eve Long Hike
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesOur “long hikes” provide a great opportunity to see a lot of Floracliff in one day. In late fall, most of the leaves have fallen, making way for scenic views of the Elk Lick Valley. This hike will cover about 5 miles and will feature Trail’s End, the Kentucky River, Elk Lick Falls, and Elk Lick Creek.
A Tour of Floracliff’s Old Oak Trees
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesMeet some of Kentucky's oldest known trees on this hike at Floracliff.Floracliff’s forested ravines are home to some of the oldest known trees in Kentucky. This hike will feature many of these 17th- and 18th-century chinquapin oaks. We will discuss the characteristics of old trees, the uniqueness of Floracliff’s old trees, and their significance to […]
Signs of Spring Long Hike
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesJoin us to kick off our spring hike season with this long hike featuring Elk Lick Creek and Elk Lick Falls.Join us to kick off our spring hike season with this long hike featuring Elk Lick Creek and Elk Lick Falls. We will also look for early blooming wildflowers along the way such as hepatica, […]
Golden Hour Hike to Elk Lick Falls
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees.End your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees. This will feature Elk Lick Falls and one of Kentucky’s oldest known […]
Golden Hour Hike to the Kentucky River
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees.End your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees. This hike will head down to the Kentucky River floodplain, where setting […]
Wildflower Hike with Beverly James
Join us to see the first wildflowers of the season.Join us for an early spring wildflower hike to see the first blooms of the season. This hike will highlight identification, ecology, and pollinator relationships of our spring ephemerals.Hike Leader: Beverly James, Preserve DirectorHike distance and difficulty: 1.5 miles; rated moderate due to steep and uneven […]
Wildflower Hike to Elk Lick Falls
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesExperience early spring at Floracliff on this wildflower hike.Join us for an early spring wildflower hike to see the first blooms of the season. This hike will highlight identification, ecology, and pollinator relationships of our spring ephemerals.Hike Leader: TBDHike distance and difficulty: 2 miles; rated moderate to difficult, due to steep and uneven terrain and […]
Wildflower Hike
Join Floracliff naturalists for a spring wildflower hike.Join us for an early spring wildflower hike to see the first blooms of the season. This hike will highlight identification, ecology, and pollinator relationships of our spring ephemerals.Hike Leader: TBDHike distance and difficulty: 1.5 - 2 miles; rated moderate to difficult, due to steep and uneven terrain […]
Wildflower Hike with Josie Miller
Learn to identify some of our spring ephemeral wildflowers.Join us for an early spring wildflower hike to see the first blooms of the season. This hike will highlight identification, ecology, and pollinator relationships of our spring ephemerals.Hike Leader: Josie MillerHike distance and difficulty: 1.5 miles; rated moderate due to steep and uneven terrain; there may […]
Creating Art in Nature Sessions
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesIf you have an interest or desire to broaden your skills as a naturalist and artist, come join us for these art making sessions sited within the beautiful nature preserve at Floracliff. We’ll be outside creating art!
Birding for Beginners
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesIf you’ve ever thought birdwatching would be fun but didn’t know how to start, come join us for a Birding for Beginners walk and sit.If you’ve ever thought birdwatching would be fun or interesting but didn’t know how to start come join us for a Birding for Beginners walk and sit. We’ll discuss the use […]
Wildflower Hike with Joyce Bender
Celebrate spring’s beauty and explore some of the connections between spring wildflowers, their habitats, and us.Celebrate spring’s beauty and explore some of the connections between spring wildflowers, their habitats, and us.Hike Leader: Joyce Bender, retired from the Kentucky State Nature Preserves CommissionHike distance and difficulty: 1.5 miles; rated moderately difficult, due to steep and uneven […]
Wildflower Hike
Join us for a wildflower hike at Floracliff during peak bloom.Join us for a wildflower hike during peak bloom. This hike will highlight identification, ecology, and pollinator relationships of our spring ephemerals.Hike Leader: TBDHike distance and difficulty: 1.5 miles; rated moderate to difficult, due to steep and uneven terrain; there may also be some slick […]
Wildflower Hike with Rob Paratley
Join botanist Rob Paratley for a wildflower hike at Floracliff.Join botanist Rob Paratley for a close look at Floracliff's spring wildflowers. He'll discuss some basics of flower shape and structure, as well as their relationships to each other and how they fit into Floracliff's mesophytic forest. Hike Leader: Rob Paratley, University of Kentucky Herbarium Curator, […]
Wildflower Hike with Vanessa Voelker
Hike with a botanist at Floracliff during peak wildflower season.Join botanist Vanessa Voelker for this wildflower hike on Floracliff’s showiest wildflower trail. Along the way, Vanessa will highlight the natural history and identification of our spring wildflowers as well as the importance of community science for monitoring Kentucky's flora. Hike Leader: Vanessa Voelker, Office of […]
iNaturalist in Action: A hands-on training
Join us for this hands-on demonstration using iNaturalist along the trails of Floracliff.Program Leader: Beverly James, Floracliff Preserve DirectorJoin us for this hands-on demonstration using iNaturalist along the trails of Floracliff. We’ll spend some time exploring biodiversity, and we will cover the benefits of nature observations, basics of the app, and effective photos for species […]
Golden Hour Hike to Elk Lick Falls
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees.End your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees. This will feature Elk Lick Falls and one of Kentucky’s oldest known […]
Wildflower Hike with Beverly James
Join us for a wildflower hike at Floracliff during peak bloom.Join us for a wildflower hike during peak bloom. This hike will highlight identification, ecology, and pollinator relationships of our spring ephemerals.Hike Leader: Beverly James, Preserve DirectorHike distance and difficulty: 1.5 miles; rated moderate to difficult, due to steep and uneven terrain; there may also […]
Golden Hour Hike to the Kentucky River
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees.End your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees. This hike will head down to the Kentucky River floodplain, where setting […]
Freshwater Mussels in Kentucky: the heavy lifters of the stream ecosystem
Learn about Kentucky's freshwater mussels with aquatic zoologist Michael Compton.Presenter: Mike Compton, Office of Kentucky Nature PreservesJoin aquatic zoologist Mike Compton for an introduction to the diversity and ecological importance of freshwater mussels in Kentucky. He will also highlight current conservation efforts to preserve them.For 2023 we are excited to host a new series of […]
City Nature Challenge: Creek Exploration
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesCalling all community scientists! This program will focus on exploring a section of one of our creeks to discover and document aquatic life.Calling all community scientists! This program will focus on exploring a section of one of our creeks to discover and document aquatic life for the City Nature Challenge. We recommend each registered party […]
City Nature Challenge: Nighttime Exploration
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesCalling all community scientists! This program will explore Floracliff’s ponds and forest edges after dark for the City Nature Challenge.Calling all community scientists! This program will focus on exploring Floracliff’s ponds and forest edges after dark for the City Nature Challenge. We’ll focus on discovering and documenting frogs, moths, and more. We recommend that each […]
Forest Birds of the Palisades with Ben Leffew & Michael Patton
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesLearn about the birds of the Kentucky River Palisades.Kentucky birders Ben Leffew (Shaker Village) and Michael Patton (KY Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources) will lead this hike featuring the diversity of birds that use the forests of the Kentucky River Palisades. Ben and Michael will teach participants to identify birds by sight, sound, behavior, […]
Herpetology Hike with Zeb Weese
An exploration of snakes, salamanders, frogs, and more!Join us to explore the ponds, fields, and streams of Floracliff in search of our native frogs, salamanders, snakes, and turtles. Learn about the identification, biology and ecology of our most common herps in central Kentucky.Presenters: Zeb Weese, retired from the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, Floracliff naturalistsHiking […]
Golden Hour Hike to the Kentucky River
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees.End your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees. This hike will head down to the Kentucky River floodplain, where setting […]
Caddisflies of the Kentucky River Palisades
Learn about the importance of the Kentucky River Palisades as a biological refugium for caddisflies and other species."Caddisflies of the Kentucky River Palisades – an important biological refugium in central Kentucky"Presenter: Dr. Michael Floyd, US Fish & Wildlife ServiceFor 2023 we are excited to host a new series of programs at Floracliff. The Bluegrass Biodiversity […]
Crayfishes, Crawfishes, or Crawdads?: Diversity & Natural History in KY
Learn about the crayfishes of Kentucky with Dr. Guenter Schuster.Presenter: Dr. Guenter Schuster, Foundation Professor Emeritus at Eastern Kentucky UniversityDo you know how many crayfishes live in Kentucky? Join Dr. Schuster for this presentation to learn about their diversity and habitats in the bluegrass state. He'll also highlight crayfish biology, their importance to the ecological […]
Golden Hour Hike to Elk Lick Falls
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees.End your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees. This will feature Elk Lick Falls and one of Kentucky’s oldest known […]
Elk Lick Creek Walk
Experience the beauty and wildlife of Elk Lick CreekElk Lick Creek flows through the heart of Floracliff and provides habitat for a diversity of amphibians, reptiles, insects, fish, and more. Join Floracliff Naturalists on this trek along a scenic 1/2-mile section of of the creek to explore the biodiversity and take in the beauty of […]
Butterflies of Central Kentucky Field Day
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesLearn about the butterflies of the bluegrass.This field day will provide hands-on experience in butterfly identification at Floracliff and possibly another nearby location in Fayette County. It should be a great primer (or refresher) for those wishing to participate in the Central Bluegrass Butterfly Count in July or those just wanting to learn more about […]
Golden Hour Hike to Elk Lick Falls
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees.End your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees. This will feature Elk Lick Falls and one of Kentucky’s oldest known […]
Elk Lick Creek Walk
Experience the beauty and wildlife of Elk Lick CreekElk Lick Creek flows through the heart of Floracliff before its confluence with the Kentucky River. Along the way, the stream and adjacent limestone cliffs provide habitat for a diversity of amphibians, birds, insects, fish, and more. Join Floracliff Naturalists on this trek along a 1/2-mile section […]
Golden Hour Hike to Elk Lick Falls
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees.End your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees. This will feature Elk Lick Falls and one of Kentucky’s oldest known […]
