WVU Core Arboretum is starting its season of nature programming.
Some of the events that will be happening soon are WVU Department of Biology spring ephemeral wildflower walks, Mountaineer Audubon spring bird walks and the WVU Core Arboretum Spring Flower Festival.
The free, guided flower and bird tours are a spring tradition at WVU Core Arboretum. Last year, in the course of three wildflower walks and four bird walks, more than 45 species of plants were seen in bloom and over 70 species of birds were seen and/or heard.
This year, the wildflower walks will take place on Sundays in April (April 7, 14, 21 and 28). There will be four wildflower walks each Sunday at noon, 12:30, 3 and 3:30 p.m. The Wildflower Walks are free, but require online registration at wvuarboretumflowerwalks2024.eventbrite.com.
The 2024 bird walks will be the last three Tuesdays in April and the first two Tuesdays in May (April 16, 23, 30 and May 7) at 7:30 a.m. each of those days.
The April 16 bird walk will include a bird netting and banding demonstration as part of a WVU research project. There is no registration required for these free bird walks.
The wildflower walks are led by WVU faculty, students and volunteers. Participants will learn the names of the flowers and some interesting facts about the flowers, including their ecology and human uses. The spectacular spring ephemeral wildflower season only lasts for about a month, and April is the time to see them.
The bird walks are led by members of Mountaineer Audubon. These guides will identify birds by sight and sound for participants and help everyone learn to appreciate the wonder of spring migration. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars.
All tours will meet in the Arboretum parking lot. Additional parking is available at the nearby WVU Coliseum. Dress appropriately for the weather and for hiking.
The sixth annual WVU Core Arboretum Spring Flower Festival will be from 2-6 p.m. on April 13. This family-friendly, free festival is open to everyone and will showcase the beautiful spring ephemeral wildflower display that happens every year in the Arboretum’s old-growth forest preserve. The festival will include wildflower tours, live music, food trucks and more fun activities.
See the Arboretum website (arboretum.wvu.edu) for more information.
