Native-plant hike planned.
Leaves of three … how does it go again?
What plants are native to this area?
What’s that flower? Come find the answers to these questions and more on a free informational native-plant hike led by botanist Jennifer Ogle.
The hike will start at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 29, and be an out-and-back route, approximately 1.75 miles round trip, starting from the Back 40 Trail Buckingham Trailhead ( Trafalgar Road and Buckingham Drive). It will begin in a short-leaf pine-upland hardwood forest, then wind downhill to tour a plant-rich riparian forest that features limestone outcrops and bluffs along a creek that flows into Lake Ann. Wear sturdy shoes and bring water and insect repellent. The trail is moderately strenuous and rocky in parts.
Parking will be available at the trailhead, and along Buckingham Drive, as long as the road is not blocked for emergency vehicles. Do not park in the right of way along Trafalgar Road.
Ogle is a botanist with Comprehensive Botanical Services in Fayetteville. From 2010 to 2015, she worked as collections manager at the University of Arkansas Herbarium, during which time she completed a master’s degree in biology and co-edited the 2013 publication “Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Arkansas.” She is the lead author of the forthcoming Ozark Society Foundation field guide “Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Arkansas,” and serves on the boards of the Arkansas Native Plant Society and Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association. Jennifer lives near Fayetteville with her husband, Isaac, and enjoys gardening with native plants, hiking and cycling.
This hike is family- and child-friendly. Friendly dogs are welcome on a leash.