You don't have to be a member of the Georgia Botanical Society to go on its 48th annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, but you do have to be quick on reservations.
Registration for this three-day adventure must be postmarked by Saturday, March 4. The pilgrimage is scheduled April 7-9 in Chattanooga, the first time the host city is outside the state.
Chattanooga was chosen, says event coordinator Mitchell Kent, because it is a good starting point to explore the rugged Ridge and Valley Region of the Appalachian Mountains of North Georgia and East Tennessee - "some of the most prolific wildflower sites in the Southeast," he says.
During the weekend, amateur and professional botanists will fan out in 28 all-day and half-day field trips to explore a variety of habitats and rich array of wildflowers. Trip leaders will be top experts on the native plants of the region.
If you go
› What: Georgia Botanical Society’s Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage.› When: April 7-9; reservations must be postmarked by Saturday, March 4.› Where: Based in Chattanooga; field trip to sites throughout Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia.› Admission: $20 members, $25 nonmembers; free for children 12 and younger; additional costs for banquet, T-shirts.› Website: www.gabotsoc.org.
Yellow tickseed springs out of the greenery in Millicent Field at Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center.Habitats include mountaintops, lush cove forests, deep canyons and flowing creeks with waterfalls and cascades. At many of the sites, as many as 20 to 30 species of early spring wildflowers may be in peak bloom, Kent says.
Some field trips are planned for Walden Ridge, known for its deep gorges, west of Chattanooga. To the south of the city, historic Lookout Mountain is the destination of other trips, as is Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center.
One outing will be to East Tennessee's Shakerag Hollow, known for its superb diversity of early spring wildflowers, Kent says. The leader of that field trip will be Dennis Horn, co-author of the book "Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley and the Southern Appalachians."
Field trips also are scheduled for wildflower havens in North Georgia, including Cloudland Canyon State Park and the Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail in the Crockford-Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area.
In addition to enjoying some of the Ridge and Valley Region's most interesting habitats, participants also expect to see several rare plants native to the region. For instance, one field trip will be to the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park to explore rare habitats known as cedar glades, which feature thin soil layers on solid rock.
Trip leader Mike Christison describes the outing as "unlike any other pilgrimage field trip due to the unique geologic and botanical environments found there. This is one of the rarest plant habitats in Georgia."
The pilgrimage's Friday and Saturday evening events include book signings and a talk about the native plant diversity of the Cumberland Plateau near Chattanooga.
Georgia and neighboring states abound with some of the nation's greatest biological diversity, Kent says. The society's annual wildflower pilgrimage is a chance to learn about native flora in different parts of the state. Last year's event was headquartered in Valdosta and focused on natural habitats of Georgia's Coastal Plain, he says.
The group's website, www.gabotsoc.org, has a registration form for this year's pilgrimage, the schedule of field trips and a wildflower video.