National Wildflower Week

In 2016, National Wildflower Week will be celebrated during the week of May 2-8.  Read more about National Wildflower Week.

Please consider joining Jennifer Viggiani, Open Space Coordinator for the Town of Clifton Park, on Friday, May 6 at 1pm when she hosts one of her monthly stewardship walks at Veterans Memorial Park.  Each walk typically lasts about 2 hours.  During this walk, you’ll have an opportunity to view some of the spring wildflowers emerging and blooming at this time of the season.

Here is a list of activities to consider to help you celebrate this national event.  For item #2, I suggest a visit to any of the destinations listed on my Area Nature Preserves, Parks and Trails page.  If you are visiting New York City during May 7-15, you may want to participate in their wildflower week celebration; read more.

Happy trails!

A plurality of blooms!

Wow!  Several species of wildflowers blooming at the same time.

At last, spring has arrived!

After work today, I ventured out along the trails at the Dwaas Kill Nature Preserve in the Town of Clifton Park.  Indeed, I was rewarded aplenty.

During today’s visit (part of my ongoing wildflower inventory at this preserve), I viewed –

Trout Lily

PLEASE NOTE:  The Trout Lily Project is looking for volunteers to record and submit data regarding your observations of the trout lilies you see.

Marsh Marigold

Wood Anemone

Northern White Violet

Smooth Yellow Violet

Common Blue Violet

Bloodroot

Wake Robin

Happy trails!

Surprisingly early find

With today’s unseasonably warm temperatures to accompany another day of abundant sunshine, I visited Peter Desrochers Country Knolls Memorial Trails.  I am continuing a wildflower inventory along these scenic trails.

I viewed this earlier-than-normal blooming specimen –

Small-flowered Crowfoot

During my hike, I flushed a turkey out of the top of tall hemlock – what a sight and quite a racket!  I also saw three deer, numerous chipmunks and many gray squirrels.  No frogs were singing, but a nice variety of songbirds were in full chorus.

Happy trails!

Another day of sunshine = a few more blooms

Now that we’ve enjoyed a few consecutive days of sunshine, I thought it necessary to wander along a couple of local trails in hopes of finding a few more wildflowers in bloom, or, at least some sign of emergence so as to leave us with some hope of blooms to come.  I chose these particular destinations because I am continuing wildflower inventories at both.

First stop, Bauer Environmental Park in the Town of Colonie.  This park is located between Sand Creek Road and Sunset Boulevard.  In the near future, I will add this destination to my Area Nature Preserves, Parks and Trails page; stay tuned.

While making my way along the boardwalk, I viewed –

Spicebush

Leatherwood

Ground Ivy

I then stopped at the Dwaas Kill Nature Preserve in the Town of Clifton Park.  I only observed a couple of these during my visit –

Round-lobed Hepatica

This string of consecutive sunny days appears as though it will continue for several more; hope you find an opportunity to get out to your favorite spot and soak up some vitamin D.

Happy trails!

Reluctant bloomer

A sunny, but chilly, day.  I was motivated to go look for another sign of spring.

Since I am continuing my wildflower inventory of Zim Smith Trail, I decided to amble along the northernmost segment between Overpass Road and Oak Street.  With a somewhat brisk breeze, the woods and wetlands adjoining this trail segment were uncharacteristically quiet today.  No frogs and few birds were in a mood to serenade.

I found very few flowering plants.  But, I enjoyed my first sighting of the season of –

Sharp-lobed Hepatica

In this patch of hepaticas, this was one of only three whose flowers had fully opened today.

A few scattered Coltsfoot were also in bloom.  My biggest surprise was finding a single Wake Robin; while its leaves had not yet fully unfurled, they nevertheless revealed a plump flower bud.

This discovery yielded the hope and certainty of a colorful unveiling of the remainder of spring.  Enjoy the journey – and your own discoveries.  Happy trails!