Events

Calling 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 […]

Learn 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, […]

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 […]

End 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

End 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 […]

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 […]

Learn 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 […]

End 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 […]

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 […]

End 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 […]

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 […]

Join us for a few hours of making art at a scenic location in the sanctuary.If 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!Skill level:Some experience with […]

Join us for a presentation on the amphibians and reptiles of the Kentucky River Palisades with herpetologist John MacGregor.John MacGregor presents "Amphibians and Reptiles of the Kentucky River Palisades"John MacGregor is a Herpetologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. More details TBA.We are excited to host a new series of programs at […]

Join us for a few hours of making art at a scenic location in the sanctuary.If 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!Skill level:Some experience with […]

Join Floracliff's team of volunteers and help us protect, restore, and share nature in the Bluegrass. Floracliff volunteers are important stewards and ambassadors for the sanctuary. They help us accomplish restoration goals; share the biodiversity, natural history, and cultural history of the sanctuary; participate in local and global community science projects; maintain our trails, facilities, […]

End 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 […]

Join us for a few hours of making art at a scenic location in the sanctuary.If 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!Skill level:Some experience with […]

Join us for a few hours of making art at a scenic location in the sanctuary.If 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!Skill level:Some experience with […]

Join us for a presentation on the bats of Kentucky with biologist Price Sewell. Price Sewell presents "The Bats of Kentucky" Price Sewell is a Biologist for Copperhead Environmental Consulting. More details TBA. We are excited to host a new series of programs at Floracliff. The Bluegrass Biodiversity Seminar Series offers free evening presentations on […]

Join us for a Tree Week Birding for Beginners walk and sit. This program is for those ages 9 and up. 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 of binoculars (we […]

End 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 […]

Meet 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 some of these 17th- and 18th-century chinquapin oaks. We will discuss the characteristics of old trees, how trees are ages, as well as the significance and […]

Join us for a few hours of making art at a scenic location in the sanctuary. If 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! Skill level: […]

End 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 […]

Hone your observational skills through journal writing, as we use our words to explore Floracliff in different seasons.Hone your observational skills through journal writing, as we use our words to explore Floracliff in different seasons. These hikes will give you permission to sit and soak in the life around you and open your senses to […]

Immerse yourself in the colors of autumn as we explore trails throughout the Sanctuary.On this long hike, we'll trek along our upland trails and down ravines to visit Elk Lick Creek, Elk Lick Falls, and the oldest documented tree in Fayette County.Program Leader: Floracliff NaturalistsHiking Level: Moderate to strenuous in difficulty due to the steep […]

Join us for a few hours of making art at a scenic location in the sanctuary.If 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!Skill level:Some experience with […]

Join forest ecologist, Dr. Mary Arthur, on a hike to learn about the forest carbon cycle and why forests matter to a changing climate. Spend the morning learning how forests absorb and release carbon dioxide, and why forests matter to the global cycling of carbon, and therefore to changing climate. We will hike through parts […]

Join botanist Rob Paratley to learn how to identify trees without their leaves. Many people think that identifying trees after they've dropped their leaves is a difficult challenge. Most guides focus on leaf form and arrangement. In this workshop we will learn that there are other clues to tree identification that, if you know what […]

Ponder the scenic forest views of mid-autumn as we explore trails throughout the Sanctuary. On this long hike, we'll trek along our upland trails and down ravines to visit Elk Lick Creek, Elk Lick Falls, and the oldest documented tree in Fayette County. Program Leader: Floracliff Naturalists Hiking Level: Moderate to strenuous in difficulty due […]

End 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 […]

Hone your observational skills through journal writing, as we use our words to explore Floracliff in different seasons.Hone your observational skills through journal writing, as we use our words to explore Floracliff in different seasons. These hikes will give you permission to sit and soak in the life around you and open your senses to […]

Join us for a Birding for Beginners walk and sit during the Great Backyard Bird Count. This program is for those ages 9 and up.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 […]

Join 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 […]

End 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 […]

End 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 […]

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: Floracliff NaturalistsHike distance and difficulty: 1.5-2.5 miles (route will be determined by wildflower activity); rated moderate […]

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: 1.5-2.5 miles (route will be determined by wildflower activity); […]