FLOC: First Friday Birding
2025-06-06 08:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Floracliff Nature Sanctuary, 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY 40515, Lexington, KY, 40515, US
Join us for birding with the Floracliff Ornithology Community (FLOC)!

Start your day with an easy-paced bird walk. Experienced birders will guide you on a 1-2 mile loop through grassland and forested habitat. We’ll take our time to document all the birds we see and hear during this community science based program. Bring binoculars or borrow a pair from our collection.

Support Floracliff with a Donation
Floracliff depends on community support to offer these free events. Your donations support programs to promote knowledge and appreciation of nature and projects to protect, steward, and monitor the sanctuary and its wildlife. You can easily donate online at Floracliff.org.

What is FLOC?
FLOC (Floracliff Ornithology Community) was established in 2018 as a monthly community science project to document Floracliff’s bird diversity and seasonal changes. These free bird walks are led by advanced birders who are also trained Floracliff volunteers. It offers a fun opportunity for beginner and intermediate birders to to learn from others and for advanced birders to pass along their knowledge and experience. Over the years, FLOC has developed established route(s) to maintain a systematic approach to collecting data. All FLOC observations are shared to eBird.

Birdwatching Guidelines & Ethics
The American Birding Association (ABA) states “Birding should be fun and help build a better future for birds, for birders, and for all people”. As FLOC outreach continues to grow, we want these outings to remain enjoyable and educational for birders of all levels, while also minimizing impact to the birds being observed. The ABA provides a comprehensive Code of Birding Ethics found here. In short, we expect those attending FLOC outings to minimize disturbance to birds and fellow birders by practicing the following:

Minimize habitat disturbances by staying on the trail.
The use of audio recordings should be limited and at the discretion of the FLOC leader(s).
Be mindful and cautious around active nests; give them space.
Document birds honestly.
Be respectful of the interests, rights, and skill levels of fellow birders by keeping conversations quiet and helping others spot and learn about birds in the field.

Plein Air Painting & Drawing
2025-06-08 13:00 - 17:00
Join fellow artists on a hike to visit Floracliff’s old oak trees for a few hours of drawing and painting.

Come together with fellow artists for a hike to spend a few hours drawing and painting while sitting with Floracliff’s old oak trees. Artists provide their own materials and must pack in and out over varying terrain as a group. This is not an instructional workshop, but an opportunity to work independently on artwork for 3 ½ hours. All sessions end with an opportunity for artists to share their work with others. Open to ages 16 and up.
*Bring your preferred painting and drawing supplies
*Ground cloth or seat, water and snacks, insect repellent, sun hat
*Everyone will pack their materials in and out, sometimes a distance of 1/2 to 3/4 mile with moderate difficulty.
Session hosts: Steve Bennett and Laura Mentor
Steve has been drawing all his life. He has over 20 years’ experience teaching/guiding students of many ages in drawing and 3-D design. His love of Nature has recently led to new branches of learning and appreciation for the rich complexities of the natural world.
Laura has developed her eye for Nature’s treasures through a lifetime of hiking, observation and research. She has been creating large scale installations of her ornate, narrative stained glass windows for public buildings and private clients for over 25 years. Her ongoing research into native species and their relationships have informed her recent work. Examples may be viewed at www.lauramentor.com.
Steve and Laura are regular program volunteers at Floracliff.

Floracliff has multiple entry gates. The meeting location for this program will be emailed to all registered participants a few days before the program.

Golden Hour Hike to Elk Lick Falls
2025-06-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Floracliff Nature Sanctuary, 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY 40515, Lexington, KY, 40515, US
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 trees.
Hike distance and difficulty: 1.5 miles; rated moderate, due to steep and uneven terrain; there may also be some slick spots near the creek
Bring: water
Optional: hiking poles, snack, camera

Please note the program will begin promptly at 7:00 pm.

Bluegrass Land & Nature Symposium
2025-06-14 08:00 - 16:00 | Floracliff Nature Sanctuary, 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY 40515, Lexington, KY, 40515, US
Join us for the 2nd Bluegrass Land and Nature Symposium!

On Saturday, June 14, we’ll have a full day of programs led by regional experts for the 2nd Bluegrass Land & Nature Symposium. This event explores the intersection of natural and built environments and how we can be better stewards of nature – at home and in our community. The day will start with bird walks followed by a keynote presentation in the Trail’s End Lodge. Afternoon sessions will visit the sanctuary trails. We are honored to host the following for this event:
Keynote:Dr. Mary Arthur – Let’s talk about forests and carbon (and climate change too)
Session Leaders & Topics:Joyce Bender & Michael Patton – Morning bird walksHeidi Braunreiter – Prescribed Fire as a Management Tool in the Bluegrass RegionTyson Gregory – Native Trees for Urban LandscapesDr. Nate Haan & Dr. Julian Dupuis – Bluegrass BugsLee Moser – Soil and Water Stewardship in a Changing ClimateRob Paratley: The Kentucky River Palisades – A Unique Ecological Corridor in the BluegrassMeaghan Petix – Learning from lichens: bioindicators of air quality and climate
Lunch is included with ticket purchase.
Schedule:

8:00 – 9:45 AM: Registration, coffee, morning bird walks
10:00 AM: Welcome
10:15 – 11:30 AM: Keynote Presentation at the Trail’s End Lodge
11:30 –11:45: Break
11:45 – 1:00 PM: Outdoor concurrent sessions
1:00 – 2:00 PM: Lunch, raffle
2:00 – 4:00 PM: Outdoor concurrent sessions

Kids Hike: Incredible Insects
2025-06-17 10:00 - 12:00 | Floracliff Nature Sanctuary, 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY 40515, Lexington, KY, 40515, US
Join us in the meadow as we search for our bug buddies! For ages 5-10.

Join us in the meadow as we search for our bug buddies! We will investigate the various tiny critters that call Floracliff home. This hands-on program will encourage families to explore nature and take a closer look at their arthropod neighbors. For ages 5-10.
Hike Leader: Isabel Cochran, Land Stewardship Technician
**All minors participating in this program must be accompanied by a participating adult.
Hike distance and difficulty: up to 1 mile; rated easy
Bring: water
Optional: hiking poles, snack, camera
The meeting location will be emailed to all registered participants a few days before the program.

Butterflies and Hostplants Walk
2025-06-20 10:00 - 12:30 | Floracliff Nature Sanctuary, 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY 40515, Lexington, KY, 40515, US
Join us in the field to observe butterflies and learn about their life cycles

To celebrate Pollinator Week, we are highlighting central Kentucky’s butterflies and the plants they depend on.
Over 70 butterflies have been documented at Floracliff. This diversity is supported by the variety of habitats and plants found throughout the sanctuary. During this outdoor program, we will scout for butterflies in the field and forest. Along the way, we’ll discuss tips for butterfly identification, the relationships between butterflies and plants, and how to support butterflies in home garden and landscapes.
Program Leader: Beverly James, Floracliff Preserve Director
Bring: water, your favorite butterfly guide if you already have one, sunhat, close-toed shoes
Hiking Level: Easy to Moderate (full sun)
**All minors participating this program must be accompanied by a participating adult.
Hike distance and difficulty: 1-1.5 miles; rated easy to moderate, due to summer temperatures and sun exposure

Floracliff has multiple entry gates. The meeting location for this program will be emailed to all registered participants a few days before the program.

Biology Careers: What it’s like to be a bat biologist
2025-06-28 10:00 - 12:30 | Floracliff Nature Sanctuary, 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY 40515, Lexington, KY, 40515, US
Kentucky Nature Preserves biologist Gregg Janos will lead this youth program to highlight the field work of a bat biologist

If you like plants, animals, or simply like being out in nature, did you know that you can make a living out of your passion by becoming a biologist? You can get paid to study plants and animals, travel, and hike outside! We will discuss how to become a biologist and the different jobs there are. Specifically, you will learn what it is like to be a bat biologist. You will learn about the bat species of Kentucky, how biologists study them, and even get to practice being a bat biologist yourself!
This program is for ages 8 and up.
Program Leader: Gregg Janos, KHLCF/Wild Rivers Coordinator, Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves
Hike difficulty: easy
Bring: water
Optional: hiking poles, snack, camera
The meeting location will be emailed to all registered participants a few day before the program.
