Spring Wildflower Identification and Ecology Course (Classroom, Online and Field)

If you want to start or improve your wildflower identification skills, springtime is a great season to start, since there are fewer species to learn and many are distinctive. The most spectacular wildflower displays in our area are in our woodlands in spring. Many of these flowers are ephemeral, appearing for a short time each spring, so timing to observe them is critical. The class will explore the lives of these blooms from tiny hepatica to riverbanks filled with stunning bluebells. With a focus on plant families, we will also cover how to differentiate between trickier species. Spring wildflowers have many incredible adaptations to overcome seasonal vagaries from low temperatures to short growing seasons, and deserve our admiration.

The classroom session will cover the basic terminology required for the identification of flowers by examining plant parts. In groups, we will then work through plant identification while comparing Newcomb’s wildflower guide to apps available on your phone.

The online sessions will continue our exploration of plant families seen in the area and explore their ecological connections. By looking at relationships between these plants and their pollinators and their seed dispersers, you will gain an understanding of each flower’s role in the ecosystem.

The field trip features one of the area’s best wildflower locations, the Potomac Gorge either the Carderock Recreation Area or Turkey Run Park (depending on which area is at peak early bloom). Both locations are free to access and have large parking areas and bathroom facilities.

ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Clare Walker teaches plant and pollinator identification and classes on natural basketry and more around Maryland, including programs at Nature Forward, the US Botanical Gardens, and Irvine Nature Center. She delights in native plants and especially their relationships to wildlife and people. Her classes encourage us to cherish our local plants, whether through basketry using natural materials, making herbal remedies, enjoying foods from foraged plants, or by gardening with natives. Clare previously worked as a naturalist for Maryland State Parks and then as an environmental outreach specialist for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.