Ready for dreary winter to be over and see spring flowers? Spring ephemerals are the beautiful flowers blooming on the forest floor in early spring, before the trees leaf out. Because the trees are bare, these plants don’t have to compete for sunlight with the trees, allowing them to grow and bloom while the rest of the forest still appears dormant. Rachel will guide you down in Wilson Creek, and some flowers we’ll be on the lookout for are: dwarf-crested iris, trout lilies, dutchman's breeches, bleeding heart, blood heart, water leaf, spring beauties, foam flower, Solomon's seal, blue cohosh, and Rachel’s favorite, trillium. Rachel has had a hand in the plant world since 2018, when she began working at New Garden Nursery in Greensboro. She has since worked for two gardening businesses and a forest farm in Western North Carolina, before opening her own ecological landscaping business in 2020, Magna Silva. Her degree in Environmental Science from University of Virginia contributes to her scientific knowledge of plants, while her thousands of miles on trail give her a deep admiration for all the beauty of the forest. THIS HIKE IS FOR: Anyone who is interested in learning about plants and ecology in our Appalachian forest. Because there will be frequent breaks to stop, admire, and learn about the flowers, a basic level of fitness is required, as we will be on our feet for up to four hours with variations in elevation and terrain. ROUGH ITINERARY: Meet at 8 am at The Speckled Trout parking lot. We will drive to Wilson Creek and hike for 3-4 hours. We will finish up our hike, drive back, an arrive back at the parking lot around 1 pm.