The preserve is comming to life. Water levels are good with many of the main creek cascades and waterfalls putting on good shows.

With the amount of green on the forest floor it would appear the the wildflower exhibition will be pretty good this year. However, none of us can predict what Mother Nature has in store.

Below is a list of the current blooming wildflowers on the Preserve:

Harbingers of Spring

Sharped Lobed Hepatica

Toothwort - just beginning

Blood root - just beginning

White Trout Lillies - near peak

The next 30 days will be the best for wildflowers, but there will be wildflowerss through the end of May.

The wildflowers continue to be about two weeks ahead of schedule. Below is a list of the current bloomers:

Ozark Spiderwort

Lousewort

Dwarf Iris

Jacobs Ladder

Wild Geranium

Pale Viloets

Yellow Violets

Large Belwort

False Rue Anemome

Golden Seal

Ohio Buckeye

Fire Pinks

Blue Phlox

Purple Trillium

Wild Ginger

Shared the Creek with a few of my comrades from Bank of the Ozarks, Sarah Oliver, and creek newbies Ed and Karen Love, and Amanda Julich. Way too hot for the last day of March.

Ms Terri and I visited Smith Creek on Saturday to work on one of the trails and check on the start of the wildflower season. Beautiful day with blue bird sky and very comfortable temps. Water levels in the Creek were great with enough flow for excellent cascades and waterfalls. Below is a list of the wildflowers blooming now:

Harbinger of Spring

Toothwort

White Trout Lily

Yellow Trout Lily (just beginning)

Blue violets

Pale Coradalyis

Blood Root

Sharp Lobed Hepatica

It appears that the wildflower season is about a week to 10 days early this year for the early bloomers. Not sure what effect this will have on the rest of the season.

The Nature Conservancy is hosting a Field Day at Smith Creek on October 21, 2011. The hike will start at 10:00 am and will probably last until 2:00pm. Bring water and a sack lunch.

To register contact Brenda Luper at bluper@tnc.org or 479-973-9110.