This event has been canceled due to low registration. We hope to reschedule for another day that may work better for others’ schedules!

Enjoy a woodland stroll with us to welcome Spring’s first blooms, timed for golden hour, when soft, glowing light brings the forest to life.

PVAS Host: Laurel Schwartz, Priscilla Bryant-Schoenly

This is a free/donation-based program. For ages 13 and older. Youth must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration is required and limited to 15 participants. This program has a minimum of 6 participants.

PVMN Continuing Education Credit Eligible

For just a short time each spring, delicate wildflowers emerge from the forest floor, transforming the woods with vibrant color before quickly fading away. These spring ephemerals take advantage of a brief window of sunlight before the trees leaf out, disappearing just as suddenly as they arrive. Their timing is everything, not just for them, but for the pollinators that depend on their brief appearance.

Join us for an early evening walk through the springtime forest at Ferry Hill, where we’ll search for these short-lived blooms and take in the beauty of the season. This walk will take place during golden hour, the period before sunset when light is low, soft, and warm, ideal for observation and photography. At Ferry Hill, we’ll be walking along a westward-facing slope, and if conditions are right, the golden light from the west will enhance the already stunning beauty of the spring ephemeral wildflowers.

At Ferry Hill, we can hope to see Cutleaf Toothwort, Early Saxifrage, Spring Beauty, Dwarf Larkspur, Squirrel Corn, Wild Ginger, Pink Shooting Stars, and Dutchman’s Breeches. As always, thank you for leaving the wildflowers for all to enjoy.

This walk also serves as an experiment in possibly creating a volunteer-led PVAS photography club. The vision for this group is to gather monthly at PVAS preserves, timing walks, when possible, for prime lighting conditions. Participants will enjoy each other’s company while photographing the beauty of our preserves, sharing tips, encouragement, and inspiration along the way. Photographers of all levels and all types of equipment, including cell phones, are welcome and encouraged. Priscilla, our prospective photography club host, is eager to share her enthusiasm for finding beautiful light, angles, and texture in nature, and for showing how any camera can capture stunning images. Participants will be invited to share their photos with PVAS for potential use on social media, so others can enjoy the special moments and places captured during the walk.

• Walking Distance: Approximately 2 miles or less. An entire walk may take up to two hours, but participants may leave the group and turn back at any time.
• Pace/Activities: Leisurely (meandering, many breaks to stop and observe)
• Exposure: Mostly shaded
• Terrain: Earthen trail with some hilly, rocky sections that could be slippery when wet Steep in some areas.
• Restroom: Restrooms are available for this program.
• Parking/Where to Meet: Participants will meet at the Ferry Hill Mansion parking area at the top of the hill just over the bridge across from Shepherdstown. Directions and more information about Ferry Hill Plantation can be found here: https://www.canaltrust.org/pyv/ferry-hill-plantation/.
• What to Bring: Bring water and dress for the weather! We strongly recommend that you bring a camera – any kind, whatever you have! We also recommend you wear sturdy shoes (with good tread and ideally with ankle support) and bring a walking stick.

Register Here!

Registration will remain open until the start of the program.

If the required minimum # of people do not register by 4 pm the evening prior, the program will be cancelled.

Read our pricing structure & policies.

About Laurel: Laurel Schwartz is a PVAS Program Specialist. Since September 2021, she has managed PVAS’s 4th Grade Watershed Program. Additionally, she is the Audubon Discovery Camp Director. Laurel is a lifelong Jefferson County resident and Shepherd University graduate.  She graduated from Shepherd University with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and a concentration in Sustainable Resource Management. During the summers between the school year, she worked as a seasonal Park Ranger for both the National Park Service, at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, and the Army Corps of Engineers, at Loyalhanna Lake Recreation Area. After graduation, Laurel served an AmeriCorps year (2019-2020) with us as an Environmental Educator.  Through this role, she fell in love with youth education and nature interpretation. After her AmeriCorps year, Laurel worked for Virginia Tech as a Soil Science Research Associate and a Jefferson County Substitute Teacher. In her free time, Laurel can be found hiking, spending time with her dogs, relaxing in a hammock, or in the kitchen trying out new recipes.

About Priscilla: Priscilla is a Master Naturalist and a photography enthusiast!