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Ms. Cheap: Wildflower Week activities abound at Beaman Park




Wildflowers such as the dwarf-crested iris will be abundant in Beaman Park during Wildflower Week and into May.Submitted/Main Street Maury

Wildflowers such as the dwarf-crested iris will be abundant in Beaman Park during Wildflower Week and into May.Submitted/Main Street Maury

Beaman Park has had a spring “Wildflower Weekend” for many years, but this year, with more staff, this beautiful woodsy park has extended its planned wildflower activities to span a week — April 12-16.

“The wildflower season starts in February with the Hepatica (little white flowers) and continues all the way into May. And right now is the peak of the season for the wildflowers people really want to see,” said Beaman Park manager Heather Gallagher.

“The trout lily — the yellows and red and whites are everywhere. I can guarantee that you will see wildflowers between now and May 15,” she said.

Gallagher said her park’s Wildflower Week offerings are designed for various ages and hiking interests, and her goal is to have some wildflower activities for everybody. “We want everyone to enjoy them on their level.”

She said one of the most interesting offerings of the week is the April 14 moss program “What Moss is That Wildflower Growing On?” led by moss expert Paul Moore. “He is the former owner of Moore & Moore, and now he is known as Moss Man, offering landscape design using moss in people’s yards. He is wonderful,” Gallagher said.

Wildflowers such as the fire pink will be abundant in Beaman Park during Wildflower Week and into May.Submitted/Main Street Maury

Wildflowers such as the fire pink will be abundant in Beaman Park during Wildflower Week and into May.Submitted/Main Street Maury

In addition to the scheduled activities, there is a self-guided wildflower ID activity in which you can pick up a wildflower identification sheet at the Beaman Park Nature Center and explore the park’s wildflowers on your own. The guide sheets will be available in the map box outside the nature center, as well as on Facebook.

The best option for wildflower observation at Beaman is to start at the Creekside Trail Head for an easy walk along Henry Creek. Access to that Henry Hollow Loop trailhead is from the 4111 Little Marrowbone Road parking area.

Gallagher noted that Henry Creek was recently designated by the Cumberland River Compact as one of the most pristine creeks in Middle Tennessee, making it a hotbed for wildflower proliferation.

The park’s Sedgehill Trail, which takes off from the nature center, is six-tenths of a mile and is popular but does not offer the array of wildflowers that the Henry Hollow Loop does.

Mary Hance

Mary Hance

The Wildflower Week offerings include:

• Kids’ Wildflower Hour: This 10 a.m. April 12 moderate hike is geared toward young explorers. The hike will focus on respecting nature and noticing and identifying wildflowers along the trail. The hike will be followed by a craft activity on the back porch of the nature center.

• Wildflower Creek Ramble: This 4 p.m. hike on April 13, for adults and kids ages 13 and up, will provide a deeper look at our spring wildflowers and will use the iNaturalist app to document observations.

• “What Moss is That Wildflower Growing On?”: This walk with moss expert Paul Moore at 10 a.m. April 14 will take you on a leisurely stroll to discover the mosses that grow in association with spring wildflowers. Gallagher said “mosses are often overlooked in the landscape, but they play an important role in nature and are beautiful in their own right.”

• Become a Scientist With iNaturalist: This is a drop-in event that you can enjoy anytime between noon and 4 p.m. April 15. The program will teach you how to use the iNaturalist app to observe and document the plants and animals you see in the park. www.inaturalist.org

• Painting on the Porch: Wildflowers: This adult (21 and up) event is 4:30-6:30 p.m. April 15 and costs $15 per person. Take a short walk to photograph wildflowers and then use the photos of wildflowers for painting.

• Morning Wildflower Walk: This all-age hike at 9:30 a.m. April 16 invites participants to help spot wildflowers along Henry Creek. It is a 1-mile hike starting from Creekside Trailhead.

• Wild Edible Foods: Wild edible expert Sharen Bracy will talk about some of the delicious wild edible foods you can enjoy. Drop by the center between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 16. The program is for all ages and will include samples of some of the foods, as well as a lesson on how to prepare them.

• Wildflower Hike: This hike from 1 to 3 p.m. April 16 is for adults and kids 13 and up and will take you through the woods with a naturalist to look for and learn about all kinds of wildflowers that populate this park.

All of the programs, except for the painting class, are free. Most require registration by calling 615-862-8580.

About Beaman Park

Beaman Park, which opened in 1996, is a 2,370-acre Metro park and state natural area, 5911 Old Hickory Blvd., on the Western Highland Rim in northern Davidson County. It is just 20 minutes from downtown.

The Beaman Nature Center is open noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. The park is open from dawn until dusk seven days a week.

Beaman Park, which is described as “rugged,” offers 15 miles of hiking trails, plus naturalist-led hikes, environmental programs, school field trips and outdoor recreation programs.

Details: beamanpark@nashville.gov or 615-862-8580

Mary Hance, who has four decades of journalism experience in the Nashville area, writes a weekly Ms. Cheap column. She also appears on Thursdays on “Talk of the Town” on NewsChannel5. Reach her at mscheap@mainstreetmediatn.com and follow her on Facebook at Facebook.com/mscheap.

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