Plant society wants to take you hiking for wildflowers

Spring weather is greening up the hills around the Mid-Columbia, and that means wildflowers are starting to pop up.

Members of the Columbia Basin Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society have organized a series of wildflower hikes in the Mid-Columbia.

Directions to the trailheads can be found at www.wnps.org/cbasin/walks.html.

The April and May hikes in the region include:

-- Horse Heaven Hills (Hover Peak) at 10 a.m. today, April 17 and 24.

Bob Fortman will lead hikes over a 250-acre site owned by Kennewick General Hospital south of Finley. Hikes range from one-half mile to two miles, lasting two to three hours. Bring water and a snack. For more information, call 509-948-3999.

-- Badger Mountain at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Janelle Downs will lead a wildflower walk along the Skyline Trail on Badger Mountain (four miles round-trip). Meet at the Dallas Road parking lot. For more information, call 509-588-9094.

-- Juniper Dunes at 8:30 a.m. April 18, meet at the parking lot on Swift and Jadwin in Richland, just north of the Federal Building.

Led by Diane Stutzman of the Bureau of Land Management, this trip is recommended for those who can walk in sand for three to four miles to experience various dune habitats. Wear sturdy shoes and bring lots of water, lunch, a hat, sunscreen and tools such as a GPS unit, hand lens, binoculars, camera and reference books.

For more information, e-mail mplih@charter.net or call 509-946-5998.

-- Wallula Gap at 10 a.m. May 1.

Join Bob Fortman for a hike on the Kennewick side of the Columbia River to Wallula Gap. Native plants, especially grasses and Ice Age Flood features are extensive near the Gap. The hike will take about five hours. Bring water and lunch. For more information, call 509-948-3999.

-- McBee Grade at 5:30 p.m. May 5.

Meet at the Park & Ride next to the gas station at the I-82 Benton City exit. The group will carpool up the gravel McBee Road to the top of the Horse Heaven Hills south of Benton City for a two-mile round trip walk along the ridge top with Janelle Downs. Bring a sack dinner, water and appropriate clothes for the weather. For more information, call 509-946-8080.

The Walla Walla area hikes are:

-- Field Trip to Lower Tiger Canyon, beside Trail 3221 at 8:30 a.m. Sunday.

Meet at the Harper Joy Theater parking area on the Whitman College campus. The hike will last about four hours. Wear appropriate clothing and bring water and lunch.

-- Field Trip to the South Fork, Harris Park Trail 3225 at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Meet at the Harper Joy Theater parking area on the Whitman College campus. The hike will last about four hours. Wear appropriate clothing and bring water and a lunch.

-- Wallula Gap Hike at 8:30 a.m. May 1.

Meet at the Harper Joy Theater parking area on the Whitman College campus. The group will leave promptly for the drive to Finley. The hike will last about five hours. Wear appropriate clothing and bring water and a lunch.

-- Zumwalt Prairie near Enterprise, Ore., on June 12.

The Nature Conservancy will offer an all-day hike which will include a botanist and discussions of the plants at the prairie, which include nearly a dozen native bunch grasses and more than 100 wildflower species.

For times and details, contact Laura Maier, maierjj@whitman.edu, or Robert Fortman, robertfortman@aol.com, 509-948-3999.

-- Loretto J. Hulse: 509-582-1513; lhulse@tricityherald.com