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March 21, 2008 . Save Kentucky’s Hemlocks is a new organization formed to combat a voracious insect that is threatening Kentucky’s hemlocks. The insect is the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, which feeds on a hemlock’s needles and eventually causes its death. A diverse team made up of land managers, foresters, wildlife biologists, entomologists, public officials, and citizens has formed Save Kentucky’s Hemlocks. The new group seeks public support as it takes action to protect and save hemlocks from the adelgid.

Feb. 27, 2008 .Quarterly Meeting.The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct its quarterly meeting on Wednesday, March 12, 2008, at 10 a.m. EST in the conference room  at 801 Schenkel Lane, Frankfort, Ky. The addition to Short’s Goldenrod State Nature Preserve is on the agenda. Additional information on the meeting is available by calling 502-573-2886.

Nov. 27, 2007 .Quarterly Meeting.The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct its quarterly meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007, at 10 EST in the conference room of the Division for Air Quality, adjacent to the commission's office at 801 Schenkel Lane, Frankfort, Ky. The commission's two most prestigious awards - the Biological Diversity Protection Award and the Volunteer Steward Award will be presented.

Sept. 25, 2007 . The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission invites you to celebrate one of the rarest plants in Kentucky and the United States, Solidago shortii - better known as Short’s goldenrod at the Short's Goldenrod Festival. The festival will take place at Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park in Robertson County on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT. Featured events include nature hikes, canoe trips, free workshops, Kentucky Proud lunch, local market, live music and activities for children including storytelling.

Aug. 28, 2007 .Quarterly Meeting. The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct its quarterly meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007, at Hall's on the River (Clark County) at 2:30 p.m. EDT.

June 1, 2007 . Quarterly Meeting. The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct a quarterly public meeting on Wednesday, June 13, 2007, at Pine Mountain State Resort Park (Bell County) at 3 p.m. EDT.

April 30, 2007 . KSNPC Lead Botanist Deborah White will host an easy level spring wildflower hike through River Cliffs State Nature Preserve (Franklin County) on Sunday, May 6, at 1 p.m. EDT. Registration is required.

April 18, 2007 . KSNPC Lead Botanist Deborah White will host an easy- to moderately-strenuous spring hike through Natural Bridge State Resort Park (Powell County) on Saturday, April 21, at the peak of the wildflower season. Registration is required and can be made at Natural Bridge on the day of the hike. Cost is $5 per person.

March 26, 2007 . Spring hike to see one of the rarest plants in Kentucky and the U.S., the Kentucky gladecress. KSNPC Botanist Tara Littlefield will lead a hike through Pine Creek Barrens Nature Preserve (Bullitt County) for the Kentucky Native Plant Society.  Registration required for this event.

March 5, 2007 . Quarterly Meeting. The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct a quarterly public meeting on Wednesday, March 14, 2007, in the KSNPC conference room, 801 Schenkel Lane, Frankfort, beginning at 10 a.m. EDT. 

Feb. 24, 2007 . Volunteer hemlock woolly adelgid hunt at Blanton Forest SNP (Harlan County). The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission is looking for volunteers to help survey Blanton Forest State Nature Preserve for the destructive hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect that has been devastating hemlock forests in the eastern United States. Training will be provided.

Dec. 14, 2006 . Dr. William H. Martin was presented the 2006 Biological Diversity Protection Award.

Dec. 14, 2006 . Harold Kelley was presented the 2006 Volunteer Steward Award.

Dec. 4, 2006 . Quarterly Meeting. The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct a quarterly public meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2006, at 10 a.m. EST. The meeting will be conducted at the Division for Air Quality conference room, 803 Schenkel Lane, Frankfort. 

Aug. 30, 2006 . Quarterly Meeting. The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct its quarterly meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006, at Blue Licks State Resort Park in Mt. Olivet, Ky. The meeting will be held in the Arlington Room and will begin at 10 a.m. EDT. After the meeting and lunch, there will be a hike through the preserve to view Short’s goldenrod (Solidago shortii), one of Kentucky’s rarest plants, which is expected to be in bloom.

Aug. 1, 2006 . The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission and Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park are co-hosting a festival to celebrate a rare piece of Kentucky’s heritage: Solidago shortii – better known as Short’s goldenrod. The Short’s Goldenrod Festival will take place at the state park on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2006, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT.

May 30, 2006 . Quarterly Meeting. The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct a quarterly public meeting on Tuesday, June 13, 2006, in the KSNPC conference room, 801 Schenkel Lane, Frankfort, beginning at 1:30 p.m. EDT. KSNPC ecologist will give a presentation on Bluegrass savanna-woodland ecosystem.

March 22, 2006 . A tract of land in the Martin’s Fork wild river corridor has been dedicated as a state natural area by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission.

Feb. 20, 2006 . Quarterly Meeting. The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct a quarterly public meeting on Wednesday, March 8, 2006, at the Division for Air Quality conference room, 803 Schenkel Lane, Frankfort, beginning at 10 a.m. EST. 

Jan. 25, 2006 . The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct a special meeting on Blackacre State Nature Preserve Thursday, Feb. 2, 2006. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. EST in the Division for Air Quality Conference Room, 803 Schenkel Lane, Frankfort, Ky.

Dec. 13, 2005 . Robert Dunlap was presented the 2005 Volunteer Steward Award.

Dec. 12, 2005 . Dr. Ronald L. Jones was presented the 2005 Biological Diversity Protection Award.

Sept. 12, 2005 . The Army Corps of Engineers signed an agreement today registering seven sites as natural areas.  Located on lands adjoining Lake Cumberland these seven sites protect 10 rare plant species, including one of the best populations in the state of least trillium (Trillium pusillum).

May 16, 2005 . Quarterly Meeting. The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct its quarterly meeting on Wednesday, June 1, 2005, at 1:30 p.m. EDT at Natural Bridge State Resort Park. We will be dedicating additions to Blanton Forest State Nature Preserve (Harlan County) and Pilot Knob Forest State Nature Preserve (Powell County). 

April 15, 2005 . Join Lane Linnenkohl, KSNPC's regional manager, for an interpretive hike at Brigadoon State Nature Preserve through the mature forested ridges and scenic ravines in Barren County.

April 15, 2005 . Join Brainard Palmer-Ball, KSNPC's terrestrial vertebrate zoologist, for a leisurely hike through the Cove Spring Park in Franklin County. The hike will focus on spring songbirds and wildflowers.

April 5, 2005 . KSNPC is partnering with La Voz de Kentucky, a regional Spanish-English bilingual newspaper, to publish natural heritage articles in the paper every month beginning in March 2005.

Dec. 8, 2004 . Dr. Charles Covell was presented the 2004 Biological Diversity Protection Award.

Dec. 8, 2004 . Sonja Fields was presented the 2004 Volunteer Steward Award.

Dec. 1, 2004 . Quarterly Meeting. The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct a quarterly public meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2004, at 10 a.m. EST. The meeting will be conducted at the commission’s office, 801 Schenkel Lane in Frankfort. 

Sept. 9, 2004 . The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct a guided hike for the public to Bad Branch Falls State Nature Preserve in Letcher County on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2004. 

Aug. 25, 2004 . The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will hold a quarterly public meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2004, at 10 a.m. EDT in Elizabethtown, Ky.

June 9, 2004 . The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission conducted a dedication ceremony as part of the June 9, 2004, quarterly meeting, to add additional acreage to the Hi-Lewis State Nature Preserve.

June 1, 2004 . Join KSNPC Biologist Nicholas Drozda for a strenuous guided hike on the Thompson Creek Glade State Nature Preserve in Larue County on June 15.  This preserve is not normally open to the public, so this is a unique chance to see these high-quality limestone slope glades connected by woodland communities.

May 26, 2004 . Quarterly Meeting. The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct its quarterly meeting on Wednesday June 9, 2004, at 9:30 a.m. EDT. After the meeting and a lunch break, attendees have the option to travel to the Hi-Lewis Pine Barrens State Nature Preserve for a site visit.  This preserve is not open to the public, so this is a rare opportunity to visit this significant natural area.

April 23, 2004 . Visit Natural Bridge State Park State Nature Preserve in Powell County on Saturday, May 1 for Wildflower Weekend sponsored by the Kentucky Native Plant Society and Kentucky State Parks.

April 22, 2004 . Join Lane Linnenkohl, KSNPC's regional manager, Saturday, April 24 for an interpretive hike at Brigadoon State Nature Preserve through the mature forested ridges and scenic ravines in Barren County.

April 21,2004 . Join KSNPC's Joyce Bender Saturday, April 24 on a hike to view spring wildflowers and Elk Lick Falls at Floracliff State Nature Preserve, Mary Wharton’s wildflower sanctuary in southeastern Fayette County.

April 16, 2004 . The Pine Mountain Wildflower Weekend, April 16-18 at the Pine Mountain Settlement School in Harlan County, offers an opportunity for hikers to visit the James E. Bickford State Nature Preserve located at the school. 

Feb. 20, 2004 . Quarterly Meeting . The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct its quarterly meeting on Wednesday, March 3, 2004, at 1:30 p.m. EST.

Dec. 3, 2003 . KSNPC awarded its 2003 Volunteer Steward Award during the Dec. 2, 2003, quarterly commission meeting to Ed Craft for “devoting endless hours assisting with the management of preserves” during the past 11 years.

Dec. 2, 2003 . KSNPC awarded its 2003 Biological Diversity Protection Award during the Dec. 2, 2003, quarterly commission meeting to Tom FitzGerald, executive director of the Kentucky Resources Council, based on his “expertise and influence spanning the panorama of environmental issues” in Kentucky.

Nov. 18, 2003 . A Guide to the Freshwater Mussels of Kentucky is the state’s only complete reference to this diverse and highly imperiled group. Introductory text and figures briefly describe mussel biology, anatomy, life history, importance, and conservation, and provide guidance on making field observations. Designed for anyone interested in aquatic organisms.

Nov. 17, 2003 . The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct its quarterly meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2003, at 10 a.m. EST. The meeting will be conducted in the meeting room at KSNPC's office located at 801 Schenkel Lane, Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. A holiday potluck meal is planned immediately following the meeting and the public is invited to attend. 

Sept. 9, 2003 . The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission (KSNPC) will conduct a grand opening ceremony to formally open the 180-acre Brigadoon State Nature Preserve (SNP). The ceremony will occur on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2003, at 10 a.m. CDT at Brigadoon State Nature Preserve, in Barren County, Ky.

June 17, 2003 . The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct a dedication ceremony on Monday, June 30, 2003, beginning at 1:30 p.m. EDT. The ceremony for the formal dedication of the 348-acre James E. Bickford State Nature Preserve on the grounds of the PMSS will take place at the Pine Mountain Settlement School, Harlan County, Ky.

May 22, 2003 . The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission (KSNPC) will conduct a special public meeting on Friday, May 30, 2003, at 2 p.m. EDT in the meeting room at KSNPC's office located at 801 Schenkel Lane, Frankfort, Franklin County, Ky. The purpose of the meeting is to address Bad Branch State Nature Preserve and reconstruction of U.S. Highway 119 adjacent to the preserve.

April 1, 2003 . The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission is conducting hikes on four separate state nature preserves during the months of April and May. The public is invited to participate and view some of Kentucky's beautiful wildflower displays.

March 27, 2003 . A Casey County family received high praise today at a ceremony honoring their environmental stewardship. The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission recognized Chris and Connie Weddle, along with Alma and R.C. Weddle Jr., of Liberty for their efforts to preserve the least trillium, a rare and state-endangered wildflower.

March 18, 2003 . Today, the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission presented its annual Biological Diversity Protection Award to Dr. Guenter A. Schuster of the Department of Biological Sciences at Eastern Kentucky University.

March 18, 2003 . Today, the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission presented its Volunteer Steward Awards to members of the Cumberland Chapter of the Sierra Club's Service Trip program. The recipients of the first-ever KSNPC volunteer awards are Service Trip Leaders Martha Payne, Darren Payne and Carol von Lanken.

March 10, 2003 . The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission will conduct its quarterly meeting on Tuesday, March 18, 2003, at 2:30 p.m. EST. The meeting will be conducted in the meeting room at KSNPC's office located at 801 Schenkel Lane, Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky.

Feb. 28, 2003 . The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission's (KSNPC) 2003 Biennial Report is available for viewing on the Internet. The report features the commission's ongoing efforts to preserve the best remaining natural areas, and rarest plants and animals throughout the Commonwealth. The report contains narrative information on the commission's programs and functions as well as graphics to highlight the agency's accomplishments. Click on the above link to view the report.

Oct. 22, 2002 . Two Franklin County landowners, Donald Gates and the Julian Family, generously donated conservation easements to preserve important natural areas in Franklin County.