Springtime not only brings better and brighter weather to campus, but also a reemergence of wildlife, such as a beautiful variety of wildflowers. One way Oxford residents and Miami University Students are taking advantage of the season is by attending the weekly Wildflower Walks in Silvoor Biological Sanctuary every Sunday.
On Sunday, April 13 Amy Sullivan, associate teaching professor in the biology department, led one of these walks, teaching those in attendance how to identify the wildflowers around them.
At the beginning of the walk, Amanda Bentley Brymer, the curator of Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, informed attendants about the history of the sanctuary. The space was donated in 1978 by Robert Hefner, former chairman of Miami’s zoology department. It was formerly pig wallows and then a garbage dump, until Hefner converted it to a natural sanctuary, which now hosts an array of wildflower species.
Emma Halcomb, a senior biology major, said she attended the walk as a member of Age Friendly Oxford, an organization that works to create a larger social environment in Oxford, especially among the older adult residential population. She also enjoys the ecological aspect of these walks.
“It was really interesting to find out more about the different invasive species and native species, and what to look for when looking for each one,” Halcomb said. “It’s really cool to hear about it from a biologist’s perspective.”
Speech pathology graduate student Jessica Arthur said she decided to come to the walk after hearing about the opportunity from a new friend during Graduate Student Appreciation Week.
“I love being out in nature and taking walks, but I have never really taken the time to stop and look at everything, especially wildflowers,” Authur said.
Taking a closer look at the sanctuary throughout the spring season will reveal new and different wildflowers blooming each week. Sullivan said this variety allows for the wildflower walks to be held all throughout the spring and remain unique.
“It’s different every time you come, and that’s the reason there are walks through the whole spring,” Sullivan said. “You get to see the things that flower early, and then you can see the things that are getting ready to flower.”
As well as seeing different flowers each week, Sullivan said that the guides, often volunteers and faculty members, also often change week to week.
“The people who guide the walks all have a different knowledge set,” Sullivan said. “They all bring something different.”
Towards the end of the walk, Sullivan directed the group’s attention to a formerly human-developed mound, now sprawling with bluebells and a variety of wildflowers. She said the hillside was cleared only two years ago, and it serves as a reminder of the origins of the sanctuary by showing how quickly nature can come back when given the chance.
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The Wildflower Walks will continue to take place every Sunday at 1 p.m. until May 11, giving those interested several chances to attend before the end of the semester. The walks begin under Peffer Park Pavilion, located next to the sanctuary.
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