First Thursday Botanizing Walk: Ben Utter Trail (Exeter)
Spring Emphemerals Welcome You to Botanize
Trillium cernuum (Nodding Trillium), Arcadia Management Area, Exeter, RI
May 7, 2026 | 10 am – 12 pm
Acadia Management Area | Exeter, RI
On this walk with biologist Denise Poyer, we will discover early spring flowers deep in the Arcadia Management Area.
We will first walk south on Sand Trail to look for Indian cucumber root (Medeola virginiana), dolls-eyes (Actaea pachypoda), sharp-lobed hepatica (Anemone acutiloba) and many other ephemeral flowers. This trail features a wonderful patch of nodding trillium (Trillium cernuum), one of the few trillium species found in RI.
We will then turn back north on the Ben Utter Trail to search for downy rattlesnake-plantain (Goodyera pubescens), as well as more wetland species, including early violets. Plan for a mile or so of walking on wooded trails.
This walk is free and open to the public.
Donations to help support our walks are appreciated. DONATE NOW
General walk guidelines
Wear clothing and sturdy footwear appropriate for the weather conditions and for protection against sun exposure, ticks and other insects, briers, tree root etc. Bring a sufficient supply of water and nourishment for your needs.
Dogs are not permitted.
Cancellations
Should you need to cancel, contact communications@riwps.org
We walk light rain or shine. In case of cancellations due to poor weather conditions, we will email you. We tend to wait until the day before the walk to make this call as weather forecasts can be changeable.
Registration is required
The number of participants is limited to maximize the ability for everyone to observe the plants and participate in the conversation.
Note: Only one person can register at a time. To register a second person, just repeat the process.
More specific location of the walk is provided upon registration.
