Picnic, Plants, and Native Plant Friends

Let’s celebrate our love of native plants and renew our friendships with other native plant enthusiasts from across the state at an exciting new location.(registration is open and will close on April 28, 2025)

NEW Location

Morrow Mountain State Park
49104 Morrow Mountain Road, Albemarle, NC 28001
Directions

Register early! This event will be limited to 150 MEMBERS ONLY.

Our new meeting site at Morrow Mountain State Park is located in Stanly County 50 miles northeast of Charlotte, 65 miles South of Greensboro, and 110 miles from Raleigh. Morrow Mountain State Park provides adventures from the summit of the namesake mountain, along the banks of the Yadkin River State Trail, and to the shores of Lake Tillery. This mountain is a study in geologic wonder. Come experience these mountains with us. Find out more about the state park online.

Morrow Mountain State Park
Park Map PDF

If you are interested in camping, MMSP campsites are closed for maintenance right now but check their website in April. Uwharrie National Forest campsites are close by. Nearby Albemarle has some modest hotels and VRBO has many lakeside offerings in the area.

Mobile phone service is not available at Morrow Mountain State Park. Have your directions downloaded before you reach the park. You will not be able to call for clarification once you enter the park.

To start the day join us for a short walk on the Quarry Trail, an easy .6-mile loop trail led by Ken Knight at 10:15 am.
Ken is a native North Carolinian and retired wildlife biologist who worked for the NC Wildlife Resources Commission for 36 years. He has a BS from NCSU and an MS from West Virginia University, in wildlife biology. Ken is interested in native plants, NC, and local history, especially the history of Morrow Mountain State Park. Ken will lead another walk after lunch at 1:15 on the Laurel Trail near the picnic area.

Plants and food drop-off will begin at 10:00 am. Directions to the Community Building will be in your registration email.

REGISTER HERE

All volunteers must register to attend.

Agenda

10:00 – 11 am attendees drop off plants and food
10:15 – 11 am Ken Knight Quarry Trail Walk
11:15 – 11:45 am Annual meeting and awards – Ken Bridle, President
11:45 – 2 pm Plant Sale, Silent Auction and Lunch
1:15 – 2 pm Ken Knight Laurel Trail Walk

More detail

Annual Meeting & Awards 11:15-11:45 am

The annual meeting will take place from 11:15 -11:45 in the Community Building beside the Park Office. Join President Ken Bridle as he recaps activities from the past year, shares plans for next year, and awards several outstanding volunteers.

Native Plant Sale & Silent Auction 11:45 am – 2 pm

Shop for natives to grow your native garden and share the riches of your garden with other members. NCNPS members from across the state donate a wide variety of home-grown native plants each year for this sale that supports the NCNPS.

Contributors: If possible, please email Louise Romanow, LbizRomanow@gmail.com, before April 25 with a list of the plants you plan to bring. This helps us plan space requirements. Label all plants with both the scientific and common names. We need established plants in 3” or larger pots. Bring a variety of plants and not more than 15 pots of the same plant. Drop off plants between 10 am and 11 am.

Sale Logistics: No early browsing of plants will be permitted. This allows for more organized plant pricing and setup and gives all members an equal opportunity to choose plants. Volunteers will be working hard to set up the sale for everyone. The plant sale will open immediately following the Annual Meeting. Toward the end of the sale remaining plants will be offered at half price.

Silent Auction: We will select no more than 20 special plants for a silent auction including hard-to-find or especially striking examples of native plants.

PAYMENT DETAILS

NCNPS accepts CASH or CHECK ONLY. Our new location does not have cell service or Wi-Fi to process credit cards. You can renew your annual membership at the picnic or online before the event. Payment locations will be outside on the Community Building Patio from 12:00 – 2:00 for all plant purchases.
To process your payment quickly, you can fill out the payment form, total your purchases, and drop this off with your check for fast and easy checkout.

Lunch 11:45 – 1:30 pm

Chicken and drinks will be provided by NCNPS. We encourage each attendee to bring a side dish or dessert to share, along with a serving utensil. You can deliver side items to the Community Building near the Park Office before the annual meeting. Please bring a re-usable water bottle and/or cup for yourself. You may eat inside the Community Building, or bring a picnic blanket and/or chairs to eat outside. We encourage outside gatherings along the patio or grassy area behind the building as there is not enough inside seating for all participants.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. For questions about plant donations contact Louise Romanow, lbizromanow@gmail.com‬. The ideal timing for plant drop off is 10-10:30 AM. Please label your plants.

For questions about food donations, contact Bernyce Pritchard at bernycep@gmail.com.