Each year the Georgia Botanical Society conducts a Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage to a location of botanical interest. The 57th Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage will be held May 1-3, 2026.
The Pilgrimage will be based in Clayton, Georgia, the site of the Society’s very first pilgrimage. This location was selected by BotSoc members in order to honor the Society’s 100th anniversary, which falls in 2026.
The pilgrimage will feature a Friday night social with hors d’oeuvres and a Saturday banquet with a special program and more great food. And as usual, there will be a terrific lineup of field trips to botanically interesting locations, both nearby and in adjoining areas, including the Carolinas.
SPECIAL FEATURES FOR 2026: On this centennial anniversary there will be a special program during our Friday night social with Steve Bowling, the member with the longest tenure with BotSoc.
The Saturday evening program will be presented by Alan S. Weakley. Dr. Weakley is the Director of the University of North Carolina Herbarium, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biology at UNC Chapel Hill, and a well-known author, among other accomplishments.
We are very excited to have both speakers this year. Please check the Pilgrimage Brochure here for additional details.
T-SHIRT ORDERING: This year, T-shirts will be sold separately. We are trying a new system that allows us to take pre-orders before they make the shirts. When you order, you can choose to have the t-shirts shipped to you prior to the event (shipping is extra) or to pick up in person at the Friday Social.
PILGRIMAGE REGISTRATION: Register for the Pilgrimage at this link.
Remember: Field trip spots are limited, but we do have lots of trips this year. We’ve also set up an inventory for each trip that will tell you how many are remaining, so you no longer have to pick first and second choices.
REMEMBER: Refer to the Pilgrimage brochure for specific information about each trip before registering. Write down the numbers of the trips you want before registering. This will make registering easier.
If you have questions about the field trips, contact Rich Reaves. If you have problems with the form, contact Merrill Morris.
