The 40th annual Spring Wildflower and Bird Pilgrimage will be held April 27-29, with registration at 6:30 p.m., April 27, in the lobby of UNC Asheville’s Robinson Hall.

There will be 14 events, including talks and guided tours, focused on local flora and fauna. All are open to the public. The pilgrimage is sponsored by UNC Asheville’s Biology Department and the Botanical Gardens at Asheville. The registration fee is $5 for adults and $1 for students and covers all events.

The keynote speech will be delivered by David McAdoo, co-founder of the Native Orchid Conference, will present “Native Orchids of North Carolina,” at 7:30 p.m. in UNC Asheville’s Robinson Hall Auditorium. North Carolina has about 70 different native species; McAdoo’s presentation will include photos of the state’s orchids along with information on their distribution, bloom times and conservation status

Events on Saturday, April 28, will conclude with a presentation by The Smoky Mountain News nature columnist George Ellison, at 7:30 p.m. in UNC Asheville’s Robinson Hall Auditorium. Ellison will present a talk, “Edible, Medicinal, and Utilitarian Plants Used by the Cherokees and Early White Settlers,” including discussion of ginseng, poison ivy, bloodroot, mushrooms and spring greens.

There will also be a two-day celebration that includes plant and craft vendors, food and entertainment from 1-6 p.m. Friday, April 27, and from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 28, in the Botanical Gardens at Asheville, 151 W.T. Weaver Blvd., adjacent to campus.

828.232.5151.