MEMBERSHIP DONATE
An Outdoor Volunteer & Learning Activity
Leaders: Christine Campe-Price, Friends of New Germany State Park & Liz McDowell, MNPS
Want to help preserve our regional biodiversity? Then bring your work gloves, kneeling pads, favorite weeding tools, & some elbow grease to remove unwanted plants from the native plant garden. As you work, you’ll learn how to identify common weeds and why protecting native plants is so critical for wildlife. Meet at the native plant garden near the dam. Please bring your own water bottle, insect spray, & sunscreen. In case of rain this activity will be cancelled.
Directions: From I-68 take exit 22 and follow signs for New Germany State Park. Turn left into the park onto McAndrews Hill Road. The program will be held in the native plant garden near parking lot #5.
No registration.
Speaker: Dr. Lorie Staver
Many islands in Chesapeake Bay have been lost to erosion over the last two centuries, due in large part to sea level rise. The mid-Atlantic region is a global hotspot for sea level rise, threatening the sustainability of tidal marshes which provide many ecosystem services and vital habitat for a variety of species. One effort to counteract the loss of tidal marsh in Chesapeake Bay involves re-creating some of these islands using material dredged during navigation channel maintenance. This presentation will cover some background on sea level rise to provide context for the marsh restoration efforts at Poplar Island, located in Talbot County, Maryland, the first large-scale, long-term restoration project of its kind in Chesapeake Bay.
About the Speaker
Lorie Staver is an Associate Research Professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Horn Point Laboratory. She is a systems ecologist studying the restoration of aquatic ecosystems, including submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) and tidal marsh habitats. She has studied the Poplar Island marshes since 2003, when the first marsh was completed, in collaboration with other faculty at Horn Point and the many management agencies involved in the "resurrection" of Poplar Island.
YOU MUST REGISTER IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE ZOOM LINK
We can accommodate the first 300 people who enter the Zoom meeting at the meeting time. After you register, you will receive a registration confirmation email with a link to the Zoom meeting. Registering does not guarantee a space in the Zoom meeting.
Zoom opens at 7:00PM for pre-program board update and member Q&A. Presentations begin at 7:30PM and generally run until 8:45PM.
The program is free and open to the public.
This will be recorded and available on our Webinars page.
If you enjoy MNPS programs please consider clicking here to make a donation. And don't forget to renew your membership!
Note that if you donate through the event registration, and subsequently cancel, the donation will temporarily appear as a credit. It will take time for the donation to be reinstituted to your account. Donations and membership dues are non-refundable.
Join us for a group work day in this unique boreal swamp habitat! Together, we'll combat non-native invasive species such as autumn olive that are found on the preserve.
You may help for whatever portion is convenient for you. Work will take place on Friday July 10 from 12:00 am to 4:00 pm.
For more information about this important work contact: volunteerwv@tnc.org. To register as a volunteer, please follow this link: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=wW2-eY7Xu0uyK9mUwKQXpwqcVZ-ZqsFGs9lDpf20qdNUNzJXMkg4TjdYM0dINFo0SVpSTDBESjBGRi4u
Leaders: Kevin Speray and Jessica Klotz, MNPS
Description: Join the Western Mountains Chapter of the Maryland Native Plant Society on a car caravan excursion through Green Ridge State Forest in Allegany County, MD. From our meeting point we'll carpool to various spots, taking short walks to view the interesting flora. Green Ridge is the largest contiguous block of public land in MD and the only State Forest in the Ridge & Valley Physiographic Province. This field trip involves up to a mile of walking on easy to moderately difficult terrain.
Kevin Speray is the owner of Wild Indigo Native Nursery in Grantsville, Maryland. He is also a Natural Resources Technician with the Maryland Park Service and worked previously as the head naturalist at Swallow Falls State Park and as a field technician with the Maryland Natural Heritage Program, where he helped conduct endangered species surveys and performed habitat management at sensitive sites around the state. His wife Jessica Klotz is an avid naturalist who has a particular passion for birds and insects, and whose curiosity about the Maryland flora was sparked when she realized the relationship between native plants and insect diversity. She is an active member of the Mountain Laurel Garden club and has a master’s degree in environmental management.
Note: There are public restrooms at the meeting location.
For additional information: Contact Kevin Speray at wildindigonativeplants@gmail.com
ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 13 people. Registration through July 4 for members only. Directions will be included in registration confirmation.
Cancellation Policy: the trip will proceed in drizzle, but will be canceled if heavy rain or thunderstorm is forecast; cancellation will be emailed at least 2 hours before meeting time.
****
Note that An "Account" is not A "Membership" Our website allows non-members to have a "Contact Account" to receive emails about upcoming field trips, programs, and other events. When you login, click on your name (it should be on the top right of the page); if there are no details on membership, you are have a "Contact Account" only. Consider joining to support our programs and take advantage of members-only early registration.
We are launching the Montgomery County chapter of the Maryland Native Plant Society!
We invite you to join us at our first brainstorming and planning meeting at this exciting time in the Society's history.
We'll talk about scheduling meetings, social gatherings, field trips and educational events. Bring your ideas and come enjoy some time with us. Coffee and snacks will be provided.
Location: Nature Forward, 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Reservations are not required, but will help us plan for the meeting
For more information: Jill Fonda Allen: jill.fonda.cgc@gmail.com
If you are unable to attend the meeting, please send Jill your ideas.
We hope to see you, so together we can promote awareness, appreciation and conservation of native plants in our local Montgomery County parks and neighborhoods.
AN EASTERN SHORE CHAPTER EVENT.
Leader: Larisa Prezioso Property owner: Jennifer Lieber
Location: Piney Grove Farm, Chestertown. MD
Description: Located in an environmentally sensitive area along the Chester River, Piney Grove is home to migratory birds and waterfowl, threatened species like quail and wild turkey, and native deer, fox, herons and more. A family farm for more than two centuries; conservation is essential to the stewardship of Piney Grove. This former row crop farm, essential to the Eastern Shore landscape, has been converted over the past five years to native pollinator and grassland meadows with the help of the Natural Lands Project and the Conservation Reserve Program. Please join us for a tour of these spectacular native meadows. We thank the homeowners to open this private property for the MNPS field trip. OPTIONAL: The owner has graciously invited the group for a visit to the main house after the walk and refreshments. https://www.pineygroveevents.com/history
Larisa's Bio: Larisa Prezioso is Director of Land Conservation at Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC), a non-profit accredited land trust whose mission is to conserve, steward and advocate for the unique rural landscape of the Eastern Shore. At ESLC, she provides leadership for land protection, stewardship, and restoration programs. She also manages and coordinates acquisition and conservation easement projects. Originally from Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Larisa started her relationship with the Eastern Shore by attending Washington College in Chestertown, graduating with a degree in Environmental Science and Ecology. Outside of work, Larisa is a master naturalist and docent volunteer at Adkins Arboretum.
For additional information: Please reach out to Cristina Niciporciukas at cnicipo71@outlook.com or 973-216-5216
FREE EVENT
ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 20 people. Registration Deadline: 07/16
Directions will be included in registration confirmation.
Bring: Please bring binoculars, hat, water and snacks. Please wear hat, boots and use insect/tick repellant. We will mostly follow well maintained paths but even those can have ticks.
Cancellation Policy: Event will proceed in drizzle but be cancelled if heavy rain or thunderstorm; cancellation will be emailed at least 3 hours before meeting time.
Rachel Carson Conservation Park is a 650-acre park dedicated to environmental preservation. It is named to honor renowned environmentalist, Rachel Carson, who lived and worked in Montgomery County. One of the park's most notable features is a 30 acre restored meadow. Join plant enthusiasts and weed warriors Jill Fonda Allen and Fred Proctor, as well as Lauren Hubbard, plant scientist, as we explore the meadow in its mid-summer glory.
Leader: Jill Fonda Allen, Fred Proctor, Lauren Hubbard
Location: Rachel Carson Conservation Park (Montgomery Parks)
ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 18 people. Directions will be included in registration confirmation.
Bring: Sturdy shoes/boots, bug spray, hat, long sleeves/pants. Optional magnifying glass, cell phone for iNAT, small ruler. Note: There are no restroom facilities at this location. This will be a moderate hike, 2.6 miles.
Note that An "Account" is not A "Membership". Our website allows non-members to have a "Contact Account" to receive emails about upcoming field trips, programs, and other events. When you login, click on your name (it should be on the top right of the page); if there are no details on membership, you are have a "Contact Account" only. Consider joining to support our programs and take advantage of members-only early registration.
Many folks know that “sedges have edges,” but beyond that, sedges – members of the Family Cyperaceae -- can be difficult to identify. This is especially true for members of the genus Carex. The Maryland Biodiversity Project lists 177 taxa in the genus, while FloraQuest lists 170 species, but who’s counting? No matter the number, the genus is intimidating – but it’s doable for those willing to put in some time and effort. To celebrate the “Year of the Sedge,” we’ll dive right into this crowd. We’ll first review the botanical terminology needed to identify these plants. Then we’ll work together to identify some of the more common Carex species found in Mountain Maryland.
This hands-on workshop is geared toward serious ‘nature nerds’ interested in spending their free time with a hand-lens, botanical manuals, and plant specimens. Registrants must bring their own hand-lens, plus botanical manuals such as Flora of West Virginia or Plants of Pennsylvania, and/or botanical apps such as FloraQuest or Flora of Virginia. Interested participants should consider viewing the special MNPS zoom presentation scheduled for June 24 on Carex terminology as a prelim to this workshop.
Workshop Leaders: Kevin Dodge, Garrett College, and Liz McDowell, MNPS
Kevin has taught in the Natural Resources and Wildlife Technology program at Garrett College since 1987, where he tricks his students into learning the identification and biology of plants and animals and the workings of the ecological communities of the Central Appalachians and beyond.
Liz came to Mountain Maryland in 1979, where she discovered nature and a passion to share it with others. As coordinator of the Western Mountains Chapter of MNPS, she manages the annual MT MD Native Plant Festival, leads field trips, teaches wildflower identification, gives presentations on regional biodiversity, and is a card-carrying ‘nature nerd’.
ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 12 people. Registration through July 14 for members only. For additional information please contact Liz at wmtchapter@mdflora.org
Cancellation Policy: In the event of unforeseen circumstances requiring the cancellation of this workshop, an email will be sent to participants by 7:00 am.
Speaker: Dr. Dan Buonauito
Considering Climate Change in Native Plant Landscape Planning and Management Decisions
Sustainable native planting means choosing species that are suited to both current and future climates to support native wildlife, ecosystem services and to increase climate resilience. In a world that is rapidly changing, many native species are not keeping pace, potentially putting ecological communities at risk. In this session, we'll discuss larger trends in plant migrations related to climate change and explore emerging research about how people can be part of the story.
Dan Buonaiuto is an assistant professor in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture at the University of Maryland College Park and the statewide specialist in invasive plant biology at University of Maryland Extension.
Speaker: Rebecca Henson, Spring Song Museum
Rachel Carson (1907‒1964) was a world-renowned writer and trained biologist and is considered by many as the mother of the modern environmental movement. She lived her adult life in Maryland, first as a graduate student at Johns Hopkins and then moving to Montgomery County for closer proximity to her civil service work in College Park and Washington, DC. This talk will provide an overview of Carson's life and written works, discussing her courage, ecological philosophy, and clear-eyed wonder in the natural world around us, including the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River, Rock Creek Park, and the Chesapeake Bay. It will also explore why Carson wrote her final book, Silent Spring, how it succeeded in shifting public perception about the environment, and where she had hoped her career would go next. Rebecca will briefly share the plans for the creation of the Springsong Museum in Silver Spring, a vibrant community museum celebrating Rachel Carson, a place where visitors of all ages will connect to the natural world through her work and example.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Rebecca Henson founded Springsong Museum in 2021 with the mission of creating a museum that connects community and nature through the wonder and wisdom of Rachel Carson and to bring new life to a previously vacant historic industrial building and site in Silver Spring. Before Springsong, Rebecca worked at Nature Forward's Woodend Sanctuary helping to run the nature bookshop, consulted for the nonprofit Ceres, and led environmental screening and advocacy at Calvert Investments for 9 years. A Maryland Master Naturalist, she is a current board member of Neighbors of the Northwest Branch, the watershed organization stewarding a major tributary of the Anacostia River. She enjoys serving as a judge for Maryland History Day. Rebecca has a BA in History from Vanderbilt University and an MA from the University of Bath (UK) in Politics, Policy, and Society focused on comparative environmental policy and was named a 2026-2027 Beinecke Research Fellow at Yale University for her work with the Rachel Carson Papers. She believes deeply in leaning in to wherever it is one lives.
This meeting is hybrid. We ask that you register for your preferred option; after registering, you will get Zoom login information and in person location information.
Co-sponsor: The University of Maryland Extension with host Lisa Kuder
Physical location: Central Maryland Research and Education Center (CMREC) 4240 Folly Quarter Road Ellicott City, MD 21042 Directions: Enter the building at the front door under the portico. (The door next to the parking lot will be locked.)
We can accommodate the first 300 people who enter the Zoom meeting at the meeting time. After you register, you will receive a registration confirmation email with a link to the Zoom meeting, as well as the in person location information.
If you enjoy MNPS programs, please consider clicking here to make a donation. And don't forget to renew your membership!
Registration will be required, registration will open in June
Discover the unique landscapes of Maryland’s Piedmont and Western Coastal Plain from globally rare ecosystems such as magnolia bogs to the resilient and prevalent oak-hickory forests.
Speakers, workshops, and field trips: Details coming soon.
Registering for this event, you will choose both Saturday and Sunday field trip options.
All guests must also be registered for the conference.
We reserve the right to cancel your registration if you are not also registered for the conference.
Saturday Field Trips are from 1-5 p.m.
Sunday Field Trips start & end time varies. See description.
Speaker: Dr. Martha Weiss
Floral Biographies and Urban Foraging Portfolios: Strategies to Make Botany Relevant, Relatable, and FUN for Plant Agnostics.
Dr. Weiss will talk about some of the strategies she has developed over the years to make botany interesting and relevant for students who otherwise would not give plants a second thought. Among other things, she'll describe exercises focusing on a close examination of floral behavior, and will highlight some of her favorite fall foraging treats.
Dr. Martha Weiss is a professor of biology at Georgetown University, where she studies plant-insect interactions and tries to sneak a dose of botany into every course she teaches, regardless of the subject. She received a BA in geological sciences from Harvard University, a PhD in botany from the University of California, Berkeley, and postdoctoral training in insect behavior from the University of Arizona, Tucson. Her research derives from a close observation of nature and centers around experimental exploration of questions in insect ecology and plant–animal interactions.
TO DUPLICATE: Click on the Arrow next to the Edit button. If you are already in edit mode, cancel and Duplicate this event)
Speaker: Corinne Stephens
Want to tackle invasive plants? Weed Warrior programs with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission empower community members to take an active role in conserving parks by removing invasive plant species.
This talk will highlight the long-running Weed Warrior program at Montgomery Parks, established in 1999, alongside the newly launched program at the Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County. We’ll cover the core components of successful Weed Warrior programs, strategies for engaging and supporting volunteers, and key lessons learned. We'll also provide insights and considerations for building or strengthening volunteer-driven invasive plant management programs as well as ways to get involved.
Corinne Stephens, Natural Resources Specialist III, manages the Montgomery Parks Weed Warrior Volunteer Program that empowers and trains community members to help Montgomery Parks staff manage non-native, invasive plants on parkland. Corinne spent over 15 years in the enviro non-profit sector and has over 22 years of experience in partnership building, community engagement, volunteer management, and wildlife habitat conservation. Corinne has been a lifelong volunteer and was a past president of Friends of Sligo Creek. She holds a BS in animal science and environmental policy from Rutgers University and an MS in wildlife policy from Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. For her Master’s, she worked with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to document the exact locations and risk factors involved in turtle road mortality!
Webinar Recordings page and on the MNPS YouTube channel
Program Resources and Handouts
