Fall Conference Sunday Field Trip: Greenbelt Forest Preserve (Greenbelt)

Registration will open on 9/3. Conference participants do not need to register.

The Greenbelt Forest Preserve is a 225 acre parcel of the original forest that once surrounded the City of Greenbelt. Some of this woodland adjoins the extensive pine barrens communities that extend eastward across the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center lands in northern Prince George’s County through northern Anne Arundel County to the headwaters of the Magothy River. These globally-rare communities of Maryland’s Western Shore are considered ancient outliers of New Jersey Pine Barrens, occurring at the southernmost extent of their range. We will look for the many species of ericads (plants of the Heath Family) that grow in the preserve, as well as associated plants like Chinquapin (Castanea pumila), Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida) and many others. We can also look for acidic seepage communities and enjoy other plants typical of the Coastal Plain. The Greenbelt Forest Preserve was purchased in 2003 by the city of Greenbelt after 16 years of local advocacy to save this remaining section of the original green belt around the city as it was threatened by development plans. As we enter the Greenbelt Preserve we will be walking in the woodlands of Greenbelt Homes (GHI), an experimental community created in 1937 by Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal administration, and now a cooperative. At the end of the walk you might enjoy the Greenbelt Farmers Market (closing at 2 pm) at the Roosevelt Center, or visiting the Greenbelt Museum (open 1-4:30 pm).

Leaders: Catherine Plaisant, John Klinovsky, & Damien Ossi

Level of Difficulty: Easy to moderate with gentle climbs but a couple of small stream crossings, logs to step over and possible short slippery sections. Trails are narrow and minimally maintained. Length of walk is 2 to 4 miles depending on the group's speed and interestand will take about 3 hours. There are options for early return if you are comfortable finding your way back on trails by yourself.

Catherine Plaisant and John Klinovsky live at the edge of those woods and have learned the location of a lot of cool plants there. They are self-trained botanists and welcome ID help for more difficult species. Catherine, John, and Damien are Greenbelt residents and the forest is literally their backyard. Damien Ossi is a wildlife biologist with the DC Department of the Environment, President of the Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council, and a long-time resident of Greenbelt. He has led numerous field trips to forests and natural areas throughout the DMV.

Event Co-Hosts: University of Maryland Extension Maryland Native Plants Program and University of Maryland School of Landscape Architecture

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS  REQUIRED. Limited to 15 people.

Directions will be included in registration confirmation.

      

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