Maryland Native Plant Society upcoming events

MNPS Special Event: Botanical Terminology for Sedge (Carex) Identification by Sean Sipple (Wednesday - Zoom) (06/24/2026)

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Speaker: Sean Sipple

This is a special event. Unlike our regular monthly programs, this event will start at 7:00 and end around 8:00.

During this optional virtual session associated with the Sedge (Carex) Identification Workshop on June 27th at the Adkins Arboretum, we will go over the most essential botanical terms and techniques used to identify sedges (Carex spp.) in dichotomous keys. This session is encouraged for people less familiar with botanical terminology, or people less familiar with sedges in particular. This session will be open to the general public, not just for workshop participants. However, If you would like to attend the June 27th workshop you will have to register online for the 25 slots available.

About the Speaker

Sean is a Senior Environmental Scientist with over 22 years of experience. He co-leads the NRT and oversees CRI’s water quality and biomonitoring studies in non-tidal and tidal habitats, with broad expertise in natural resources disciplines such as rare, threatened, and endangered species and habitat surveys, waters of the U.S. (including wetlands) delineations, and mitigation monitoring. Sean conducts, reviews, and assembles complex natural resource studies related to residential, commercial, transportation, and utility projects, both private and public. He holds numerous accredited certifications, including Senior Professional Wetland Scientist, Professional Wetland Delineator, Benthic Macroinvertebrate Taxonomy, Fish Taxonomy, Fish Crew Leader, Qualified Bog Turtle Surveyor, and Small Whorled Pogonia. He is well-recognized for his technical expertise and regularly provides professional training to natural resource professionals in the region in wetland delineation, plant identification, and other technical disciplines.

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.

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.

MNPS Monthly Program: Poplar Island and mid-Bay Restoration Projects by Dr. Lorie Staver (06/30/2026)

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 23:00:00 GMT

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

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!

MNPS Monthly Program: Considering Climate Change in Landscape Planning and Management Decisions by Dr. Dan Buonauito (07/28/2026)

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 23:00:00 GMT

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.

YOU MUST REGISTER IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE ZOOM LINK

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!

MNPS Monthly Program: Floral Biographies and Urban Foraging Portfolios by Dr. Martha Weiss (09/29/2026)

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 23:00:00 GMT

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.

YOU MUST REGISTER IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE ZOOM LINK

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!

MNPS Monthly Program: Weed Warriors: Volunteers in Action by Corinne Stephens (10/27/2026)

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 23:00:00 GMT

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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!

YOU MUST REGISTER IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE ZOOM LINK

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!