$10 per person for those not registered for the conference.

Soldiers Delight serpentine barrens, or oak savanna, is a globally rare ecosystem, hosting over 30 state, federal, and globally rare plant and animal species. Shaped by time, fire, and geology, this site is one of the most biodiverse locations in Maryland. We will hike along the Serpentine trail, exploring the bedrock, exquisite grasslands, and the plants who love them. We'll see the effects of the 30+ year restoration effort and discuss future issues. 1.5 miles with several stops, with the option to complete the 3.1 mile loop.

Leader: Paula Becker

Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Paula Becker has been an ecologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program for over 30 years. Her duties through the years include volunteer coordination and outreach for the State's non-game and endangered species program, as well as rare species surveys and habitat restoration (which is a whole lot of invasive plant work). Prior to joining Maryland DNR, she served as a naturalist for New Jersey State Parks and Forests, provided integrated pest management at a native plant nursery, and trained as a wildlife rehabilitator in Seattle, Washington. She holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Forest Biology and Resource Management, with concentrations in wildlife biology and plant ecology from the State University of New York - College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry. Go, Mighty Oaks!

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 14 people.

Directions will be included in registration confirmation.

      

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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.

$10 per person for those not registered for the conference.

Come see the transformative power of volunteers! The Community Native Planting Project (CNPP) will be giving a guided tour of two of its sites that will show the Before, During, and After stages of invasive removal and native planting. We will visit two locations that started as invasive-filled vacant lots that were used for illegal dumping - until CNPP and its volunteers began work to turn them into thriving native plant habitats. We will be highlighting the various aspects that go into reclaiming seemingly hopeless sites and how others can do it, too!

Leader: Diane Beedle

Level of Difficulty: Somewhat difficult to difficult - This trip is not recommended for people with difficulty walking. We will be visiting two different sites that are a few blocks apart. One site has very difficult terrain with a variety of tripping hazards. Both have somewhat steep inclines. No bathroom facilities.

Diane Beedle is the president and cofounder of Community Native Planting Project (CNPP.) She is a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (Level One), a Maryland Master Naturalist, and a former board member and treasurer of the Maryland Native Plant Society. Diane has led the transformation of over a dozen sites into thriving native plant habitats and has been a lead collaborator for many others. She also has over 20 years of experience in advocacy work ranging from community organizing to writing federal laws.

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. Payment must be received within 15 minutes or your registration will automatically be canceled..

Directions will be included in registration confirmation.

      

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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.

$10 per person for those not registered for the conference.

Description: Patuxent Research Refuge, North Tract. The Patuxent Research Refuge has documented over 1200 plant species due to the wide variety of habitats in its 12,000 acres. The North tract is particularly diverse with sandy soils on maintained powerline cuts that contain an array of late summer flowers, particularly Asteraceae. This field trip will jump between different locations to allow the exploration of different habitats. We will meet at the visitors center and car pool so we can travel between stops. Walking is on flat gravel roads and along the park roads.

Leaders: Clare Walker, Helen Lowe Metzman, and Robert Ferraro

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 20 people. Payment must be received within 15 minutes of registration,  or your registration will automatically be canceled. 

Level of Difficulty: Easy.  Some walking from the visitor center and some driving short distances to sites nearby.

Clare Walker teaches plant identification classes for Nature Forward and leads walks associated with those classes. Helen and Robert have been volunteers for Patuxent for many years, documenting plant species on the refuge and curating the herbarium. The three have led numerous walks on the refuge and are very familiar with the diverse array of plants occurring in various habitats, some of which are unique to the refuge.

Helen Lowe Metzman is a D.C. native who grew up with the Washington Beltway in her suburban backyard. Helen escaped to nearby Northwest Branch in search of wild flora and fauna. Her interest in natural history led her to the University of Vermont, where she studied Wildlife Biology and Environmental Education. Helen worked as a naturalist, illustrator and graphic artist, for Howard County’s Department of Recreation and Parks in the Natural Resources Division and studied ethnobotany. For fifteen years, she was garden director and educator for USDA botanist James A. Duke’s Green Farmacy Garden, a medicinal plant garden located in Fulton, Maryland. In 2017, Helen began volunteering at the USGS Bee Lab, using high-resolution macrophotography equipment to photograph native plants from Howard County and the Patuxent Refuge. In 2020, Helen joined Patuxent's Plant Inventory Project and Herbarium Team and started exploring and documenting the refuge's diverse flora. Currently, Helen serves on the board of Friends of Patuxent as a co-vice chair and on the board of the United Plant Savers - a native medicinal plant conservation organization. Helen has lived on 4.5 acres in Howard County for over 38 years, attempting to replace an onslaught of invasives with native plants while remaining in awe of the natural world.

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

Directions will be included in registration confirmation.

      

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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.

$10 per person for those not registered for the conference.

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

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 15 people. Payment must be received within 15 minutes of registration, or your registration will automatically be canceled. 

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 interest and 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

Directions will be included in registration confirmation.

      

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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.

Registration will open on 9/4. Conference participants do not need to register.

$10 per person for those not registered for the conference.

Join the Maryland Biodiversity Project Quad-busting Team as we work to document species in under surveyed quad maps! We will be surveying in the Waterford quad in Montgomery County at White's Ferry and the C & O Canal. We will try to bring the Waterford quad map up to 1000 species (currently 719). We will document plants, insects, birds, etc. using the iNaturalist app. Please have this app on your phones. No previous experience using the app required. We will survey areas around the parking lot and river and then walk upriver on the towpath, level walking. We will walk to mile post 38 (2.5 miles) if time permits and then return (total 5 miles). State Rare, Threatened, and Endangered) species that have been documented here include Limestone Wild Petunia (Ruellia strepens), Halberd-leaved Rosemallow (Hibiscus laevis), White Trout Lily (Erythronium albidum), and Eastern Ringtail (Erpetogomphus designatus).

Leader: Sue Muller

Level of Difficulty: Easy, level terrain. Port-a-pots are available in the parking lot.

Sue Muller was raised in upstate New York. She had a passion for birds from a very young age, receiving her first pair of binoculars and the “Golden Guide to Birds” at the age of seven. She was troubled as a youngster not being able to see a Bald Eagle or Eastern Bluebird (NY state bird). She wanted to save the planet. This yearning steered her career path into Wildlife Management, receiving a BS in Wildlife Management from West Virginia University. Her career was spent working in Natural Resources in the Maryland piedmont, retiring on Earth Day of 2021 after a 40-year career. Her favorite accomplishments include serving as a County Coordinator for MARA (Maryland Amphibian Reptile Atlas), PARS (Pennsylvania Amphibian Reptile Survey) and the Maryland/DC Breeding Bird Atlas(3). Sue is currently a contributing editor for the Maryland Biodiversity Project for which she has coordinated numerous quad-busting events.

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 10 people.

Directions will be included in registration confirmation.

      

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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.

$10 per person for those not registered for the conference.

Designated one of the "Best Natural Areas" in Maryland-National Capital Parks (M-NCPPC), the 630+ acre Blockhouse Point Conservation Park contains a variety of habitats from high-quality upland forests to floodplain forests to rock outcrops to streams and wetlands. As we begin the autumn season, we can expect to see plants transitioning from the full summer green/flowering stage to the full fruit/seed and "end of the season" stage. Botanist/Naturalist (past president of MNPS) Carole Bergmann will lead the group as we explore the park and observe the biodiversity of plant life and ecological niches. Expect a couple mile hike on natural surface trails, with some rocky and uneven terrain with uphill and downhill stretches.

Leader: Carole Bergmann

Level of Difficulty: Medium, on trails over variable terrain. No restroom facilities.

Carole Bergmann is retired Countywide Botanist/Forest Ecologist for M-NCPPC and a past president of the MNPS. She earned a MS in Environmental Biology from Hood College and worked as Forest Ecologist for Montgomery Parks for over 30 years. She was instrumental in securing conservation status for some of Montgomery County's most important natural areas and founded the Weed Warriors program that has certified over 1000 volunteers. Carole has been giving botanical lectures and leading field trips for over 4 decades for a wide range of organizations in the mid-Atlantic.

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 12 people.

Directions will be included in registration confirmation.

      

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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.

$10 per person for those not registered for the conference.

Join us for a leisurely Sunday meander through Fairland Regional Park, a unique park that straddles Maryland's Fall Line. We'll follow Little Paint Branch to explore characteristic Piedmont forest communities before making our way along the Viper Trail to visit a classic acidic oak Coastal Plain habitat. Along the way, we'll see one of the few remaining American chestnut (Castanea dentata) trees in Prince George's County and discuss the diverse plant communities that make this park special.

Leader: Kerry Wixted

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 20 people. Payment must be received within 15 minutes of registration, or your registration will automatically be canceled. 

Level of Difficulty: Moderate. There are some slopes but nothing too steep.

Kerry Wixted is a vegetation ecologist with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). She has more than 15 years of experience studying the flora and fauna of Maryland with roles with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Service and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

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 20 people.

Directions will be included in registration confirmation.

      

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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.

$10 per person for those not registered for the conference.

The Humane Gardener Sanctuary welcomes everyone, from butterflies and tree frogs to rabbits and deer. More of an ever-evolving natural habitat than a static garden, the 2.23-acre land is home to dozens of volunteer native grasses, trees and wildflowers that mingle with the many other native plants Nancy and her husband, Will, have added over the years. Once all turf dotted with a few unhelpful species (Bradford pear, barberry, miscanthus), the pesticide-free space is now a many-layered feast and refuge for wildlife. Nonnatives are still a fact of life here, always hovering around the edges, but the balance has shifted and the native plants have gathered strength, now dominating a once barren landscape.

Leader: Nancy Lawson

Level of Difficulty: Easy to moderate.  Short walk, but there are relatively narrow paths and some bumpy terrain.

Nancy Lawson is a nature writer, habitat advocate and author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife and Wildscape: Trilling Chipmunks, Beckoning Blooms, Salty Butterflies, and other Sensory Wonders of Nature. She founded Humane Gardener to pioneer creative wildlife-friendly landscaping methods, and she co-chairs Howard County Bee City to advocate for native bees. Her work and garden have been featured in Science Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Oprah magazine, Entomology Today, and Ecological Entomology. Nancy is the wildlife columnist for American Gardener magazine and an honorary national director for Wild Ones.

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 12 people.

Directions will be included in registration confirmation.

      

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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.

$10 per person for those not registered for the conference.

We will start our hike from the parking lot near Little Seneca Lake boat mooring and hike for about 2 miles on natural surface trails through managed meadows, scrub shrub early succession woods and upland piedmont forests. Trails are relatively even, but hiking boots or sturdy shoes and water are recommended. There is a porta john near the trail head.

Leaders: Claudine Lebeau & Kathy Bilton

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 12 people. Payment must be received within 15 minutes of registration, or your registration will automatically be canceled. 

Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Claudine Lebeau has led guided walks with the Maryland Native Plant Society. Kathy Bilton has led walks for the local Audubon Society and the Botanical Society of Washington. Kathy and Claudine have been passionate about botany for decades.

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 12 people.

Directions will be included in registration confirmation.

      

****

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.

$10 per person for those not registered for the conference.

Rachel Carson Conservation Park is a 650-acre previous Quaker farm dedicated to 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. Meadow restoration started in 2021 and included plans to have over 30 species of native plants yielding three seasons in bloom. September blooms include several species of goldenrod, boneset and aster. The woods are largely chestnut oak overstory with mountain laurel, pinkster azalea, sumac and blueberry understory. Join plant enthusiast and weed warrior Fred Proctor as we explore this botanically diverse park in its late-summer glory.

Leaders: Fred Proctor and Ryan Colliton

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 20 people. Payment must be received within 15 minutes of registration, or your registration will automatically be canceled. 

Level of Difficulty: Moderate, unneven, 2.5 miles woodland. No bathroom facilities.

Fred Proctor is a retired engineer who has volunteered for the Montgomery Parks Weed Warrior for the past five years. He has co-lead several MNPS plant walks in the Rachel Carson Conservation Park and gives occaisional native plant talks. He has a unique familiartiy and appreciation for the ecosystems in this highly diverse 650 acre conservation park. Ryan Colliton is Principal Vegetation Ecologist and Natural Resource Specialist for Montgomery Parks.

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 20 people.

Directions will be included in registration confirmation.

      

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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.

$10 per person for those not registered for the conference.

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC): Forest diversity and coastal wetlands research on responses to climate change

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) scientists work to understand how ecosystems in the Chesapeake Bay and around the world function and respond to changing conditions, and have uncovered new ways to connect people and ecosystems for a sustainable future for over sixty years. Join senior researchers Melissa McCormick and Dennis Whigham as we explore two experimental conservation areas at SERC in Edgewater, Maryland. In addition to their research at SERC, Dr. McCormick and Dr. Whigham are cofounders of the North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC).

Leader: Melissa McCormick & Dennis Whigham

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 30 people. Payment must be received within 15 minutes of registration, or your registration will automatically be canceled. 

Level of Difficulty: Easy, trail and boardwalk. Bathroom facilities on site.

Melissa McCormick, PhD. is a Senior Ecologist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) and is the Director of the North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC). She earned her B.S. degree Trinity University (San Antonio, Texas, 1992) and Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior from Michigan State University (1999). Melissa joined SERC in 1999, first as a postdoctoral researcher, then a research scientist, and now as a senior ecologist. Her main research focus is on associations between plants and mycorrhizal fungi, with a strong focus on orchids. In 2011, with Dennis Whigham, she co-founded NAOCC at the Smithsonian. The goal of NAOCC is to safeguard the native orchids of the US and Canada, through propagation, preservation, and education. She has authored over 60 peer reviewed scientific publications about orchids, their mycorrhizal fungi, their pollinators, and other drivers of plant distribution.

Dennis Whigham, PhD. received his PhD from the University of North Carolina before joining the Smithsonian in 1977. He retired in December 2023, becoming the first recipient of the Smithsonian’s Distinguished Service Career Medal. Over 47 years at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), Dr. Whigham, working alongside various collaborators, contributed to more than 250 peer-reviewed articles and coedited 11 books. In 2025, he received the AOS Conservation Committee’s Keenan Award for in recognition of his long and distinguished career and numerous contributions to the conservation of native orchids.In retirement, Dennis remains actively involved in orchid research and conservation, with a special focus on the work of the North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC), a visionary initiative he founded in 2011. Dennis’s interests and research in plant ecology have taken him to diverse habitats around the globe. His long-term research on woodland herbs, particularly orchids, inspired new research pathways and led to continent-wide efforts to preserve native orchids.

If you want to a little reading before, here are a couple of links

• GCReW: https://serc.si.edu/gcrew
• Functional Forests: https://serc.si.edu/media/press-release/functional-forests
• Tempest: https://serc.si.edu/blog/tempest-project-floods-forest-predict-future
• BiodiversiTree: https://serc.si.edu/research/projects/biodiversitree

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 30 people.

Directions will be included in registration confirmation.

      

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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.

$10 per person for those not registered for the conference.

The Suitland Bog is one of the last remaining Magnolia Bogs in the DC area. It is home to a number of rare and interesting plants including Red Milkweed, Northern Pitcher Plants, and Rose Pogonia orchids. We will begin in the upland area and travel down into the gravel bog observing the plant and animal life along the way.

Leader: Kim Stringer

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 30 people. Payment must be received within 15 minutes of registration, or your registration will automatically be canceled. 

Level of Difficulty: Easy. The trail and boardwalk are natural surfaces and not paved. There are bathroom facilities nearby, but not on site.

Kim Stringer is Park Ranger with the Natural and Historical Resources Division M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County

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 30 people.

Directions will be included in registration confirmation.

      

****

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.

$10 per person for those not registered for the conference.

The large acidic seepage swamp is a short walk across an unused cornfield and through a patch of old-age Pitch Pine barrens forest. The vast wetland - drowned Pine Barrens Lowland Forest - is an ancestral beaver impoundment/wet meadow along the south branch of aptly named Beaverdam Creek on the East Farm, which emanates as the outflow of Powerline Bogs #1 and 2 and Pine Barrens Lowland Forest: Pinus rigida – Nyssa sylvatica / Clethra alnifolia – Eubotrys racemosus Forest (USNVC: CEGL006926). Global/State Ranks: G2G3/S2?. It is surrounded by old-age Pinus rigida forest and Pine Barrens Lowland Forest. We'll explore the globally endangered northern Pitch Pine sand barrens at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center at their southernmost extent in Maryland and discuss why these natural areas are so highly valued and in need of conservation. We will also see champion-sized Pitch Pine and other pine barrens trees.

Leader: Rod Simmons

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 25 people. Payment must be received within 15 minutes of registration, or your registration will automatically be canceled. 

Level of Difficulty: Easy to moderate, boots will be good, but no need for water boots because we will not be going into the swamp.

Rod Simmons is a plant ecologist, with a background in biology, geology, and ecology who has extensively surveyed the flora and natural communities of the mid-Atlantic region, especially the inner Coastal Plain and Piedmont of the greater Washington, D.C. area. He is a Research Associate with the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution; a member of the Virginia Botanical Associates; former contract botanist for National Park Service, NatureServe, and others; and works closely with the Virginia and Maryland Natural Heritage Programs. He is the author of numerous technical reports, papers, and articles, and has published in scientific journals. He is a member and a past president of the Botanical Society of Washington and serves on the boards of the Virginia Native Plant Society and Maryland Native Plant Society. He is a frequent lecturer and field trip leader for various organizations. He was the Natural Resource Manager and Plant Ecologist for the City of Alexandria, Virginia for nearly 30 years.

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 25 people.

Directions will be included in registration confirmation.

      

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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.

$10 per person for those not registered for the conference.

Explore the diverse meadows, wetlands and forests of Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in southern Anne Arundel County. Fall wildflowers can be a challenge to identify if you don't know what to look for. We'll learn to “key-out” local plants using the popular Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Other field guides can be used, but the instruction will focus on the terminology and methodology of Newcomb's. This will be an outdoor hands-on class in an open meadow habitat. We'll even review how to take photos of key identifying characteristics to add to an iNaturalist observation or share on social media for others to help identify. Bring a fully charged camera or cell phone to take pictures. Please consider buying Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide before the program and reading the introduction. A few copies of the guide and extra lenses will be available to borrow.

Leader: Karyn Molines

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 15 people. Payment must be received within 15 minutes of registration, or your registration will automatically be canceled. 

Level of Difficulty: Easy, but not wheelchair accessible

Karyn Molines is a founding board member of the Maryland Native Plant Society, where she manages the membership and website and leads native plant identification field trips. She has been a naturalist and educator for more than 30 years. For her day job, she serves as the Calvert County Parks & Recreation Division Chief of Natural Resources and is a Certified Climate Change Professional®.

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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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.

$10 per person for those not registered for the conference.

Come see a beautiful diverse meadow in Cabin John Regional Park. It has both wet and drier areas and we will see a wide variety of grasses and flowering plants in full bloom. This meadow has not been planted or seeded. If there is time we can also visit another meadow in the park that has been the focus of restoration efforts and compare the two habitats.

Leader: Anne DeNovo

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 12 people. Payment must be received within 15 minutes of registration, or your registration will automatically be canceled.

Level of Difficulty: Easy to moderate, includes walk up a steep natural trail to a meadow area.

Anne DeNovo is a Master Naturalist and former field trip coordinator and leader for MNPS. For several years she has been helping to conduct a plant survey and inventory of the meadows at Locust Grove Nature Center.

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 12 people.

Directions will be included in registration confirmation.

      

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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.

Leader: Mary Ann Daly, Western Mountains Chapter of MNPS 

Description: Around McMahon's Mill, limestone bluffs front the Potomac with little or no land between river and rock.  Below the mill, where the towpath juts out over the river, we'll get a close look at the flora of the adjacent bluffs (without having to scale them).  We should see some cliff specialists, such as Alumroots and Allegheny Stonecrop, and limestone lovers, such as Aromatic Asters and Fragrant Sumac.  Trees include Common Hackberry, Slippery Elm, and Common Juniper, sometimes growing from clefts in sheer rock, alone or with other plants.  Staying on the towpath, we'll stroll downstream until about noon, then retrace our steps. Dues to limited parking at McMahon's Mill, we will carpool from the Downsville Ruritan Park.  This field trip involves about 2 miles of walking on easy terrain. 

Mary Ann Daly is a retired technology specialist and lifelong student of wild plants. Since moving to Washington County in 2017, she's come to appreciate the special ecosystems of the area.  

Note: There are public restrooms at both the carpool meeting place and final destination.

For additional information: Contact Mary Ann Daly at madaly@verizon.net

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 14 people. Registration through August 31 for members only.  Directions will be included in registration confirmation.

AN EASTERN SHORE CHAPTER EVENT.

Leaders: Leslie Cario and Cristina Niciporciukas

Location: Adkins Arboretum

Kick off your day at Adkins Arboretum with a fast, vibrant walk through the North Meadow, an early succession landscape alive with shifting light, grasses, and emerging wildflowers. We will look for the Nodding Ladies’-tresses—one of six native orchids at Adkins and a newly reported addition to the Adkins flora. Also, a grove of the Over cup Oak, the oak species that helped spark the Arboretum’s founding vision.  Along the way, we will explore two of Adkins’ newest spaces: the Nestled in Nature gathering spot, designed by Campion Hruby Landscape Architects with artistic contributions from ceramicist Mike Pugh and craftsman Peter Battcock, and Woodhenge, a developing public art installation by Vicco von Voss. Crafted from six slabs of a lightning struck tree, Woodhenge blends art, nature, and community—symbolizing resilience, transformation, and the cycles of life.

Plants we will try to spot: Spiranthes cernua, Over Cup oak, Bald cypress, Green ash, Oaks of the Coastal Plains, Bluestem, Blue curls, Sweet everlasting.

And after the walk… stick around! Join Rhythm & Roots, Adkins’ afternoon beer fest—good music, good brews, and the perfect way to round out a day of orchids, oaks, and art.  Come for the meadow magic—stay for the rhythm and roots.  Rhythm & Roots goes from 1 to 4pm, so you can start partying as soon as you finish the walk.

Leader's brief bios:  Leslie Cario is the Horticulture and Natural Lands Director at Adkins Arboretum. Cristina Niciporciukas is the Eastern Shore MNPS Chapter Chair.

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 12 people. 

Bring: Please bring hat, water and snacks. Use insect/tick repellant.  We will mostly follow well maintained paths but even those can have ticks.

An Adkins Arboretum Event:  In the Eastern Shore.

Stewarding family land for future generations.

Join certified arborist and Adkins Arboretum Board member Garrett Dickel for an evening walk through his family's 6 acre living landscape shaped by 7 years of ecological stewardship.  Click below for a short video about the Dickel's property.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=6eCVBmrB2d3jEM7C&v=yghQ5xScgp8&feature=youtu.be

Explore meadows, wetlands, and woodlands while discussing native plants, habitat restoration, and practical ways to work with nature to achieve a functional, diverse, and aesthetically pleasing landscape. The walk will be on mowed trails and wood chip paths.

Carpooling and bug spray are encouraged.

Advance registration required.  Exact address will be provided after registration.  Register with Adkins Arboretum in the link below:
https://adkins.donorshops.com/product/dpt26/dickel-property-tour-september-30-2026

Ecological Landscaping Speaker Series & Native Garden Tours

In 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, Adkins Arboretum received funding from the Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT) to provide outreach and education to local Homeowner Associations (HOAs) and the general public, supporting environmentally friendly landscaping practices. 

This series was developed by building on the Naturally Better Landscaping project, in partnership with ShoreRivers, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, Pickering Creek, Phillips Wharf, and Wild Ones. It is offered free of charge thanks to funding from CBT and Queen Anne’s County, and open to the general public.