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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.
An Adkins Arboretum Event! In the Eastern Shore.
Description: Presented by Shane Brill, this dynamic program blurs the line between foraging and gardening. Through a presentation and guided walk, Shane will delve into the edible potential of the Eastern Shore, focusing on wild foods and their nutritional benefits. Participants will learn how to harness these resources to restore our role as active participants in the natural world and cultivate a sense of belonging within a healthy, biodiverse community. We’ll thoughtfully address ecological concerns related to foraging, emphasizing the importance of creating sustainable food sources at home rather than harvesting from wild areas.
On the guided walk, we will encounter various edible and medicinal plants, uncovering their nutritional and healing properties through the lens of ancestral wisdom and modern science. Whether you are a beginner or have foraging experience, you'll find valuable insights to deepen your connection to nature. This program is part of the Ecological Landscaping Speaker Series & Native Garden Tours.
This event is free to attend, but advance registration with Adkins Arboretum is required. For registration: Foraging Connections – May 30, 2026
Meet Your Instructor Shane Brill is a passionate educator and practitioner at the forefront of ecological sustainability and functional nutrition. With over 20 years of experience, he crafts dynamic, hands-on programs that inspire healthier lives through food literacy, regenerative living, and holistic well-being. Shane's work empowers individuals and communities to build lasting resilience with practical, nature-based solutions. Through his business, Perennial Nutritional Therapy, he helps clients take charge of their health and thrive in harmony with the natural world.
Co-Sponsoring Organization: M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County.
Leaders: Kim Stringer. Kerry Wixted and Chris Garrett
Location: 5904 Suitland Rd, Hillcrest Heights, MD 20746
Description: Celebrate 50 years of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) managing Suitland Bog Natural Area with a pre-birthday bash hike! We’ll start in the upland area, travel down to the terrace gravel bog to botanize along the boardwalk then will check out a few other areas of botanical interest.
Kim Stringer is a Park Ranger with the Natural and Historical Resources Division M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County. Kerry Wixted is the vegetation ecologist with the Park Planning and Environmental Stewardship Division, M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County. Chris Garrett is the Natural Surface Trails Supervisor with the Natural and Historical Resources Division M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George's County.
For additional information: Please reach out to Kerry Wixted at Kerry.wixted@pgparks.com or 240-716-8389.
FREE EVENT
ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Registration Deadline: 6/3
Bring: Please bring whatever you need for a walk in the woods! This means good shoes, water, lunch, and snacks. Bring a hand lens if you have one, as well as your favorite identification resources.
Cancellation Policy: Event will proceed in drizzle but be cancelled if heavy rain or thunderstorm; cancellation will be emailed at least 2 hours before meeting time.
Leaders: Rod Simmons and Jorge Bogantes Montero
Location: Chapman State Park, 3452 Ferry Pl, Indian Head, MD 20640. Limited parking is available so we encourage carpooling.
Description: Join MNPS board members, Rod Simmons (plant ecologist) and Jorge Bogantes Montero (conservation biologist), as we explore sedges (Carex spp.) in one of the most scenic parks in Maryland, the historic Chapman State Park. As part of the "Year of the Sedge", we will explore the riparian ecosystems of this park right by the mighty Potomac River in Charles County. The park possesses some of the state's highest Carex diversity in its gorgeous wetlands and floodplain forests.
Difficulty Level and/or Trail Mileage: Easy to moderate, about 1 mile.
Speaker Bios: Rod Simmons is a plant ecologist and conservation biologist, with a background in biology, botany, and geology who has extensively surveyed the flora and natural communities of the mid-Atlantic region, especially the inner Coastal Plain, Fall Zone, 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 NatureServe, National Park Service, 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 and Maryland native plant societies. He is a frequent lecturer and field trip leader for various organizations. He recently retired as Natural Resource Manager and Plant Ecologist for the City of Alexandria, Virginia.
Jorge Bogantes Montero is a Natural Resources Program Manager at the Anacostia Watershed Society in Bladensburg, MD. He leads ecological restoration efforts on public parklands in the Anacostia River watershed (in both DC and MD), including wetland restoration, tree plantings, meadow creation, SAV propagation, mussel propagation, wildlife monitoring, and invasive plant management. Mr. Bogantes Montero has a Bachelor's degree in Natural Resource Management and Protection from the Universidad Estatal a Distancia in San Jose, Costa Rica, his native country. Before moving to the U.S., Jorge worked in his country in issues related to tropical biodiversity conservation.
For additional information: Jorge Bogantes Montero, jmontero@anacostiaws.org/ 202-560-6107.
ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 25 people. Registration through May 29, 2026 for members only. Directions will be included in registration confirmation.
Bring: Closed-toe shoes, water, sunscreen and repellent. Cancellation Policy: Event will proceed in drizzle but be cancelled if heavy rain or thunderstorm.
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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.
AN EASTERN SHORE CHAPTER EVENT.
Leader: Jon Shaw Co-Leaders: Cristina Niciporciukas/Wayne Bell
Location: Wye Farm
Description: Wye Farm is a 450‑acre historic estate (ca. 1800) in Queen Anne’s County. It is the family farm of Anne Habberton and is co‑managed with her husband, wildlife artist Jonathan Shaw. In 2021, thirty‑three acres of former cropland were converted to native grasses and wildflowers. Since then, the fields have been managed as early‑successional wildlife habitat through selective mowing and invasive‑plant control.
The transformation has been remarkable. The wildflower meadows provide a shifting display of color throughout the growing season and support an impressive diversity of pollinators, from bees to butterflies. They also offer food and year‑round cover for birds, including declining grassland species such as Grasshopper Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, and Northern Bobwhite. The project is now considered one of the most successful native wildflower restorations in the region.
Jonathan Shaw will guide us through the heart of the restoration and explain how the habitat is managed to support both plant productivity and wildlife. Expect fields alive with butterflies and other pollinators—and American Goldfinches making the most of the abundant seed crop.
We will mostly follow well maintained paths but even those can have ticks.
For additional information: Please reach out to Cristina Niciporciukas at cnicipo71@outlook.com or 973-216-5216
ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 25 people. Registration Deadline: 06/04
Directions will be included in registration confirmation. A waiver will be signed at the location.
Bring: Please bring water and snacks. Please wear hat, boots and use insect/tick repellant.
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.
There are 178 species of sedges (Carex spp.) in Maryland and over 480 species in North America, making it the single largest plant genus on the continent! This workshop will be a hands-on botanical exploration of Carex at the Adkins Arboretum. Associated with this workshop, we will hold a virtual presentation previously (date TBD) to go over basic botanical terminology, this virtual session will be optional for workshop participants. During the workshop, botanical terminology will be spoken, researched, learned and discussed. Previous reading and studying of Carex morphology terminology is highly encouraged. For more experienced participants or people that would like to dive deeper in the botany of Carex, we recommend purchasing applications like Flora of Virginia or FloraQuest (for our region). This workshop will be led by botanist and environmental scientist Sean Sipple.
Leaders: Jorge Bogantes Montero jmontero@anacostiaws.org(202)560-6107 and Sean Sipple (seans@cri.biz)
Sean is a Senior Environmental Scientist with over 23 years of experience. He co-leads the Natural Resources Department 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.
Location: Adkins Arboretum.
Notes: It is recommended that you attend the Zoom session (date TBD) that we will offer on Carex botanical terminology or that you practice ID/become familiar with keys (with the apps recommended) and terminology before the event.
Optional but recommended resources: floraquest app (you have to purchase it and make sure you purchase the one for the northern tier which covers our region): https://ncbg.unc.edu/research/unc-herbarium/flora-apps/ or Flora of Virginia (you have to purchase it) https://floraofvirginia.org/flora-app
For additional information: Jorge Bogantes Montero jmontero@anacostiaws.org (202)560-6107 and Sean Sipple (seans@cri.biz)
ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Limited to 25 people. Registration through May 16 for members only. Directions will be included in registration confirmation.
Bring water bottle, insect/tick repellent, sunscreen. Outdoor clothes, closed-toe shoes, and rain gear depending on weather forecast.
Cancellation Policy: Event will proceed in drizzle, but will be canceled if heavy rain or thunderstorm
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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!
Webinar Recordings page and on the MNPS YouTube channel
Program Resources and Handouts
