MNPS Field Trip: The Humane Gardener Sanctuary Tour with Nancy Lawson (Saturday)

Leader: Nancy Lawson

Location: Sykesville, Howard County.  Exact address to be provided after registration. Parking space is very limited.

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.

Nancy is a science and nature writer, a habitat advocate, and the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife and of Wildscape: Trilling Chipmunks, Beckoning Blooms, Salty Butterflies, and other Sensory Wonders of Nature. A certified Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional and master naturalist, she has co-chaired Howard County Bee City in Maryland and co-launched a community science project, Monarch Rx, based on discoveries in her habitat. Her work and garden have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, O magazine, Ecological Entomology, and Entomology Today.

Notes:  Short walk, but there are relatively narrow paths and some bumpy terrain.

For additional information: Judy Fulton, jfulton5@gmail.com

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS  REQUIRED. Limited to 15 people. Directions will be included in registration confirmation.