2021 Winter Solstice Field Trip and Hooley starting at Mt Aventine. Charles Country, MD. Field trip participants gathering at old carriage road entrance. Photo: Damien Ossi.

Sign with a brief history of Mt. Aventine and Chapman family. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Rod Simmons. Field trip leader. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Pony's foot (Dichondra carolinensis). Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor) leaf. The leaf is present during winter only. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Putty root orchid (Aplectrum hyemale) leaf taking advantage of the forest filtered light. Growth habit similar to Cranefly orchid. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Trunk of ancient Paw Paw (Asimina triloba). Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Field trip participants sharing stories. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Upturned decomposing tree roots and area's characteristic calcareous soil. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Rod Simmons explaining the characteristic calcareous soil and low land vegetation found at Chapman State Park to field trip participants. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Rod Simmons explaining the park's exceptional natural areas to field trip participants. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Field trip participants actively listening Rod Simmons' explanation of the unique area's vegetation, soil and terrain combination among ancient tree and large vines. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Ravine. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Ancient American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) tree. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Field trip participants assessing ancient Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) tree. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Swamp Red Oak (Quercus shumardii) leaf collected at Chapman State Park. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) tree. Bark close up. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas

Ancient sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) tree. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas

Cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda) leaf collected at Chapman State Park. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Field trip participants walking through old forest. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Celebratory Solstice Toast and Hooley. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Field trip participants inspecting an American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) tree. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) leaf. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas

Warren Steiner helping Field Trip participants identify insect hidden in rotten bark. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas

Genus Microtomus. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

White Bear Sedge (Carex albursina). S3 (Watch list). Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas

White oak (Quercus alba), Deam's oak(Q. x deamii) and Chinquapin oak (Q. muehlenbergii) collected from Chapman State Park. Deam's oak is a naturally occurring hybrid of the other two. Photo:CN

Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas

Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera). Bark close-up. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas

Sunset at Chapman State Park. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas

Sunset at Chapman State Park. Potomac River overlook. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas.

Strawberry bush (Euonymus americanus) seedling. This native shrub is frequently browsed by deer. Photo: Cristina Niciporciukas

Photo: Rod Simmons