Speaker: Patrick Roden-Reynolds, Graduate Student, Ecosystem Health & Natural Resource Management, University of Maryland

Many factors have influenced the dramatic rise in prevalence of tick-borne disease, including increases in host populations and habitat fragmentation. USDA-ARS and UMD are collaborating on an integrated pest management project in Howard County aimed at reducing the risk to local residents of contracting tick-borne disease. 

Doors open at 7:00.
Location: Kensington Park Library, 4201 Knowles Ave, Kensington, MD.

The program is free and open to the public. Registration is not required.

Topic: Latin Lovers Make Better Gardeners 

Speaker: Suzanne Hill, Frederick County Master Gardener and Master Naturalist intern

Botanical names contain valuable information about plant origin, growth habit, flower or leaf form, color, historical use, etc. Today few people speak Latin or classical Greek, so there is no need to fear pronouncing them incorrectly. Learning just a few new terms like decapetalous (10 petals) or umbellata (flower arrangement term using same Latin root as English umbrella) will get you started. You already know a lot of them! Botanical Latin can be fun, even humorous, and is a great aid in plant identification.

The public is welcome to attend this free program which will start promptly at 10:00 am. 

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 Lake House.

Speaker: Marcia Watson, PhD

The Maryland Ornithological Society owns ten sanctuaries, totaling over 2,200 acres, spanning the state from Garrett County in the west to Somerset County on the lower Eastern Shore. All of the sanctuaries are open to the public every day of the year, at no charge. They represent a microcosm of the habitats for birds and other wildlife in Maryland. Drawing on the files of the MOS Sanctuary Committee, historic published accounts, and photos and materials provided by MOS members from across the state, Marcia will describe the MOS Sanctuaries, providing habitat profiles and showing maps and photos of all the sanctuaries, and she will cover some of the challenges that MOS faces in managing the properties. Marcia will conclude with suggestions on how interested individuals can become involved with the sanctuaries.

Marcia Watson is a long-time active member of the Maryland Ornithological Society who is working to foster awareness of the sanctuaries among MOS members and the public. For over 20 years before her retirement Marcia specialized in research dealing with the environmental signals that animals use to coordinate their life cycles with seasonal changes.

Doors open at 7:00.

Location: Kensington Park Library, 4201 Knowles Ave, Kensington, MD.

The program is free and open to the public. Registration is not required.

Topic: Forest Health & Biotechnology 

Speaker: Dr. Susan Offutt, Chief Economist, US Government Accountability Office (retired)

The American chestnut, whitebark pine, and several species of ash in the eastern United States are just a few of the North American tree species that have been functionally lost or are in jeopardy of being lost due to outbreaks of pathogens and insect pests. Biotechnology has the potential to help mitigate threats to North American forests from insects and pathogens through the introduction of pest-resistant traits to forest trees. However, challenges remain: the genetic mechanisms that underlie trees’ resistance to pests are poorly understood, the complexity of tree genomes makes incorporating genetic changes a slow and difficult task, and there is a lack of information on the effects of releasing new genotypes into the environment. Offutt will discuss the findings of a study that she recently chaired by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine titled “Forest Health and Biotechnology: Possibilities and Considerations.” The report recommends research and investment to improve the utility of biotechnology as a forest health tool. It is available for a free download at www.nap.edu.

This free program will begin promptly at 7:00 pm; the public is welcome to attend.

Directions: From I-68 take exit 33 (Braddock Rd & Midlothian Rd exit). Follow Braddock Road approximately 1.3 miles to stop sign. Turn left onto Park Avenue. Drive a short distance and turn left, following signs for the Compton Parking Lot.

No registration.

Topic: TBD

Speaker: TBD

Details to follow. This free program will begin promptly at 7:00 pm; the public is welcome to attend.

Directions: From I-68 take exit 33 (Braddock Rd & Midlothian Rd exit). Follow Braddock Road approximately 1.3 miles to stop sign. Turn left onto Park Avenue. Drive a short distance and turn left, following signs for the Compton Parking Lot.

No registration.