Maryland Native Plant Society upcoming events

Greater Baltimore Chapter Planning Meeting (Saturday) (11/14/2026)

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Are you interested in being involved with a Greater Baltimore Chapter of the Maryland Native Plant Society? Join us for our kick-off brainstorming meeting! Come share your thoughts and ideas of activities you’d like to see for a Greater Baltimore Chapter.

Location: Enoch Pratt Free Library, Hampden Branch Meeting Room, 3641 Falls Rd, Baltimore, MD 21211

Notes: Street parking

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED, but encouraged so we know who's interested.

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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.

MNPS Monthly Program: Carex Hidden in Plain Sight by Chris Frye (11/17/2026)

Wed, 18 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Carex Hidden in Plain Sight: Exploring the Wild Homes of Maryland's Most Diverse Plant Family.

Speaker: Chris Frye

Look closely at almost any landscape in Maryland—from a coastal marsh on the Eastern Shore to a rugged mountain trail out west—and you are likely standing near a sedge. Members of the genus Carex are the unsung heroes of our local ecosystems, yet these fascinating, grass-like plants are often completely invisible to the casual observer. This presentation pulls back the curtain on the hidden world of Maryland’s sedges. We will take a visual tour across the state to discover the incredibly diverse places these plants call home. You will learn about the tough, widespread sedges that hold our everyday woodlands together, as well as the ultra-rare botanical treasures hiding out in specialized spots like limestone glades, boreal wetlands, and unique sandy barrens. Whether you are a backyard gardener, a weekend hiker, or just curious about local nature, you will leave with a new appreciation for these quiet masters of the Maryland wilderness.

Christopher Frye is the State Botanist for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and a leading authority on Mid-Atlantic flora. For over 30 years, he has been in the field studying, tracking, and protecting the plant life of our region. Christopher directs state-wide plant conservation efforts and serves as the chief editor of the official Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Plants of Maryland. Christopher specializes in plant ecology, evolution, and conservation genetics and has a personal fondness for the genus Carex.

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.

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.

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.

MNPS Monthly Program: Tools for learning the Flora of Maryland (01/26/2027)

Wed, 27 Jan 2027 00:00:00 GMT

Tools for learning the Flora of Maryland: The Flora of the Southeastern United States and other resources

Speakers: Alan Weakley, Scott Ward, & Michael Lee.

YOU MUST REGISTER IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE ZOOM LINK

Maryland has a surprising diversity considering its small area! We are still learning a lot about the plants of Maryland, with new species discovered and described, new distribution records of native species, additional non-native species becoming naturalized (and in some cases invasive), better understanding of habitats, and more. At the Southeastern Flora Project, we’re synthesizing that information, developing better identification tools, and providing “a 21st century flora” to help people understand the natural world around them. We’ll explore the diversity of the Southeastern flora, the foundations for that diversity, and the processes of real change in the flora and change in our understanding and classification of that flora. We’ll also discuss the complementary values of different “knowledge repositories” and information sources about the plants of Maryland: herbaria, iNaturalist and other machine-learning apps, printed floras, the Maryland Biodiversity Project, wildflower guides, flora apps, websites, databases, and data compilations. How can we best learn, appreciate, and conserve Maryland’s rich natural heritage?

Alan Weakley. Alan is Director of the UNC Herbarium (NCU) and Team Leader of the Flora of the Southeastern United States Project (FSUS). Since 1977, he’s been discovering biodiversity, working to see natural areas conserved and managed, conducting plant taxonomy research, teaching about Southeastern biological diversity in many venues, and working to provide better floras for the region. Michael Lee. For over 20 years, Michael has worked at the intersection of data and plant sciences, with a focus on developing databases and implementing data tools in a way that enables efficient research and decision-making. He does a lot of database design and programming on many data platforms, statistical programming in R, and effective webapps and tools using HTML5. Scott Ward. Scott is a research botanist who has studied plants and their communities from Canada to the Florida Keys. His background has focused on wetland monitoring, plant community ecology, invasion ecology and rare plant demography. His current work with the Southeastern Flora Team helps develop and improve upon current flora tools and resources in the Flora of the Southeastern United States. In addition, Scott's teaching and outreach helps to demystify plant identification and provide easier access to botany education.

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.

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!