Wildflower Walk and iNaturalist Tutorial at the Oxford Conservation Park (THURSDAY) (06/18/2026)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 13:00:00 GMT

An Eastern Shore Event!

Larisa Prezioso and Cristina Niciporciukas will lead a wildflower walk in the Oxford Conservation Park (OCP). This should be a good time of year to view meadow wildflowers planted throughout the park. Larisa is the Director of Land Conservation at the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) and Cristina is Chair of the Maryland Natural Plant Society’s Eastern Shore Chapter.

The Park, once slated for development, was transformed into a public nature preserve through the efforts of Talbot County leaders and community stakeholders. In 2023, the Friends of OCP partnered with Talbot County Parks and Recreation, the ESLC, and Washington College’s Natural Lands Project to restore and expand the park’s habitat. With funding from the Department of Natural Resources, thirty additional acres has been converted from cropland into native meadows, featuring tree plantings, short grasses, wildflowers, and new walking trails. This expansion aims to improve water quality, support climate resilience, and restore rare early successional habitats vital to species like the Northern Bobwhite quail, sparrows, woodcocks, and salamanders. The project blends conservation, education, and recreation, turning the park into a sanctuary for both wildlife and the community.

Prior to the walk, Cristina will provide a tutorial on how to use iNaturalist, an online social network of people sharing biodiversity information to help each other learn about nature. We suggest that participants sign up for an iNaturalist app account prior to the walk. You will then be able to try out the app during the walk. Cristina, who documents the state’s native flora via iNaturalist, has created an iNaturalist project for the Oxford Conservation Park. https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/oxford-conservation-park. This puts all iNaturalist observations that were made in the Park in a single place. Feel free to join the Project as a member prior to the event.

The group will meet in the Park parking lot (Oxford Road & Boone Creek Road) at 9:00. Please wear comfortable and sturdy walking shoes—we’ll be both on the paved and on the somewhat rough grass park trails. We also recommend having water, sun and bug protection, a hat, and a pair of field glasses.

The walk and tutorial are sponsored by the Friends of the OCP. For questions and to join our email list, contact us at: oxfordconservationpark@gmail.com

This event is free to attend and no registration is required.

Bioblitz at Cosca Regional Park (SATURDAY) (06/20/2026)

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Join experts and nature enthusiasts as we set out upon the park to document EVERYTHING we can find. There will be themed hikes leaving from the Nature Center throughout the day and will also be heading out in small groups for documentation. Information below has been taken from the Maryland Biodiversity Project blog by John Hall and adapted to MNPS website. https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/blog/?p=1953

Scheduled events: Walk and talk with experienced naturalists! All walks begin from the Clearwater Nature Center.
10 am Fascinating Fung
11 am Birds of Field and Forest
1 pm Reading the Woods
2 pm Amphibians and Reptiles
3 pm Ferns, Trees and Wildflowers

General information: This event is free, open to the public and anyone can participate. Occurrence data will be recorded through iNaturalist. There is a free app available through your cellphone app store. Please download the app in advance. You can come for a single event or stay all day! We will compile species occurrence data from the entire weekend.

A BioBlitz is an inventory of the living things recorded in a location during a narrow period of time. We will be documenting as many naturally occurring species as possible from the Louise F Cosca Regional Park including the Clearwater Nature Center.

What you will need: Most events will take place outdoors so please come prepared to be outside in the weather. Sun protection and bug spray. Water and snacks. Camera or cellphone camera for recording observations

This event is being organized by Maryland Biodiversity Project, Prince George’s Department of Parks and Recreation, & The Mycological Association of Washington DC.

NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Maryland Native Plant Society upcoming events

Wildflower Walk and iNaturalist Tutorial at the Oxford Conservation Park (THURSDAY) (06/18/2026)

Bioblitz at Cosca Regional Park (SATURDAY) (06/20/2026)