Exploring & Preserving Maryland's Natural Treasures
At the center of the once-sprawling Ridgely family property, the Hampton mansion and its surrounding grounds represent the intact core of an 18th-century plantation with remarkable integrity. The house itself, along with numerous outbuildings, an icehouse, quarters for enslaved people, and intact formal gardens, powerfully conveys the stories of one of Baltimore’s wealthiest families as […]
Cost: $0-0
Thomas Say (1787–1834), a native Philadelphian, led a brief yet extraordinary life marked by adventure, intellectual curiosity, and scientific achievement. A founding member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia in 1812, Say participated in the Academy’s 1817 expedition to Florida and later joined Major Stephen Long’s 1819 journey to the Rocky Mountains. In […]
Cost: $0-5
Bird Watching Field Experiences Hiking Native Plants & Trees
Congratulations on persevering through that unseasonal winter. Finally, we’ve made it to skunk cabbage season! But, does it still seem too early for wildflowers in Maryland? Surprisingly, no. The Eastern Skunk Cabbage has evolved many traits over the last 72,000 years, and blooming in cold weather is only one of many abilities that make it […]
Cost: $20-25
If you want to start or improve your wildflower identification skills, springtime is a great season to start, since there are fewer species to learn and many are distinctive. The most spectacular wildflower displays in our area are in our woodlands in spring. Many of these flowers are ephemeral, appearing for a short time each spring, so timing to observe them is […]
Cost: $55-75
Field Experiences Hiking Native Plants & Trees Open to the Public
Everything has its time, especially when it comes to nature. Phenology is the study of how time and seasonal change affect plants and animals. To see these changes, observations are collected in one specific area over a period of time. Let’s learn how phenology can give your routine walk in your favorite park a purpose. […]
Cost: $20-25
Let’s experience the Maryland landscape through the eyes of its most influential engineer, the American beaver. We’ll begin our deep dive into beaver life and their ecological brilliance with a mini workshop at a local home. We’ll start with the history of beavers in the Mid-Atlantic and move on to explore their unique physiology and […]
Cost: $20-25
It’s challenging to predict when frogs and salamanders will migrate from their wintering spot in the forest to a vernal pool to reproduce. With the weather warming over the weekend, this Monday looks like the best chance for amphibian activity. Vernal pools are shallow depressions in the ground that usually fill with water for only […]
Cost: $5-15
We’re hosting a special screening of The Extraordinary Caterpillar, a beautifully shot 60-minute documentary that reveals the vital—and often overlooked—role caterpillars play in our ecosystems. Come out and join the NHSM Lep club for a screening of this film, followed by a discussion. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about the club and what we are about. […]
Cost: $0-0
From translucent blobs to coral-like clusters, jelly fungi are among the most visually striking and biologically fascinating organisms found on Maryland’s forest floor. These gelatinous decomposers come in a spectrum of colors—bright orange, inky black, creamy white—and textures that range from rubbery cushions to toothy caps. Often mistaken for slime molds or cup fungi, jelly […]
Cost: $0-5
Horn Point is the first stop in our two-field trip series following the life of an oyster: from spat in a tank, to juveniles in a garden, and finally, to a home in the Chesapeake Bay. As the largest hatchery on the East Coast, the Horn Point Lab Oyster Hatchery produces millions of baby oysters […]
Cost: $20-25