An island only accessible by boat? No problem! Join NHSM and Baltimore City Naturalist, Molly Hoopes on a paddle across Middle River to Hart Miller Island for a day full of birding, plant identification, and botanical watercoloring. Witness the Cloudless Sulfur Butterflies among the Partridge Peas. Learn traditional watercolor techniques of wash, graded wash, drybrush, wet-in-wet, and practice color-mixing to match the colors of the subject. And most importantly, enjoy a summer day on an island in the Chesapeake Bay.
The island was once part of a peninsula, but eroded away to two small islands with a total of 70 acres. Now the two islands have been mended together with dredge material from Baltimore Harbor and now is one island of 1200 acres, 5 miles in circumference. The southern third of the island is the South Cell, which is now a state park that visitors are allowed to explore. It includes 5 miles of bike paths, two ponds, a ranger station, campsites, a bald eagle nest, osprey nests, lots of milkweed, a pine forest planted by Boy Scouts, and a view of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
Our canoes seat 2 adults, so individuals will be paired up with another paddler – if you are not comfortable paddling with a stranger, sign-up with a buddy! Please bring a lunch and wear comfortable clothing/ footwear that you don’t mind getting wet or dirty. This trip requires a 1 mile paddle across a highly trafficked area. Calm winds are essential for this trip to proceed as planned. Advanced paddling experience required.
Please note that this program may be subject to cancellation or rescheduling and will proceed only under suitable wind conditions to ensure participant safety.
The Natural History Society of Maryland is a volunteer-led non-profit organization, so the fee you pay will go directly to support the programs, the nature collections, and the building that make this kind of nature education possible.
NEW – Payment and Cancellation Policy: Payment is due online at the time of registration. Cancellations made seven or more days in advance of the event will receive a refund minus a 5% processing fee. Cancellations made within seven days of the event will not receive a refund. Events with fees of $10 or less are not refundable unless canceled by NHSM. NHSM retains the right to update or change these requirements at any time.
For questions, please email Bex at BLyons@marylandnature.org.