Chapters in Maryland

Join of for a screening of the film, The Little Things That Run the World, at the College of Southern Maryland Bee Campus LaPlata Campus. You don't want to miss this important message, including cameo appearances by Sam Droege, the leading voice in native bee conservation.

Watch the trailer here.

The Little Things that Run the World introduces viewers to a diverse group of scientists, nature lovers, gardeners, farmers, and general bug enthusiasts in exploring the importance of flying insects amid rapid declines in their numbers.  This most numerous group of animals on the planet by far – three quarters of all species – have also been called the “glue of life” on Earth. They literally hold ecosystems together.  Insects were the first animals to evolve flight nearly 440 million years ago, and they survived all five of the known mass extinctions since then. But, there is evidence that the pace of decline among insects in parts of the world today is fast approaching the levels of previous catastrophes. What this means for the rest of life on Earth, including humans, is the focus of The Little Things that Run the World. The film documents the mysteries of the declines along side creative and heroic human efforts to change the course of evolutionary history. What is causing this extinction crisis?  What can be done to reverse the trend? The Little Things that Run the World attempts to find answers to those questions and more.  

Co-hosted by Wild Ones Delmarva Chapter, Inland Bays Garden Center, and Story Hill Farm

Please join us at Inland Bays Garden Center for a special presentation by Helen Raleigh of Story Hill Farm where she will talk about rewilding meadows and pollinator habitat restoration projects at the farm. RSVP here

You will also have the chance to meet local representatives from:

Inland Bays Garden Center
A local garden center specializing in native plants and helping gardeners by providing expert advice to transform their landscapes into thriving native habitats.

Wild Ones Delmarva
A chapter of Wild Ones, a national organization promoting native landscapes through education, advocacy, and collaborative action.

10:00 AM – Welcome and Introductions
10:30 AM – Presentation by Helen Raleigh, Story Hill Farm
11:30 AM – Self‑Guided Tour of Inland Bay Garden Center
12:00 PM – Lunch at Ocean View Brewery (pay your own way)

Afterwards, plan a visit to Story Hill Farm & Store and Delaware Botanic Gardens.

About Helen E. Raleigh, Story Hill Farm/Henlopen Sea Salt:

Delaware native Helen Raleigh approaches Story Hill Farm with the understanding that land reflects our choices back to us. Her "Cows Save Butterflies" initiative demonstrates that small changes to land management can yield results. Changing what and how we plant and inviting grazing animals back into partnership with the land opens niches not simply for preserving endangered species, but for bringing them into actionable economically viable use. From backyard meadows to acres of wildflowers, she's shown how simply changing what and how we plant creates cascading benefits for pollinators, livestock, and watersheds—as evidenced by her work with endangered American Heritage Randall Cattle and Delaware's native pollinators. As an artisan salt maker, with Henlopen Sea Salt she seeks to deepen understanding of water's relationship with the land through "Water Remembers"—exploring ocean health and land stewardship. For her it's clear: everything the land does, water remembers. She serves on Bays to Backyards and Southern Delaware Agricultural committees and is a member of the Delaware Farm Bureau, Heritage Breed Conservation and Xerces Society. A sought-after speaker who makes environmental stewardship irresistible and sends audiences home ready to roll up their sleeves.

Chapter member Tracey Stuller invites us to participate in the spring pollinator garden cleanup for the College of Southern Maryland Bee Campus pollinator garden.

You might think native plants won't work in your yard, but in this presentation, Robin Madel and Sue Williams, with Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay, will illustrate how there is a right plant for all those problem spots you might have around your yard.

We'll hold the workshop from 10am to 12pm, followed by a light lunch from 12pm to 12:30pm, then head outside for a work day in the Nature Center native plant beds from 12:30pm to 2:30pm.

Registration is recommended, but not required.
 

Join President Nan Wray and Board Member Katie Garvey to explore the Spring Ephemeral Garden at the Irvine Nature Center.

This will be a slow, casual walk through an area they have planted with many spring ephemerals, which are typically low growing as they provide nectar for newly emerging native bees!

Bring your close-up camera lens if you are a shutter bug, and stay on should you wish to explore more of this vast nature preserve. Admission is free.

This event has sold out. Email [email protected] to be added to the waitlist.