Chapters in Maryland

Co-hosted by Adkins Arboretum. In-person presentation with virtual participation option.

60-minute presentation will be followed by a trail walk for in-person participants only to see the Beaver Deceiver device at Adkins Arboretum. 

In-person RSVP here

Virtual registration required here

Beavers, once nearly eliminated from the Chesapeake Bay watershed, are returning and becoming central to Maryland's modern, ecology-driven stream restoration efforts. Their natural dam-building slows water, traps sediment, filters nutrients, and creates wetlands that support diverse wildlife - making them a keystone species.  

We will discuss how beavers and homeowners can work together to restore habitat on private land, including making their land friendly to beavers so that the restoration happens in tandem, instead of thinking of beavers as a nuisance or just paying contractors to do the beavers' jobs.

The talk will cover:

Intro Beaver Coexistence 

Beaver 101 – an ecological engineer 

Problems with the Chesapeake Bay and our regional watersheds 

Understanding the rodent that shaped America’s landscapes 

The role that the beaver played in maintaining water quality and habitat 

Post-Colonial alteration of Maryland’s hydrologic systems 

Promoting restoration techniques that emulate beaver ecology 

How you can help

About our speaker, Claudia Donegan:

Claudia Donegan has worked over 36 years throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed as educator, stream scientist, public policy coordinator and implementing ecological restoration projects in tidal and nontidal environments. Presently she serves as the Director of the Center for Habitat Restoration and Conservation in Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources Chesapeake and Coastal Service, spearheading and implementing ecosystem restoration projects throughout the state. Claudia lives in Tunis Mills, MD.

Co-hosted by Wild Ones New York Metro Region and Wild Ones Delmarva

Zoom link to join

We are pleased to offer a webinar to be presented by garden coach and consultant Concetta Gibson, President of the Wild Ones Delmarva Chapter, to discuss choosing and using beneficial native plants that look attractive at your home and neighborhood. Topics will include what to consider with regard to soil types and local environment when designing plant bed layouts, the advantages of native species and nativars, and container and small space gardening options. There will be a question-and-answer period at the end of her presentation, so you are encouraged to prepare your questions whether general and/or specific regarding the conditions of your garden space for Ms. Gibson to answer.

Bio:

Concetta Gibson is the founder and owner of Leaf & Bed, an Eastern Shore small business on the Delmarva Peninsula, that provides garden design, coaching, consulting, and native plant sourcing. She brings her experience as a former earth and environmental science teacher and nonprofit professional to support gardeners in Maryland and beyond, with special focus areas in ecology, planting in containers, and accessible and adaptable gardening. Concetta holds certifications as a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP) and in Permaculture Design, certified by the Permaculture Institute of North America, she teaches garden courses part-time at Chesapeake College, and is a co-founder and President of the Delmarva Chapter of Wild Ones, a national nonprofit focused on promoting native plants and sustainable gardening.

Agenda/table of contents:

Why use native plants and setting yourself up for success

Environmental conditions: Right plant, right place, right fit

Horizontal, vertical spaces, and containers

Personal style

Researching, choosing, and sourcing responsibly

Basic layout creation: paper and digital option

Many people are looking to add native plants to their gardens but don't know what to get or what is native for our area. This presentation will go over some of the most common native plants and where to plant them for success. Native Plants are essential because they are the foundation of the ecosystem. Native Plants are those that an ecosystem depends on in order to thrive. We can help fight the biodiversity crisis one yard at a time.

Join chapter members Robin Madel and Sue Williams for this informative presentation which includes information on the Coastal Plain ecoregion; critical area; right plant, right place and suggestions for various situations (sun/shade). 

Included will be take-home copies with information on local sources, internet sites for research and the Maryland Native Plant Society Booklet on suggested native plants. 

For accessibility accommodations, please contact us at least 2 weeks before the event. 410-535-0291. 

Join us for our bi-monthly Garden Chat with a presentation by chapter secretary Miranda Yourick, owner of Earthly Delights Native Gardening. 

All Wild Ones members are welcome to attend and invite a guest!

About the Speaker: 

Miranda found her passion for native plants after buying her first home in 2023. Beginning with zero gardens, she stumbled through the process of creating them and made a ton of mistakes along the way. A chance encounter led her to volunteering at the USGS Bee Lab, where she soaked up as much information as possible about propagating and identifying native plants. Miranda is no stranger to learning scientific names, as she holds a PhD in Biology where she studied the genetics of fishes. Miranda has more than a decade of teaching experience in traditional classrooms, community outreach, and hands-on learning.

Designing gardens is an exercise in art and science, both of which Miranda is enamored with. She hopes to help create natural spaces that delight the senses while supporting habitat for wildlife. When not gardening, you can find her listening to audiobooks from the science-fiction or horror genres, hiking (stopping often to look at everything), or learning enumerable new crafts. One such craft is linocut - which is how she designed our logo.

Favorite native plant - Wild Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis

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.