Chapters in Maryland

Open to members and public, registration required. Free program, donations appreciated.

Visit the restoration project at Conquest Preserve featuring fall meadows. This 758-acre public property sits in the Spaniard Neck Peninsula near Centreville, positioned beautifully between the Corsica and Chester Rivers. Visit the Agroforestry site where eight species of fruit-producing trees and shrubs are available for public access.  Persimmons will be ripening then! Take a closer look at the Chester River and Conquest Beach recovery work with cordgrass (Spartina) planting and sand management. The meadows should be bursting with sparrows. 

Led by Cristina Niciporciukas: Cristina is a Master Gardener and Coastal Plains Master Naturalist. She is also the MNPS Eastern Shore Chapter Chair and Wild Ones Delmarva Secretary.

Notes: We will hike about 0.6 miles to the agroforestry site from the parking lot. through the natural meadow and return via the grassy area alongside the main road.  Stumps of tall grasses might make the terrain uneven at times. Closed toe shoes and long pants are recommended.  Wear a hat, bring water, sunscreen, and bug repellant.

SESSION FULL - PLEASE CLICK REGISTER BELOW TO JOIN THE WAITLIST

Hands-on workshop and meadow walk     
Co-hosted at Pickering Creek Audubon Center     
Free registration required, donations appreciated

Wild Ones Delmarva Chapter and Pickering Creek Audubon Center are partnering to spread the joy of native plants that you can grow from seed. You’ll learn about the unique characteristics of seeds of native plants and effective propagation techniques to successfully grow them. 

Janet Mackey, a Talbot County Master Gardener and Wild Ones Delmarva member, will lead the workshop discussion of how to collect, clean, and plant native seeds so they actually grow.  She will guide participants step-by-step through the seed sowing process so that you will go home with small pots planted with seeds that can overwinter outside and should sprout in the spring, ready to add to your garden next year. A Pickering Creek Audubon Center naturalist will guide the group in an exploration of the Center’s Pollinator Garden and through the Meadows to see native plants in the wild with their seed heads in their late fall glory.

Parking: Follow the gravel drive 0.4 mile to Center parking on the left. 

Please dress for the weather and walk, bring your own water bottles and snacks. Sturdy shoes and insect repellant are recommended.

Bring your native plants and seeds to trade with other gardeners at this annual native plant swap at the “Front Yard” native gardens. Fall is the best time for planting, so this event is a great way to add new plants to your native gardens and to obtain seeds for winter sowing native plants.

This free event offers both experienced and new gardeners a chance to add native plants to their yards. In doing so, you will be creating habitat for our native birds, bees and butterflies.

If you're new to gardening with native plants, this event is the place to get started! Meet and chat with native-plant enthusiasts, view native plants in the Front Yard gardens, and take home free plants and seeds! 

If you're an experienced native gardener, please spread the joy by bringing your favorite plants and seeds to swap and share.  

Strange as it sounds, we're trying to prevent the spread of invasive jumping worms, so please follow these simple steps when bringing your plants to the event: 

Dig up your plants. 
Shake the dirt off the roots. 
Gently rinse the roots clean.  
Label each plant (include the botanical name if you can). 
Bring them to the Swap & Share in a bucket of water or wrapped in wet paper and tucked in a plastic bag.

For more information, contact Liz Curtz, Friends of St Clements Bay, at [email protected] or Marlene Smith, Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay, @ [email protected]

In addition to Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay, participating partners include Friends of St Clements Bay, St. Mary's County Master Gardeners, and St. Mary’s County Garden Club.

Free registration now open!

Join this free education event…and bring your family, friends and neighbors! This is your opportunity to learn how to harvest and take home native plant seeds with Environmental Concern, a co-founder of Wild Ones Delmarva Chapter. Enjoy hands-on seed collection demonstrations, plant themed give-aways, and eat “seed” themed munchies. Mingle with fellow native plant lovers!

Enjoy hands-on seed collection demonstrations, plant themed giveaways, and eat “seed” themed munchies. Mingle with fellow native plant lovers! 

BUILDING A POND FOR WILDLIFE
Sarah Witcher---Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Sarah Witcher is a Wildlife Biologist and Educator for the Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Service.  In this role, she serves as the state coordinator for the Project WILD K-12 curriculum program, on the state committee for the Envirothon high school competition, and as a leader and public speaker for the Wild Acres backyard habitat program.  She also writes for outreach publications in multiple formats and supports the Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species research and management efforts of the Natural Heritage Program.

Sarah will be covering some basics of creating great wildlife habitat, with an in-depth focus on backyard ponds and other water sources.

AGENDA
12:00 - 12:30pm  - Registration/Socializing/Informal Seed Share*
12:30 -   2:00pm  - Guest Speaker
  2:00 -   2:30pm -  Socializing/Clean-up/Informal Seed Share*

*Before/after the event there will be a table set up to share native plant seeds. Please bring seeds or winter sowing containers (especially translucent plastic 1 gallon milk/water jugs) to share if you have them. You are welcome to take seeds regardless of if you have any to share.