Southern Maryland Audubon has named Rick Posey and Mary Mosher its “Conservationists of the Year” for the couple’s decades-long support of environmental education for Charles County youth.

The couple provides 10 acres of extraordinary wetlands, forests and meadows to the Charles County Public Schools for its Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center (NCEEC) on a lease of $1 per year.

The center provides environmental education to 10,000 Charles County students each year on the property and in its outreach programs. That includes its Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience for county fifth graders who participate in day-long field trips to the center to explore their own connections to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.

“The Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center is an extraordinary gift to the children of Charles County,” said Molly Moore, president of Southern Maryland Audubon. “There is no more important part of education than connecting children with nature and the natural world they are inheriting. Rick and Mary and their family are truly conservation heroes.” 

Rick Posey’s father, Calvin Posey, founded the education center in southern Charles County with the Charles County Public Schools in 1989. His son and daughter-in-law have continued the support, recently renewing the lease for another 25 years at the $1 annual fee. The couple said their will has established the lease to continue as a gift with the third generation of their family—daughter Irene.

“Rick remembers as a child, his father always had nature and the environment at the center of much of what they did as a family,” Robert Lukinic, Southern Maryland Audubon’s Conservation chair, said in announcing the chapter’s highest award. “Like his father, Rick never misses an opportunity to share natural history and help open the yes of others to the awe of nature.”

The award was presented at Southern Maryland Audubon’s annual meeting and potluck picnic at Maxwell Hall in Hughesville, MD.

Southern Maryland Audubon has honored four of its most active volunteers with it’s “President’s Award” for exceptional service to birds and our chapter.

The award recipients are (from left in photo): Barbara Hill, chapter secretary and program chair; Annette Cook, education and scholarship chair; Kaelyn Stewart, nature journaling leader; and Dean Newman, raptor and grassland birds conservation co-chair.

The awards were presented at Southern Maryland Audubon’s annual meeting and potluck picnic at Maxwell Hall in Hughesville, MD on Sunday, June 9.

“These four leaders are helping Southern Maryland Audubon improve and expand our outreach in every one of our bird protection and education outreach missions,” said Molly Moore, president of Southern Maryland Audubon. “They are taking us new places and leading us into the future.”

In addition to maintaining the historical records of the chapter, Barbara Hill coordinates the popular monthly Zoom bird and nature lectures hosted by the chapter. She already has an exciting line-up of guest speakers scheduled for our 2024-25 season that begins in September. She is also a Charles County Master Gardener and brings her broad gardening knowledge to our Audubon flock.

Annette Cook coordinates the chapter’s annual competition for three scholarships to National Audubon’s nature camp at Hog Island, Maine. Due to Annette’s outreach, the chapter received more applications for the camps this year than ever—making the selection even more difficult! Annette also organizes the chapter’s many outreach and education events and especially enjoys teaching the love of birds and nature to youngsters.

Kaelyn Stewart, a recent graduate of North Point High School for Science, Technology and Industry in Waldorf, launched our very popular nature journaling workshops after returning last summer from the Hog Island camp, where she was our teen scholarship winner. Kaelyn will be attending Cornell University on a full scholarship in the fall to study animal science. Congratulations, Kaelyn!

Dean Newman heads our program teaching farmers how best to manage their land to support vulnerable grasslands birds including the Eastern Meadowlark and Grasshopper Sparrow. Dean also is one of our most active bird trip leaders and specializes in launching new and first-time birders into the birding world with skill, patience, and humor. He is also a professional photographer who travels the world photographing wildlife and recounting hilarious stories about his adventures.

(Photo by Molly Moore)

Sunday, June 9 from 1-4 p.m.

Join us for our Southern Maryland Audubon Annual Potluck Picnic, Meeting, Native Plant Sale & Bird Walk.

Maxwell Hall

17388 Teagues Point Rd., Hughesville, MD 20637

Members and families/guests as well as prospective members

are all welcome.

We invite you to bring a dish or a dessert to share.

(The food is always GREAT!) We will provide chicken and utensils.

To help us with planning, please sign up here: 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0844A8A923ABFFC70-49129295-annual

The park includes Maxwell Hall, a beautifully preserved 18th century house, and 14 miles of diverse hiking trails through woods, open fields and shoreline.

Picnic, meeting and plant sale at the park pavilion.

Follow signs for SMAS parking. Restroom available. Be sure to set your GPS to the address above for Maxwell Hall, not Maxwell Hall Park as it will take you too far from the pavilion.

We’ll have locally grown native plants and SMAS swag for sale!

Agenda

1:00-2:15 p.m. Potluck Lunch

2:15-2:30 p.m. Welcome

2:30-3:00 p.m. Business meeting with elections & award presentations

3:00-4 p.m. Bird Walk

The business meeting will include a vote on our slate of officers and board members. The SMAS Nominating Committee proposes:

President, Molly Moore

Vice President, Ben Springer

Secretary, Barbara Hill

Treasurer, Julie Daniel

Directors: Annette Cook, Dean Newman, Phin Rouland

One more item: Have scrap plywood cluttering your shed?

Bring it to the picnic for collection and it will be used to make part of the predator guard/baffles for bluebird and owl boxes we build for public spaces.

Pieces can be as small as 8 inches in diameter, but do have to be at least 5/8 inch thick. (1/2″ is too light)

Also needed: Spray paint colors black, brown and green. We can also use red to mark caution on the poles. 

(Photo by Mathew Malwitz)

Join us for slow birding, nature journaling, photography & more

Check out our amazing variety of April events and sign up before all the slots are taken. Click on our events page to get more details on each event: www.somdaudubon.org/events/

Photographers Focus on Birds Field Trip

Flag Ponds Nature Park, 1525 Flag Ponds Pkway, Lusby, MD. 

April 27 —SATURDAY—9-11 a.m.

Bring your camera and we will all learn more about how to sharpen our skills to take the best photos of birds. There is no. Maximum of 15 participants.

RSVP at Signup Genius or to Jan at jederegt@me.com

Lexington Park Library Sustainability Fair

April 27 —SATURDAY—10:45-11:45 a.m. Presentation: Growing Native Plants for Birds, Bees & Beauty 10:45-11:45.

Room A

Lexington Park Library, 21677 FDR Blvd., Lexington Park, MD. Daylong events 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m with enlightening lectures, eco-inspired art projects for all ages and helpful advice from community organizations driving positive change. Stop by our Southern Maryland Audubon table for info and advice on how to attract more birds to your yard or patio with native plants. 

Join us from 10:45-11:45 in Room A for a free presentation: Growing Native Plants for Birds, Bees & Beauty and learn how to create a native plant bird buffet in your own backyard or patio. More details at: https://www.stmalib.org/events/sustainability-fair/

Spring Nature Journaling at Gilbert Run Park

April 28 —SUNDAY—-10 a.m. to noon

13140 Charles St., Charlotte Hall, MD 

Our nature journaling field trips are back! You don’t have to be an artist or a writer to get closer to birds and nature with a notebook and pen. Workshop is free.  Open to all ages 10 and above. Sketchbook and pen will be provided.

RSVP required at Signup Genius.

May 1, 2024. 7-8 p.m. Monthly meeting Zoom talk.

Join us for the latest research and conservation efforts to help the Barn Owl—one of the most vulnerable species of birds in Maryland. The “ghost owl” has been disappearing in Maryland along with the old barns where they once nested and the farm fields where they hunted.

Our speakers have been at the forefront of major conservation efforts to protect Barn Owls and their habitat. They will share the latest research on Barn Owls in the Mid-Atlantic region and what the public and conservationists can do to support this amazing bird in the future.

Speakers are Andy Brown, Barn Owl Coordinator for the MD Bird Conservation Partnership Farmland Raptor Program and Alex Pellegrini, research technician for the group.

This program can qualify for Master Naturalist continuing education. The Zoom link will be emailed to our Osprey email list prior to the talk. If you aren’t already on our list, you can sign up at www.somdaudubon.org/get-involved/

(Photo by Mike Callahan)

Please support the proposed Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s counties to protect the habitats of birds, fish and other wildlife.

A public comment period is open until April 22, 2024. You can submit your comments here to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FW5southernmarylandplan@fws.gov.

Dan Murphy, chief of the Division of Habitat Restoration for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Chesapeake Bay Field Office and Jennifer Greiner, Refuge Manager at Patuxent Research Refuge describe the proposed refuge plan and opportunities for land owners and wildlife in a presentation recorded here on this website: https://www.somdaudubon.org/our-work/program-archive/

You can also learn more here, including FAQs: https://www.fws.gov/project/evaluating-new-refuge-lands-southern-maryland

March 30 – SATURDAY – 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Catch some of the earliest signs of migration at one of Maryland’s peak hotspots with trip leader Phil Rouland. Attendees will meet at the picnic area parking and together we’ll walk down to the Point. We’ll scan both the Chesapeake and Potomac waters for any remaining winter waterfowl as well as for spring arrivals including Osprey, Brown Pelican, and tern species. At the point we’ll target Northern Gannet which are in peak numbers passing by on migration. We’ll spend what time is left around the picnic area and on trails around Fort Lincoln. Highlights could include arriving swallow species, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and Yellow-throated Warbler. Flat but unpaved, approximately 2 mile walk. Gate fee $3 per car. Restrooms available. Point Lookout State Park, St Mary’s County
10444 Point Lookout Rd, Scotland, MD 20687

Limit 12.
RSVP at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0844A8A923ABFFC70-47681455-early or to phin.rouland@gmail.com.

Monthly ZOOM presentation 7-8 pm Wednesday, March 6.

An estimated 1 billion birds die every year in window collisions. Dr. Mark Southerland, director of Safe Skies Maryland, will provide solutions for how you can stop bird collisions with your home windows, as well as how you can get involved in community efforts to equip public buildings with bird-safe windows.
Dr. Southerland earned a PhD in ecology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and works as an environmental consultant supporting the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. He also leads the legislative program of Safe Skies Maryland campaign for bird safe buildings laws at county, city and state levels.
To receive the Zoom link for our talk, sign up for our “Osprey” newsletter at the bottom of our homepage at www.somdaudubon.org. 

STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS! APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN for Southern Maryland Audubon’s 2024 scholarships for teens and educators at Audubon’s amazing summer birding and nature camp at Hog Island, Maine.

Audubon’s Hog Island Camp is part of an extraordinary nature sanctuary and research center off the scenic coast of Maine and is home to Project Puffin.

Southern Maryland Audubon offers three scholarships for teens, educators, and others with a serious interest in ornithology, birding, or environmental and nature studies. The scholarships cover all tuition, room, and board. Recipients are responsible for travel expenses.

The scholarships opportunities include the following courses and dates for this year:

For teens: Mountains to Sea Birding for Teens (ages 14-17). June 23 – June 28, 2024

For educators: Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week. July 14 – July 19, 2024

For birders & others: Field Ornithology. June 16 – June 21, 2024

The deadline to apply is February 29, 2024. Apply to acook.somdaudubon@gmail.com

Applicants must be residents of Southern Maryland.

To apply please send the following:

*A one-page letter explaining:

How you will benefit from the Hog Island opportunity.

How you will use the experience and knowledge to benefit others in Southern Maryland and support our mission of promoting and protecting birds and wildlife and their habitats.

Your signed letter must include:

Mailing address

Email address

Phone number

Recent photograph (can attach as separate file)

*One or more signed letters of recommendation describing your interests, work, or studies relating to ornithology, the environment, or nature and how the experience will benefit either your organization, school, or Southern Maryland Audubon’s mission.

To learn more about each camp session and other details about Hog Island Camp, please visit

https://hogisland.audubon.org/…/2024-hog-island-camp…

We welcome your application!