Archive for the ‘Directors’ Category

Southern Maryland Audubon has named Matthew Neff of the Calvert Marine Museum as “2025 Conservationist of the Year” for his exceptional work as a researcher, educator and leader in support of the Chesapeake Bay region.

Neff, who is the curator of estuarine biology at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, MD, works tirelessly to educate the public on the flora and fauna of the Chesapeake Bay and conservation issues threatening the bay area.

He heads FrogWatch USA for Southern Maryland and the surrounding DMV, which is in its 13^th season. FrogWatch is a citizen science program that tracks frog populations suffering from habitat loss, disease and other threats.

“Matt forges that critical connection between people and wildlife —yes, including snakes— and the importance of protecting the habitat our wild creatures need to survive now and in the future,” said Robert Lukinic, conservation chair for Southern Maryland Audubon. 

While Matt said he is “thrilled and honored to receive the award,” he still feels like he has much more he wants to do. He is currently working with Maryland Department of Natural Resources and local schools to install acoustic recorders to try to find some state endangered species such as the Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad and Carpenter Frog.

Neff also manages a staff responsible for the care of over 500 individual animals representing 75 species found in the Chesapeake, including Eastern Hellbenders, Cownose Rays, and North American River Otters.

Prior to his work at the Calvert Marine Museum, Neff was a herpetology animal keeper at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, implementing conservation programs to protect amphibians and reptiles.

The award, now in its 32nd year, was presented at Southern Maryland Audubon’s annual meeting and potluck picnic at Maxwell Hall in Hughesville, MD.

Fishing for catfish to feed a rescued eagle. Outstanding youth leadership. Building nest boxes for birds. Five of our members have been honored with “2025 President’s Awards” for their outstanding service to birds and conservation.

Aurora Huhman was recognized for her passionate support for birds, catching catfish to feed a rescued Bald Eagle at Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center and writing state lawmakers to save parks and green spaces threatened by budget cuts.

Two of our young leaders were honored for their skills and dedication  as the new generation of conservation leaders in Southern Maryland and wherever they may go in the future: our vice president Ben Springer and field trip chair Phin Rouland. Ben graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland last year and serves as a park ranger at Newtown Neck State Park.

Phin is a rising senior at the college working on a senior project helping farmers use bird-friendly practices in their harvests.

John and Shelly Posey were honored for their tireless bird conservation work erecting Screech Owl boxes and Bluebird nest boxes across Southern Maryland. John builds the boxes, baffles and poles from scratch in his workshop and they work as a team putting them up in even the most difficult locations. 

Congratulations to each of our most deserving 2025 President’s Award winners!

Meet our new leadership! Southern Maryland Audubon members have elected a new officer slate that includes new faces and returning leaders.

Dean Newman is our new president, Ben Springer, vice president, Julie Daniel, treasurer and Lynne Wheeler, secretary.

The board of directors includes new members Jan de Regt and Pamela Brumbley, returning members Annette Cook and Phin Rouland and president emerita Molly Moore who has been serving as chapter president for the past three years.

Learn more about all we do to protect birds and other wildlife and the places they need to thrive at www.somdaudubon.org. If you’re not a member, consider joining our flock!

This Thursday, June 5, help fund raptor conservation in Southern Maryland, watch Barn Owl fledglings being banded up close and person and enjoy a burger in a beautiful setting. To RSVP and get location details contact Mike Callahan at raptorsrulemc@gmail.com or 240-765-5192.

Join Southern Maryland Audubon SUNDAY, June 8, 2025 for our annual meeting, potluck picnic and native plant sale at beautiful Maxwell Hall in Hughesville, MD. 

All members and families/guests and prospective members all welcome. We invite you to bring a dish or dessert to share. 

Please signup here to assist our planning: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0844A8A923ABFFC70-55985871-annual

1:00 – 2:15 p.m. Potluck Lunch

2:15-3:00 p.m. Welcome and business meeting with elections and award presentations

3:00-4:00 Bird Walk, Tour of Maxwell Hall and workshop on how you can lead a bird walk.

This Charles County 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. (Be sure to follow the signs and set your GPS for Maxwell Hall not Maxwell Hall Park which is a distance from the pavillion.) Follow our SMAS signs for parking. 17388 Teagues Point Road, Hughesville, MD. 20637

Join us for festivals, nature walks &. more.

St. Mary’s County Earth Day Celebration 

Saturday, April 26, 2025 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Summerseat Farm, 26655 Three Notch Road, Mechanicsville, MD 20659

Free Community Event. Southern Maryland Audubon will be hosting bird walks and bird info exhibits. Event will include children’s activities, vendors, food trucks, live music and tons of info on how to live a more sustainable life.

Sponsored by St. Mary’s Commission on the Environment

Field Trip: Spring into Birding—A Walk on the boardwalk

Sunday, April 27, 2025 8-11:30 a.m.

Marsh Boardwalk at Piscataway Park, Prince Georges County.

Spring is our most active birding season!

RSVP to Lynne Wheeler at somdaudubon@yahoo.com or text 301-751-8097.

Southern Maryland Heritage Festival

Saturday and Sunday, May 17 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Ln. Hollywood, MD 20636

Southern Maryland Audubon will be hosting bird walks, views of an occupied Bald Eagle nest through scopes, children’s nature events and bird tips at this family friendly celebration. (Heritage Festival has admissions charge)https://sotterley.org/event/southern-maryland-heritage-festival/

Join Southern Maryland Audubon for our monthly ZOOM nature talk, “How Mockingbirds Dupe Us” @ 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 2.

Mockingbirds have fascinated humans for thousands of years with their ability to imitate the sounds of other species, but scientists have studied vocal mimicry in this species for only a few decades. For the past 20 years, Dave Gammon’s research has focused on basic questions like “Which species get mimicked by mockingbirds and why?” and “How do mockingbirds vary over time in their mimicry?”

Zoom link will be sent to our Osprey email subscribers 3 days prior to the event and the day of. If you aren’t on our list, you can subscribe for free by signing up at the bottom of our home page @ www.somdaudubon.org. If you sign up and do not get a link, please check your spam.

Talk may qualify for education hours for Master Naturalists.

Southern Maryland Audubon urges you to write, call or email your Maryland state legislator on these two urgent issues with huge impact on the birds, natural habitat and people of our state. Your voice can make a difference!

• Please express your opposition to a current proposal to slash all funding for some of our state’s most important conservation programs for the next four years: the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Fund, Program Open Space, Waterway Improvement Fund and Rural Legacy Fund. Please ask to keep these programs funded!

• Please oppose HB 1270 that would allow construction of transmission lines through protected Wildlands and Important Bird Areas in western Maryland.

You can find your state delegates’ email and phone number here. If you put in your address, you will get a list of elected officials. You will want to reach out to your state delegate.

Here’s the background on these two issues: 

Right now in Annapolis, legislators are debating a budget proposal to cut all funding from Program Open Space, the Waterways Improvement Fund, Rural Legacy Fund, and the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund for four years. This revenue would be diverted to offset general operating funds, and would be in addition to already proposed budget cuts to our state’s Department of Natural Resources and Department of the Environment. 

Without this funding, there will be no new Maryland parks or trails and deferred maintenance of our favorite places. There will be no funding for bird habitat protection through conservation easements and Program Open Space, which is critical for the creation of Important Bird Areas and parks across the state to preserve green spaces for people and birds. There will be no resources to sustain the restoration of tidal salt marshes that are necessary for supporting our economy, protecting threatened birds, and buffering communities from climate change.

We respect the challenge legislators face with a projected $2.9 billion deficit and understand we all have to play role in reaching a balanced budget this legislative session. But cutting all funds to these important programs for four years is completely disproportionate to the cuts proposed for other programs.

This is not only a blow to the environment, but to some of Maryland’s most important industries—agriculture, fisheries and tourism which bring billions of dollars and thousands of jobs to our state.

Our other priority issue, HB1270, would allow construction of large transmission lines through some of western Maryland’s most protected Wildlands. 

Construction of transmission lines should never be allowed to be erected in established protected wildland areas. The limited amount of unfragmented habitat that remains in the state of Maryland must be retained. These areas are meant to act as corridors for native biodiversity not corridors for power lines.

Constructing NextEra transmission lines would require clearing large swaths of protected public lands and dividing habitat for plant and animal diversity as well as introducing large-scale land disturbance, opening the habitat interior to invasive plants and predators. 

The intact and unfragmented habitats that a wildland designation is meant to protect are vital to preserving vulnerable interior birds and other species along with the health of the ecological systems that support them. This bill represents a dangerous precedent of constructing on valuable preserved lands which must not be tolerated.

Please contact your state delegate today on these two important issues. Speak up for birds and conservation!

(Photo Great Blue Heron by Nathaniel Miller)

Check out our great upcoming events! Get all the details by clicking our EVENTS tab at the top of this page.

March on the Mattawoman – Special State Park Event

Saturday, March 29 @ 10:00 AM – 3:00 PMSaturday, March 29 @ 10:00 AM – 3:00

Smallwood State Park 2750 Sweden Point Road, Marbury, United States

10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Bird Walks by Lynne Wheeler

Saturday, March 29 @ 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

The Cherry Blossom Festival

Saturday, March 29 @ 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Lexington Manor Passive Park 21675 S. Coral Drive, Lexington Park, MD, United States

Family Fun including bird feeder crafts, winter sowing in milk jugs and much more.

How Mockingbirds Dupe Us

Wednesday, April 2 @ 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Monthly Nature talk via Zoom Monthly Meeting Program via Zoom

Saturday, April 5 @ 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Maryland Osprey Festival in North Beach

Saturday, April 5 @ 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Family friendly event with live raptors, bird crafts and info and much, much more.

Recording now available @ https://www.somdaudubon.org/our-work/program-archive/

Naturalist Kerry Wixted introduces us to the amazing variety of calls, scents and colors that frogs, toads and other amphibians use to engage with each other and other wildlife. Much of this talk’s focus is on amphibians in Maryland, but it also covers unique species from around the world.

If you do not already receive our Osprey newsletter, you can sign up at the bottom of this homepage and we will send the link for all our monthly nature talks.

This presentation may qualify for continuing education for Master Naturalists.