Ben Springer, vice president of Southern Maryland Audubon Society (SMAS), soon joins Audubon Mid-Atlantic as a Marsh Bird Technician. He will survey birds and plants on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, in important areas for marsh-nesting species such as the endangered Saltmarsh Sparrow. His work will also help the Seaside Sparrow, American Black Duck, and Black Rail. People benefit too; healthy saltmarshes buffer storm surges, capture carbon, and filter pollutants before they reach local waterways.
A lifelong naturalist with a passion for birds, Ben was born and raised in Calvert County and earned his BA in Environmental Studies, with a minor in Biology, from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Most recently, he worked as a Park Technician at Kings Landing Park in Calvert County. Those who have joined Ben on his delightful birding trips will be pleased to know that he will continue volunteering with SMAS in the fall. Meanwhile, he said, “I’m really excited to get back out in the marsh!”
With engaging exhibits, demonstrations, and hands-on activities, Nature Fest reaches nature lovers of all ages—from toddlers to teens, parents, and grandparents—offering an inspiring day of outdoor learning, creativity, and environmental stewardship. Come out to the College of Southern Maryland’s La Plata campus on Saturday, May 30, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to join the fun!
Nature Fest began in 2021 at Tilghman Lake Park in La Plata with the goal to encourage families to get outside, enjoy nature, and think more intentionally about caring for our world. In 2025, organizers moved the event to the College of Southern Maryland, which helped expand its exhibitors and double attendance.
Current SMAS board members Lynne Wheeler (left) and Toni Kruszka (right) with Polly the Pollinator at Nature Fest, May 2025.
This year SMAS is a supporting partner for Nature Fest. We will host a booth located next to the College of Southern MD/Town of La Plata booth, which SMAS helped design. Its display will be based on this year’s World Migratory Bird Day theme Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter. Multiple vendors will play a part in the activity wherein kids learn about observing and counting birds. We will also offer other hands-on birdy activities and demonstrations. All are welcome to this free family event!
Join SMAS at the North Beach boardwalk from 11 – 4!
Come celebrate the return of the Osprey at this family friendly festival, now in their sixth year of offering nature lovers a variety of activities guaranteed to tickle your talons.
The Maryland Osprey and Nature Festival was created by citizens of the Mid-Atlantic region to celebrate our charismatic Ospreys, to educate the public, and to foster coexistence and conservation awareness throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. Enjoy a live raptor show, meet local environmental groups, observe Osprey up close, and attend lectures and child-focused nature activities.
The Southern Maryland Audubon Society is a proud sponsor of this event. For additional information about the festival, see their website at marylandospreyfestival.org. There is an entry fee of $10 per person or $20 per family.
Still from the film The Little Things That Run the World.
Watch a free screening of the documentary The Little Things That Run the World on March 27th at 6:00 PM in CE Room 101 on the La Plata Campus of the College of Southern Maryland.
This engaging film explores the vital role that insects play in sustaining ecosystems around the globe. From pollination to nutrient cycling, these often-overlooked species are essential to the health of our environment and our own survival.
Representatives from local and national conservation organizations — including Xerces Society, Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay, and the Southern Maryland Audubon Society — will share information and opportunities to get involved in insect and pollinator conservation efforts in our community.
Photo by Vincent Iadevaia/Audubon Photography Awards
In this last-minute field trip we hunt for the American Woodcock, known for its nasal peent call and dazzling aerial displays. The woodcock is easiest to find at dusk in the springtime, when the male performs a marvelous display flight, or “sky dance.” Meet at Biscoe Gray Heritage Farm (2695 Grays Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678), from 6 to 8 p.m., for a trip you won’t forget!
Parking: meet at the small parking lot by the barn, across the road from the dog park.
Maximum of 10 participants. RSVP to the following link to hold your spot:
Join friends for informal walking and birding programs for all.
Before Old Man Winter blasts onto the scene, get out and enjoy nature with some birding friends. SMAS offers several options, including a stroll on November 8 at Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary with the group Walk Charles County. In late November and early December, we will be monitoring the newly arriving ducks at Mattawoman Creek. Keep an eye on the SMAS Group on Facebook for a late-breaking “flash” outing along the George Wilmot Trail in Indian Head. In previous years we have seen hundreds of ducks of many species! Finally, we welcome birders of all levels to join us on Christmas Bird Counts taking place in various counties on December 14, 21, 27, and January 4. Check out our Events calendar for more details.
Partnerships yield great results! But what is a bird sit?
Southern Maryland Audubon Society (SMAS) joined forces with the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership (MBCP) for an unusual event at Chapman State Park on October 11. Pam Brumbley, a director on the SMAS board, led a bird walk to the Potomac River with eighteen participants. Lynne Wheeler, SMAS interim president, kicked off the walk with an introduction to the site’s unique ecology. That much is typical of a birding field trip! But here’s the unusual part: at the front porch of Mount Aventine, the park’s historic hilltop home, Margaret Poethig, a board member for the MBCP, led a bird sit.
What is a bird sit, you ask? There are many ways to do it! The general idea is, when folks sit still and remain quiet outdoors, birds usually resume their normal activity within ten minutes or so. In this way, bird sits offer opportunities to observe birds and their natural behavior. (During group walks, birds are sometimes startled and seek cover, or they are foraging high up in trees or far out in the water, requiring binoculars.) Bird sits can suit a greater range of birding skills and physical abilities than walks. You don’t need binoculars, and you can even do a bird sit solo at your home window or nearest park. In stillness, you can practice your listening and observation skills, becoming more attuned to the natural world. Depending on your purpose or the approach of a guide, bird sits can be contemplative and meditative too.
Lynne reported that the count on the October 11 bird sit was not as high as we tend to see on a walk—just 21 species—but she found joy in learning about birds with other enthusiasts and partnering with like-minded organizations. Special thanks also go to the Friends of Mount Aventine for helping to facilitate this event.
Meet Scott Harris at our monthly Zoom lecture, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.
Join Scott as he shares his seventeen-month journey to find all 53 of the raptors that call the Lower 48 states home. In his presentation he shares his adventures, misadventures, successes, and failures—from minus 36-degree days to one over 100, from barely missing a bird to just arriving in time. If you are on our Osprey newsletter list, you will receive the Zoom link via email. You can join the mailing list by using the form at the bottom of this page.
We’ve packed the coming weeks with bird trips for all ages and abilities, workshops, nature talks, and craft tables at upcoming festivals, including the dedication of our Gateway Native Garden at Lexington Manor Passive Park on Sunday, Oct. 26. Check out our Events page for all the details. We’d love for you to join us!
Cow Path Tiger Beetle. Photo by U.S. Geological Survey
Meet ‘The Bug Guy’—Dr. Michael J. Raupp—at our monthly Zoom nature talk 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1!
Check out wicked wasps, bodacious beetles, fierce flies, and other arthropod allies that provide vital functions and enhance the sustainability of our landscapes and gardens. Mike, entomology professor emeritus at the University of Maryland, will show us simple steps to enhance the abundance and contributions of beneficial insects and ways to conserve them in your garden.
If you are on our “Osprey” newsletter list, you will receive the Zoom link. You can sign up at the bottom of this home page @ www.somdaudubon.org.
Talk may qualify for continuing education hours for Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners.
