Reduced fee of $30 per person! If you missed our August trip at Mallows Bay, you have another chance to go birding by kayak with Gabi – this time at Mattawoman Creek. Here you can get close to a myriad of bird species along this gorgeous meandering creek at the edges of a riparian forest. Numerous Bald Eagles nest here, and it is a great location for waterfowl and forest interior species. Bring your own binoculars, bird guides, drinking water, and a sense of adventure. Trip leader Gabi Zabel is a Master Naturalist, SMAS board member, and employee of Atlantic Kayak Company. All reservations are for a tandem kayaking experience provided by Atlantic Kayak Company from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Book the 10/24 tour called Birding with Gabi at www.atlantickayak.com. Location details are shown on our event page.
A Holiday Craft Fair, a longtime Southern Maryland tradition, returns to Thomas Stone High School on Sunday, December 6, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year Southern Maryland Audubon Society is the new sponsor.
Come browse more than 100 displays by local crafters and find gifts while supporting both local makers and Audubon’s work. The fair will also feature Where the Wild Things Are, a hallway of displays highlighting the work of local conservation groups, including Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay and the Port Tobacco River Conservancy. Crafter spaces are still available! If you or someone you know wants to reserve a booth, please go to somdaudubon.org/craft-fair-registration/ for more information. Otherwise, please save the date, share the fair on social media, and join the event to support Audubon and Southern Maryland’s crafters!
Hosted by the Maryland Osprey & Nature Festival organization
Join us for a premiere of the documentary film “The Last Osprey,” directed and produced by William McKeever. McKeever also produced the “Biggest Little Fish That You Have Never Seen,” a film previously shown at Drum Point Club. This event is hosted by the Maryland Osprey & Nature Festival organization, and is supported by Cove Point Natural Heritage Trust, Calvert Nature Society, Drum Point Club, and the Southern Maryland Audubon Society. The event will include the 30-minute documentary followed by a presentation and discussion by Greg Kearns on the current status of the Chesapeake Bay Ospreys. Caution: The film contains graphic images of sick and deceased Ospreys, including nestlings. Drinks and snacks will be provided.
It’s back-to-school season, and SMAS Vice-President Ben Springer answers the age-old writing prompt, “What did you do this summer?”
I have officially returned to Southern Maryland after an incredible field season working on the Eastern Shore for the Marshes for Tomorrow project! It was an action-packed summer of searching for and monitoring Saltmarsh Sparrow nests and surveying marsh vegetation. In the early mornings we conducted SHARP (Saltmarsh Habitat and Avian Research Program) point counts, documenting birds from a fixed point while playing a 12-minute audio track with the calls of target marsh bird species occurring at 1-minute intervals.
Our team finished the season with 39 nests in total at the Irish Grove Sanctuary, 14 of which were our target species, the Saltmarsh Sparrow. We also found an additional 2 Willet nests and 23 Seaside Sparrow nests. Of the 14 Saltmarsh Sparrow nests, I am excited to report that 6 nests fledged chicks, a success rate of approximately 43%. Compared with other states, this ranks on the high end of success rates. This result offers hope for Saltmarsh Sparrows in Maryland, although flooding and sea level rise remain major threats. Marsh restoration is critical to the continued success of Saltmarsh Sparrows at Irish Grove.
The good news is, beginning this fall, other teams will help restore the Irish Grove Sanctuary by digging shallow channels called runnels. These structures will connect stagnant water to tidal creeks, allowing marsh plants to regrow in areas where excessive water has drowned them. With restoration efforts like this one underway, I am hopeful that the emblematic Saltmarsh Sparrow will remain a part of Maryland’s unique high marsh ecosystem.
In addition to our extensive field work, two colleagues and I made a music video in our free time about our beloved Saltmarsh Sparrows! (The video features Ben Springer on banjo, percussion, and vocals; Duncan Zona on guitar; and vocals and video editing by Evan Powers.) We hope you enjoy it!
Southern Maryland Audubon Society’s Annual Picnic on June 7 was a great success. About 36 attendees gathered, ate great food, and voted for chapter leaders for the upcoming program year. We are thrilled to announce our new president, Will Daniel, who has been an active member of SMAS since he moved to the area in 1993.
Some of our longtime members might remember Will as SMAS treasurer from 2007 to 2019. Fortunately for us, he recently retired from a career in civil engineering and the insurance industry, so he brings many skills and lots of enthusiasm for our mission.
Picnic attendees also voted to add two new directors—Susan Burch and Brandon Wilfong—to our board. Susan works at Wild Birds Unlimited in La Plata, where she shares her expertise and joy in bird feeding and watching. Brandon is currently an associate professor teaching Chemistry and Physics at the College of Southern Maryland. Among his many outdoor pursuits are birding (of course!) and trail running. In 2026 Brandon is having a trail running Big Year.
In another picnic highlight, Conservation Chair Bob Lukinic presented the Conservationist of the Year Award jointly to two teenage environmentalists—Alisa Gant (at right, with parents) and Jackson Crowley (left, with parents).
Both Alisa and Jackson volunteer at the Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center (NCEEC), where they assist in caring for the raptors-in-residence and in public educational events. Alisa’s passion for conservation began in her youth with birdwatching, nature journaling, and foraging. She found new approaches to environmental stewardship when she attended weekly educational programs at a nearby organic farm. In addition to work at NCEEC, Jackson volunteers at the Calvert Marine Museum, where he especially likes introducing visitors to resident wildlife in the Discovery Room.
After the summer hiatus, we look forward to more bird walks, lectures, festivals, and new ideas from our amazing board members!
Dulungans, 2025, oil on cradled wood, 30 x 20 inches, by Kimberly De Jesús Alfonso
Come out to the Southern Maryland Audubon Society’s annual picnic on Sunday, June 7, 2026! It will be held at Historic Maxwell Hall Park from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. As usual, we will begin with a potluck lunch, then hold a business meeting (including the election of officers for next program year), and conclude with a bird walk. We will also offer free native plants (hearty thanks to Lynne Wheeler!) and display works by artist and birder Kimberly De Jesús Alfonso. Kimberly has visited eight countries researching endangered species and paints them after returning to her studio. The artwork featured above, Dulungans (2025), depicts Rufous-headed Hornbills of the Philippines.
Please RSVP using the link below to help us plan for the picnic!
SMAS Raptor Conservation Chair Mike Callahan will lead this popular event featuring up-close views of Barn Owl chicks. Bring the whole family! But there is limited capacity, so please RSVP soon. Email Mike by 4:30 pm on May 19 at raptorsrulemc@gmail.com or phone him at 240-765-5192, and he will reply with the exact location in Charles County. Cost is $30 per person, and all proceeds benefit raptor conservation in southern Maryland.
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.
