06/04/2026
We have some stories to share - Please join ACT as we unravel the tapestry that allowed us to flip the pages of memories made during the first half of 2026.
Flowing Into Nature: Reflection, Learning, & Growing
There’s something powerful that happens when people come together with a shared curiosity and a willingness to listen, to learn, and to reconnect with the natural world.
This season, our Sip of Science Series became just that space.
In February, it began quietly, when we stepped outside and boots met the frozen ground at Newport Farms for our Winter Waterfowl Birding Experience. The crisp air carried the sounds of wings overhead and water moving through marsh and bay. Despite the cold temps, we enjoyed 57 species of birds that morning, including 18 species of waterfowl.
Excitingly, we also had the pleasure of welcoming the Eurasin Wigeon, a vagrant bird that crossed the Atlantic to the shores here - Oh what a lovely place to be! Siting these remarkable birds in their natural habitat was more than observation, it was a reminder. A reminder that these species depend on the health of our coastal environments, and in turn, so do we.
In March, we gathered around to discuss the importance of pollinator plants, led by a panel of MD Extension, Master Gardeners along with Beth Sheppard, from Lower Shore Land Trust. The topics explored were how these small but mighty contributors sustain entire ecosystems. Bees, butterflies, and native landscapes became more than conversations, they became part of a larger story about balance, resilience, and interconnection. From there conversations grew.
We also embraced the art of flower pressing, where petals were carefully placed, moments slowed, and something deeper took root.
In April, as the season unfolds, new opportunities await. Composting Gold invited us to look beneath the surface into the transformation of organic waste into nutrient-rich “black gold’. We toured Go Green OC’s largest composter on the Eastern Shore. It’s a story of renewal, where what we discard becomes the foundation for healthier soil and cleaner waterways.
In May, we wrapped up this season of our Sip of Science Series with Archeologist, Aaron Levinthal, exploring how our land has evolved over time right here on the Eastern Shore. This journey uncovered how generations before us understood and described the world around them. The history of land use over 15,000 years, with stories woven throughout the Shore and written into the landscape.
Each moment, each gathering, has reinforced a simple truth: when we understand nature, we’re better equipped to protect it.
And we’re just getting started - there is so much more on the horizon.
And soon, we’ll take a step even further back in time.
As coastlines moved, so did communities. As environments changed, so did the language used to define them. Not just in what we see, but in what has shifted, settled, and sometimes disappeared. From shorelines to changing waters and landscapes, participants will explore how people have shaped the environment pre-contact and historic communities, reminding us that the relationship between people and place has always been evolving. Let’s explore what our mark is in history.
Together, these experiences form something larger than a series.
They create a pathway, and one that connects land, water, and life. One that invites us not just to learn, but to participate. To observe, to question, and ultimately, to care more deeply. Because when we begin to see how everything flows together, we begin to understand.
