Friends of Black Hill Nature Programs

09/09/2026

Join us for the FOBHNP Annual Meeting!

Come spend an evening with friends, neighbors, and fellow nature lovers at the Black Hill Discovery Center on October 2nd, from 6–8 PM.

It’s a Pot Luck! Bring your favorite dish to share.

Puzzle Games in Teams! We’ll have fun, team-based puzzle games from The Ezz Show — a great way to meet people, have some laughs, and enjoy a little friendly competition.

Most importantly, come out for an evening of good conversation, community, and connection.

Everyone is welcome — you do NOT need to be a member to attend!

Please RSVP so we can plan accordingly:
https://friendsofblackhillnature.org/annual-meeting

We hope to see you there!

08/05/2026

Join us for our next Friends of Black Hill Nature Programs Board Meeting!

We’re currently looking to fill several board member positions and would love for you to come to a meeting to learn more about what we do and how you can get involved.

📅 Wednesday, August 26
⏰ 1:00 PM
📍 SEED Classroom

If you plan to attend, please email us at [email protected] so we can send you the agenda ahead of time and notify you of any changes to the meeting date, time, or location.

We hope to see you there!

07/31/2026

05/31/2026

Thank you to everyone who supported our plant sale! We still have a small selection of plants left on the deck—about 50 total.

We'll leave them out for a few more days for anyone who wants one last chance to shop. Stop by when you can and see what's left before we close out the season.

Happy planting! 🌱

05/09/2026

🌿 Plants still available for sale — Black Hill Discovery Center, Montgomery Parks deck

Head all the way to the end of the deck for self-service shopping. Pay easily with the QR code on site.

All proceeds go directly to nature programs at the park. Every plant makes a difference!

Pictured are just some of the species currently on the deck.

Some of the species available:
-- Scarlet rosemallow (Hibiscus coccineus) 🌺
-- Cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) — non-native hummingbird favorite
-- Goldenrods — flat-top, wrinkle-leaf, gray/old field, and showy
-- Sneezeweed — regular and purple (great for rain gardens)
-- White snakeroot — late-season nectar source, great for naturalizing an area
-- Bidens aristosa — native tickseed annual; blooms late, loved by bees and goldfinches 🌻
-- Heuchera villosa — native alumroot; beautiful foliage, tolerates heat and humidity, great for shady spots
-- Wood poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) — cheerful yellow spring bloomer, great for shade gardens 🌼
-- Native clematis — virgin's bower
-- Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
-- Golden Alexanders — host plant for black swallowtails 🦋
-- Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia)
-- Grass plugs: switchgrass, purple love grass (Eragrostis spectabilis), sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
-- Other plugs: aromatic aster
-- A few shrubs/trees
…and more!

05/09/2026

Hot take: Practicing organic lawn care is not difficult

Organic lawn care involves the same amount of work as a chemical fed lawn - it's just different steps.

Instead of heading to the store for chemicals, you'll order and perform a soil test. Instead of short, frequent watering, you'll water less often, but deeper. Instead of adding synthetic fertilizer, you'll add organic amendments only based on the needs of your soil.

Sometimes people ask, “Aren’t lawns bad for the environment?” Turns out that’s not true, especially if the lawns are organic and have healthy soils.

A chemically managed lawn that is frequently mowed and is missing grass clippings and soil microorganisms, won’t have much environmental benefit. But an organic lawn with thick grass, deep roots, healthy soils, and energy-efficient maintenance practices can do a lot to store climate warming carbon, soak up stormwater, and provide the oxygen we breathe.

Benefits of an organic lawn:
1) Healthy lawns offset climate change
2) Healthy lawns contribute to air quality
3) Health lawns produce oxygen
4) Healthy lawns capture and infiltrate stormwater, and treat pollutants in runoff
5) Healthy lawns provide erosion control
6) Healthy lawns protect wildlife and habitat

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/government/departments-agencies/department-environmental-protection/property-care/organic-lawns/homeowners/why-organic-lawns

05/06/2026

05/03/2026

What a wonderful first day! Native plants were flying off the tables, and it was so heartwarming to see so many people discovering — or deepening their love for — these incredible plants.

Native plants are finally getting the reputation they deserve, and you all are making that happen, one garden at a time. Thank you for coming out and supporting us and Black Hill Regional Park. 💚🦋

We still have a great selection left — come see us tomorrow!

📅 Sunday, May 3 | 9 AM – 3 PM
📍 Black Hill Discovery Center, 20926 Lake Ridge Dr., Boyds MD

See you out there! 🌿

05/02/2026

Tables packed and ready before the doors opened today. Come see us tomorrow (Sunday 9am - 3pm)! We still have plenty of species left! Come find something beautiful — and ecologically valuable — for your garden. 🌱🌱🌱