Wild WashCo

09/04/2026

More important than ever... such a shame.

540 acres.

That is the size of the data center project just approved in Berkeley County.

540 acres that will never function the way it has for centuries upon centuries.

So I keep coming back to one question.

When did we decide that land has to justify its existence to us?

Why does a forest have to produce revenue to be considered worthy? Why does a meadow have to be built on before it’s seen as valuable? When they look at open space, why is the first label they always reach for “undeveloped” instead of “functioning,” “alive,” or “essential”?

Who taught us that if land isn’t extracting, producing, or profiting, it’s failing?

And I am not imagining this language. Listen to any Hagerstown City Council meeting or Washington County Commissioners meeting when zoning or rezoning is on the agenda. You will hear the same terms repeated. “Underutilized.” “Vacant.” “Opportunity.” Parcels are discussed in terms of yield, tax base, and projected output per acre. The framing is consistent and deliberate.

Because empty land really isn't empty. It is home to so many things that cannot advocate for themselves.

I think many of us simply haven’t had the chance to learn what truly surrounds us.

That the soil under us is alive with fungi trading nutrients with tree roots. That the canopy overhead holds generations of songbird nests. That our streams aren’t just water moving downhill but infact corridors for fish, insects, amphibians. That under every fallen log there is an entire world working quietly. That even the rocks scattered across a field tell the story of ancient seabeds and shifting land.

That’s where the awe begins.

Wildlife isn’t just something placed on top of land. It’s structured. It’s functioning. It’s an intricate, self-regulating system that has been refining itself for thousands of years.

Native bees emerge with the blooms of the native plants they rely on. Predators regulate prey populations and keep ecosystems in balance. Songbirds carry seeds across entire states. Salamanders break down leaf litter and help build and maintain healthy forest soils.

Nothing exists in isolation.

When you start to see it, it’s remarkable.

When we feel connected to something, we defend it. But many of us were never shown how extraordinary this is. Technology makes it easy than ever to look anywhere except outside. If we are not taught about what exists in our own backyard, its disappearance will never register as loss.

That is what concerns me the most.

Washington County has a finite footprint. There will never be more of it. In ecological terms, rezoning is permanent. Once hundreds of acres are blasted, compacted, and paved, that system WILL NEVER return within our lifetime.

This is not anti-jobs.
This is not anti-technology.

It is simply a question of this county's scale and direction.

How much is enough?
Where is the line?
What land is non-negotiable?
And are we asking those questions before approving the next 500 acres?

We created Wild WashCo because we grew tired of watching a new place each month up for destruction. Land from our childhood leveled. Subdivisions replacing the prettiest farm land you've ever seen. The same ornamental trees planted in rows. All the mature tress gone. Mowed lawns where functioning ecosystems once stood.

We are here to document what remains and to educate about how breathtakingly complex and intelligent these systems are. To show that wildlife is not background noise. It is engineering. It is chemistry. It is beauty layered on top of function.

We are paying attention.
We are listening.
And we care deeply about how decisions made today shape the land future generations will inherit.

Our children deserve the chance to experience nature the way we did. The way our parents did. The way their parents did.

That should not be something we lose.

Because once it is gone, it does not come back.

And if we are the generation standing at the line, then we need to act like it.

08/30/2026

Late summer is one of our favorite times of year, and this is one of the reasons why!

Yesterday evening we watched a large group of Common Nighthawks feeding high over our house as they moved south, constantly turning, diving, and changing direction as they caught insects in the air.

Common Nighthawks are not actually hawks, they are nightjars, relatives of the Whip-poor-will, and by late August they are beginning a huge migration from their breeding grounds across the United States and Canada toward their wintering grounds in South America.

Washington County sits within a long north-to-south valley between the Appalachian ridges, giving migrating birds a natural route through this part of Maryland, with the Potomac River, open farmland, wetlands, and other feeding areas along the way.

They can be easy to miss when they are this high, but the long pointed wings and bright white patches across each wing make them pretty easy to recognize once you know what you are looking for.

This time of year, there is so much happening above us that most people never notice, birds that spent the summer hundreds or even thousands of miles apart are beginning to move south, and for a short period every year, our area gets to be part of that journey.

08/26/2026

A lot of longtime Washington County residents remember when Northern Bobwhites were common around local farms. Today, many people have no idea what a bobwhite even is.

This young Eastern Meadowlark is part of the same open landscape that once supported Northern Bobwhites, although the two birds use it differently. Meadowlarks need large pastures, hayfields, and grasslands, while bobwhites depend on a patchwork of grassy areas, bare ground, and brushy edges. 🌾

Washington County still has some of the open fields, native flowers, and brushy cover these birds need. But development and habitat fragmentation continue breaking larger areas into smaller, disconnected pieces. What remains is often degraded by frequent mowing, herbicide and insecticide spraying, and clearing away the overgrown edges that provide food, nesting areas, and protection.

Eastern Meadowlarks have declined by roughly 75% since 1966. Northern Bobwhites have experienced the greatest decline of any bird in Maryland over the past 50 years.

Protecting farmland and other open space is a major part of protecting these birds. Washington County has already permanently preserved nearly 44,000 acres of land. Preservation alone does not guarantee good wildlife habitat, but it keeps large areas from being permanently developed and allows us to manage portions of them differently.

That is why we want to bring more attention to these birds and the habitat they depend on. Washington County still has enough left to make a difference. Protecting open land, mowing later, leaving brushy edges alone, and reducing unnecessary spraying can help keep meadowlarks here and give bobwhites and other declining birds a better chance.

08/25/2026

There is always something feeding on Ironweed this time of year!

This monarch was taking advantage of its deep purple flowers as it prepared for the beginning of fall migration. Ironweed blooms at just the right time to provide nectar for monarchs and other butterflies moving through our area.

What makes ironweed especially cool is that it also supports the denticulate longhorn bee, a native specialist bee. Females collect pollen exclusively from ironweeds to provision their underground nests. The adults can visit other flowers for nectar, but their offspring depend entirely on ironweed pollen.

It’s another great example of how one native plant can support wildlife in completely different ways.

08/05/2026

Has anyone else been seeing more monarchs lately? 🧡

Our sightings have certainly picked up over the past few weeks, and we would love to hear what everyone else is seeing around Washington County! 🦋

08/01/2026

Look at the blue on this thing!

This is a male Blue-ringed Dancer (Argia sedula) we found along Conococheague Creek. It gets its name from the thin blue rings running down its otherwise mostly black abdomen.

Blue-ringed Dancers have a wide range across North America, but are much more limited in Maryland. They are common along the Potomac River and relatively uncommon elsewhere, though they can also be found along creeks and rivers with healthy streamside vegetation.

What makes it especially cool is just how few have been recorded in Maryland. The Maryland Biodiversity Project currently has just 34 records statewide—by far the fewest of our seven dancer species. Washington County is also one of only eight counties where they have been documented.

07/25/2026

Ever wonder why some bees look like they're wearing bright yellow pants?

This is a female long-horned bee (Melissodes spp.). Those bright yellow "pants" are actually dense hairs used to carry pollen. After visiting a few Black-eyed Susans, they're packed full.

Unlike honey bees or bumble bees, she doesn't return to a hive. She builds her own nest in the ground and gathers pollen to feed her developing young.

There are several species of Melissodes in Washington County, and many are nearly impossible to identify from photos alone. It's another reminder of the incredible diversity of native bees living in Washington County.

07/21/2026

Believe it or not, these are the same species.

Both are female Eastern Tiger Swallowtails (Papilio glaucus), one of the largest butterflies found in Washington County. Females occur in two color forms, a trait called polymorphism. One is the familiar yellow form, identified by the blue scaling on her hindwings, while the other is nearly black with only faint tiger stripes still visible across her forewings.

The dark form mimics the toxic Pipevine Swallowtail. Pipevine caterpillars store toxins from the plants they eat, making the adult butterflies distasteful to predators. Birds learn to avoid their black-and-blue coloring, giving dark Tiger Swallowtails some of the same protection. This is known as Batesian mimicry.

Adults visit native wildflowers like Hoary Mountain Mint for nectar, while their caterpillars feed on tulip poplar, wild black cherry, ash, and magnolia. 🌳

We were lucky enough to photograph both forms right here in Washington County.

07/18/2026

Ghost pipe 👻(Monotropa uniflora) is one of the few plants in Washco that doesn't photosynthesize. Without chlorophyll, it has no need for green leaves or sunlight.

Instead, it gets its carbon from underground fungi that are connected to the roots of nearby trees. Plants like this are called mycoheterotrophs, relying on fungi rather than sunlight for energy.

As the flowers finish blooming, they slowly turn upright before releasing thousands of tiny seeds. Then the entire plant disappears, often leaving no sign it was ever there.

It's one of the most unusual native plants in our forests and a great reminder that some of the most fascinating parts of nature are hidden beneath our feet.

07/09/2026

💜 We catch ourselves doing this all the time… walking outside to check on the plants and ending up watching a bee instead.

This carpenter bee spent several minutes visiting our Passionflowers. She’s almost the perfect size for these intricate blooms, picking up pollen on her back each time she reaches deep inside for nectar before carrying it to the next flower.

We love moments like this because they remind us these plants aren’t just beautiful. They evolved alongside the wildlife around us, and you get to watch those relationships play out right in your own backyard. 🐝🌿