Calvert Nature Society

06/11/2026

The LPPRP process affects our natural spaces and the work of the Calvert Nature Society. It is a roadmap for future investments and priorities that supports our quality of life and protects our natural resources and recreational opportunities - like our nature parks. We encourage everyone to participate and help shape the future of parks, recreation and land preservation planning in Calvert County.

Members of the LPPRP team will be at community events to answer questions, provide information about the process and take feedback. Please attend one or fill out an online survey (link below):

• Farmers Market at CalvertHealth:
130 Hospital Road, Prince Frederick
Tuesday, July 7, 2:30-5:30 p.m.

• Farmers Market at Dunkirk District Park
10750 Southern Maryland Blvd., Dunkirk
Thursday, July 9, 2:30-5:30 p.m.

• Town of North Beach - First Friday
Bay Avenue (between 2nd and 7th streets), North Beach
Friday, July 10, 5-9 p.m.

• Calvert Marine Museum - Sharkfest
14200 Solomons Island Road, Solomons
Saturday, July 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If you cannot attend an in-person event, you can participate online [https://engageberrydunn.mysocialpinpoint.com/calvert-county-land-preservation-parks-and-recreation-plan] where you can:

• Complete a brief community survey.
• Explore and comment on an interactive map.
• Participate in budget and priority-setting activities.
• Learn more about the process and upcoming opportunities.

Calvert County Announces Public Engagement for 2027 Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan

The Calvert County Department of Parks & Recreation has launched the public engagement phase for the 2027 Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan (LPPRP), a comprehensive planning effort that will help guide decisions related to parks, recreation, public access, trails, natural resource stewardship and land preservation throughout the county.

Read the full press release at www.calvertcountymd.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/3148.

06/10/2026

06/10/2026

This is a good reason to stop killing everything that isn’t grass.

Four tiers. One yard. Every arrow on this chart is a meal that keeps the next tier running.

The oak leaf feeds the caterpillar. The caterpillar feeds the chickadee. The chickadee feeds the Cooper's hawk. You're watching a three-step chain play out at your bird feeder every morning without realizing it.

🌿 The connections most people miss:

The toad sitting under your porch step is a secondary consumer — she eats slugs, grubs, and beetles all night. The barred owl calling from the oak is watching the chipmunk who buried acorns in your garden bed. The coyote trotting across the back fence at dusk is keeping the rabbit population from stripping your clover flat.

And at the bottom, the decomposers close the loop. Fungi, bacteria, millipedes, earthworms — they break down everything that dies on every tier and return it to the soil. The producers grow from it. The cycle restarts.

The yard looks still. Underneath, every species is eating, being eaten, or breaking something down for the next round 🐾

06/05/2026

How did these bird lovers get TWO owl boxes on their barn?

06/04/2026

How fast are you running across your yard?

Thirteen species. One yard. A speed range from 0.03 miles per hour to 240.

The garden snail at the bottom covers about fifty yards in an hour. The slime trail is the proof. She's been doing it this way for roughly 500 million years, so it's working.

The garter snake in the middle moves at three to four miles per hour — fast enough to make you jump, too slow to catch you walking.

🌿 The part that rearranges everything you assumed:

The hummingbird is faster than the red fox. Thirty miles per hour in level flight — and she can fly backward, which the fox obviously cannot.

The dragonfly is faster than the white-tailed deer. And she catches prey at full speed with a success rate that makes every other predator in the yard look amateur.

The chimney swift hits 70 miles per hour and never lands. She drinks from the surface of a pond without stopping.

And the peregrine falcon — if one ever passes over your yard — dives at 240. Fastest animal alive. Vertical.

The slowest thing in the chart has been here the longest. Speed is one strategy. Patience is another 🐾

06/02/2026

Come to one of our nature parks and walk one of our trails!

🌿 Happy National Trails Day!

Since 1993, National Trails Day has inspired people across the country to get outside, explore nature and enjoy the trails and public lands in their communities.

Celebrate close to home by visiting one of Calvert County’s beautiful nature parks or joining us for a guided hike at Flag Ponds Nature Park.

📍 Flag Ponds Nature Park
📅 Saturday, June 6
⏰ 10 a.m. to noon
• Approximately 2-mile hike
• All ages welcome
• Leashed dogs welcome
• Uneven terrain; not stroller-friendly

Pre-registration is required and you can register at https://calvertparks.org/event-6555115.

Whether you're an experienced hiker or simply looking for a reason to spend time outdoors, National Trails Day is a great opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of Calvert County.

You can find more information about National Trails Day at American Hiking Society’s website, americanhiking.org.

05/31/2026

05/29/2026

Gather round the campfire at one of our 2026 Campfire Programs at Kings Landing Park.

Step into the glow of the campfire for a cozy, family-friendly evening of wonder. Each month brings a new theme - wildlife tales, fireflies, starry skies and more.

Bring a blanket or your own camp chairs. We’ll provide the marshmallows for toasting.

*Fireflies Fireside: Saturday, June 13 at 7:30 pm
*Moths and Moonlight: Saturday, July 25 at 9 pm
*Firelight and Falling Stars: Saturday, August 15, 9 pm
*Pirate Tales: Saturday, September 19, 6:30 pm
*Going Batty: Saturday, October 10, 6 pm
*Meteors and Marshmallows: Saturday, November 14, 6 pm
*Cool Yule Campfire: Saturday, December 19, 5 pm

Registration is required, starting with Fireflies Fireside, at the link in the comments.

Calvert Nature Society is dedicated to the development of a responsible environmental ethic in all people by providing opportunities for environmental education and compatible recreation; and the preservation of the natural heritage of Calvert County primarily within the mission of the Calvert Count...

05/23/2026

Good to know.

Ticks don't fall from trees. They can't jump. They can't fly. They climb grass blades, extend their front legs, and wait for something warm to walk past.

The tick climbs to the tip of a blade at ankle to knee height, anchors with its hind legs, and spreads its front legs wide. Sensory structures on the front legs detect carbon dioxide, body heat, and vibration. When a host brushes the vegetation, the tick grabs on.

Then it crawls upward — sometimes for hours — until it reaches bare skin. The tick on the back of your neck started at your ankle.

🌿 What actually works:

- Tuck pants into socks — the grab happens at ankle height
- Permethrin-treated shoes and pant legs neutralize ticks at the contact zone
- DEET or picaridin on exposed skin blocks the heat signature they follow
- Tick check after every outing — armpits, hairline, behind ears, waistband
- Mowed paths through tall areas reduce the questing zone
- Ticks concentrate at edges — where vegetation meets open ground, trail margins, fence lines

The myth is one of the most persistent in outdoor recreation. She was never in the tree. She was at your feet 🌿