Calvert Nature Society

10/14/2026

Three days until Marlboro Freedom Day!

Join us on October 17th for walking tours, speakers, exhibits, entertainment and local history in Lower Marlboro, MD.

10/13/2026

Would you risk leaving your family for a chance at freedom?

Explore the difficult choices people made during Calvert County’s War of 1812 at Lower Marlboro Freedom Day on Saturday, October 17.

For more information go to www.calvertcountymd.gov/LowerMarlboroFreedomDay
or call the Department of Parks & Recreation, Natural Resources Division at 410-535-5327.

10/12/2026

Freedom did not mean the same thing to everyone in 1814. Join us Oct. 17 for Lower Marlboro Freedom Day and explore the choices enslaved people faced as British forces moved through Southern Maryland during the War of 1812.

For more information go to www.calvertcountymd.gov/LowerMarlboroFreedomDay
or call the Department of Parks & Recreation, Natural Resources Division at 410-535-5327.

10/09/2026

Please consider helping out the Chesapeake ospreys.

Sharing this information from Greg Kearns, an osprey researcher at Patuxent River Park. Time is running out to help our declining osprey populations. Consider writing a letter today to support cuts to menhaden catch limits and submit it by this Friday to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Click here: https://asmfc.org/actions/atlantic-menhaden-draft-addendum-ii/

This recent article explains the situation: https://marylandmatters.org/2026/10/02/menhaden-reductions-maryland-legislators/

Key Deadlines & Context

Comment Deadline: October 9, 2026 (11:59 PM EST).
Draft Addendum II: Considers reducing the Chesapeake Bay reduction fishery cap (up to 50%) and adding seasonal-period quotas.
Coastwide TAC: Upcoming votes address total allowable catch using ecological reference points (ERP).
Core Points to Include in Your Letter

1. Link the Bay Cap to Coastwide TAC (total allowable catch)

The issue: The Chesapeake Bay cap currently operates separately from overall coastwide changes.
What to ask: Tie the Bay cap dynamically to a fixed percentage (e.g., 13.6%) of the coastwide Total Allowable Catch (TAC).
Why: Prevents disproportionate harvest pressure in the Bay if coastwide quotas shift.
2. Support Reduction Cuts & Seasonal Quotas

The issue: Intensive single-season or localized reduction fishing concentrates pressure.
What to ask: Support options that cut the Bay cap by up to 50% and establish strict seasonal blocks (e.g., split-period allocations).
Why: Spreads out fishing mortality and protects juvenile nurseries during peak vulnerability.
3. Prioritize Predators and Ecosystem Health (ERP)

The issue: Menhaden are vital forage for striped bass, ospreys, and marine mammals.
What to ask: Demand conservative coastwide and local limits with a high probability (50% or lower risk) of meeting ecological reference points.
Why: Industrial reduction harvest must not starve local predator populations.
Structure of an Effective Letter

Subject Line: Reference Atlantic Menhaden Draft Addendum II Comments.
Introduction: State who you are (angler, resident, conservationist, scientist) and your connection to the Chesapeake Bay or Atlantic coast.
The Ask: Clearly state that you support a 50% reduction or cap on the Bay reduction fishery and a dynamic linkage to the TAC.
The Science/Rationale: Mention forage needs for striped bass and ospreys. Avoid emotional rants; focus on ecological balance and accountability.
Call to Action/Sign-off: Request that your comment be entered into the official record. Submit via the official ASMFC portal or email designated in their action notice.
If you want, share:

Your stakeholder perspective (angler, commercial/bait, conservationist, or resident)
Any local observations (osprey/striped bass trends in your area)
If you want, ask AI to help draft a letter with these points if you want to write a letter or two quickly; you can personalize it with the information in this email and your own knowledge. Multiple submissions are allowed and recommended.

10/09/2026

📰: Deer Fall Breeding Season Increases Collision Risk for Drivers

Deer mating season is right around the corner, which means deer will travel across roads in often unpredictable patterns at all times of the day and night in search of a mate. Most other wildlife are also more active at this time of year, as they search for food to prepare for the coming winter. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds motorists to be vigilant. Read more: https://ow.ly/XwEl50ZVxEa

10/08/2026

Come celebrate Lower Marlboro Freedom Day on Saturday, October 17th from 11 am to 4 pm in Lower Marlboro, Maryland.

Lower Marlboro Freedom Day is a community event honoring enslaved people who pursued freedom from the Lower Marlboro area during the War of 1812. Through walking tours, exhibits, speakers, performances and hands-on activities, visitors will explore how freedom meant different things to different people across American history.

Learn how British forces moving through Southern Maryland created dangerous opportunities for escape, and consider the difficult choices faced by individuals, families, landowners and communities.

This program is presented as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary commemoration, this event invites all ages to reflect on courage, independence, family, resistance and the increasing importance of freedom today.

Find more information at www.calvertcountymd.gov/LowerMarlboroFreedomDay or through the Department of Parks & Recreation, Natural Resources Division at 410-535-5327.



This event is sponsored by the following:
Residents of Lower Marlboro
Calvert County Historical Society
Calvert County Historic District Commission
Calvert County (MD) Branch of the NAACP
Calvert County Parks and Recreation
Calvert Library
Calvert Nature Society
GrayRay Post CalvertCounty
Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC Lab)
Maryland State Archives
Mt. Harmony Lower Marlboro United Methodist Church

10/07/2026

Building for Butterflies

Join Calvert Marine Museum’s senior Educational Interpreter Alice Merkel on Tuesday, October 20th, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, in a discussion about the Butterfly Waystation she and others created at the museum to support local pollinators and assist the Monarch Butterflies in their annual migration to Mexico.

The garden, funded by a grant from the Cove Point Natural Heritage Trust, was filled with native Common Milkweed and other native plants with the hope that it would create new opportunities for educational interpretation to visitors to the site about the importance of pollinators to the greater Chesapeake Bay region.

LOCATION: Calvert Library Southern Branch
13920 HG Trueman Rd, Solomons, MD 20688

This free lecture series is supported by a generous grant from Cove Point Natural Heritage Trust.

Registration at the link in the first comment is requested but not required.

09/21/2026

Be part of our annual "Parks for Pollinators" iNaturalist Challenge.

Discover the fascinating world of pollination through field explorations and documenting what we find through iNaturalist.

Observe bees, butterflies and birds in action. You will deepen your understanding of pollination, learn to identify different pollinators and plants, and appreciate the importance of biodiversity in our environment.

Don’t miss this opportunity for a day of learning and discovery in a beautiful park setting!

The program is free but please register using the link in the first comment.

Friday, September 25th, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at Gatewood Preserve, located at 2800 Grays Road in Prince Frederick.

NOTE: There is no water at the site, and the nearest facilities are in the Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Nature Center. Of course you should plan extra time to explore the center if you're stopping there first!

Bring: water, lunch or snacks, hat, sunscreen, tick/insect repellent, your favorite field guides, hand lens, camera and binoculars, although we'll have some to borrow.

To prepare for the training:
*Fully charged your smartphone
*Install the iNaturalist app
*Set up your iNaturalist account
*Find iNaturalist Project: Parks for Pollinators 2026 in Calvert County

To download the app:

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.inaturalist.android

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/iphone/search?term=inaturalist

09/21/2026