Friends of Eastern Neck

09/04/2026

🦋 Celebrate 25 Years of the Bayview Butterfly Garden! 🦋The Friends Of Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge invite you to a fun, educational Open House! Bring the whole family to enjoy a morning completely surrounded by butterflies, nature, and hands-on learning

Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.Bayview Butterfly Garden, Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge. Admission: Free! No RSVP required for general admission.

Highlights for All Ages:
🦎 UMD Traveling Insect Zoo: Get up close with experts and touch select species from a collection of 100 insects and arthropods.
🗺️ Guided History Tours: Meet garden volunteers to learn historical facts about the refuge.
🌿 Master Gardeners of Kent County: Learn how wild meadows sustain biodiversity and find out how to plant one at home.
🌱 "Slice of Life" Exhibit: Presented by the Chestertown Environment Committee to help you build your own home pollinator garden. Kids can even plant a nectar plant to take home!

🎨 Special Kids' Art Experience (Ages 6–12)Children can join a guided painting session with a Plein Air Artist to paint two canvases, a garden rock, and a custom card.
⚠️ Registration Required for Art Only: Space is strictly limited to 16 children.🔗 Sign Up: Reserve your child's spot ahead of time on the official Eventbrite Page.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/open-house-eastern-neck-bayview-butterfly-garden-25-year-anniversary-tickets-1995817727549?aff=oddtdtcreator

This event is proudly sponsored by the Association of Retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Employees.

See you in the garden!

09/04/2026

The Bayview Butterfly Garden at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge is hosting a 25th Anniversary Open House on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
Event Details
Date & Time: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon.
Location: Bayview Butterfly Garden, Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge.
Cost: Free, with no RSVP needed for general attendance.
What to Expect
Garden Tours: Guided history tours and refuge facts with volunteers.
Live Art: Plein air artists painting in the garden.
Insect Zoo: Hands-on interactions with insects and arthropods from the University of Maryland Traveling Insect Zoo.
Master Gardeners: Learn about meadow development and supporting local biodiversity from Kent County experts.
For Kids: Planting a nectar plant to take home, plus a limited art workshop (advance sign-up required for children ages 6-12 to paint canvases and rocks). Go to our FB page to sign up.

09/01/2026

Eastern Neck Bayview Butterfly Garden Open House: Fun for adults and children. No RSVP needed. Only register if you have children ages 6-12 that want to participate in the art activities.

The Friends Of Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge will host an Open House on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon in the Bayview Butterfly Garden in honor of its 25th Anniversary. The morning will be filled with fun, educational activities all amongst the butterflies.

Butterfly Garden Volunteers will greet you and welcome you into the garden. They will be on hand to give guided History Tours of the garden and share facts about the Refuge.

Plein Air Artist will be painting throughout the garden. Instructors will guide children through two painting experiences. We can only accept 16 and participants must be aged 6 through 12 and it is . Parents will need to sign up for this unique opportunity ahead (See Below). Children will paint two canvases, one rock which they will find in the garden and one card should time allow. Materials will be provided. Children will have the opportunity through a sensory-rich environment to create what they observe.

The University Of Maryland Traveling Insect Zoo, run by the Department of Entomology, maintains a collection of about 100 species of insects and arthropods. Select species from the collection, and experts will provide hands-on interactions. Adults, as well as children, will enjoy this exhibit.

Meadows support a wide range of species, from pollinators and birds to mammals like deer. They provide shelter and corridors of movement sustaining biodiversity and ecological balance. Talk with Master Gardeners of Kent County about the newest development of a plot in the garden. Learn how meadows add diversity to the environment and how you can have one too.

The Chestertown Environment Committee's Sub-
Committee Water & Habitat will exhibit a Slice Of Life. Learn how to give a slice of life to a pollinator in your home garden.

The children's table will allow children to engage in planting a nectar plant for a butterfly to take home.

The event is sponsored by the Association of Retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Employees

Register children: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/open-house-eastern-neck-bayview-butterfly-garden-25-year-anniversary-tickets-1995817727549?aff=oddtdtcreator

08/30/2026

Please note that the refuge will be closed on the following seven days in October for deer hunts:
October 3, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, and 22, 2026. Boaters may still access Bogles Wharf for the purpose of launching boats on these days. For more information about hunting on the refuge, please visit www.fws.gov/refuge/eastern-neck.

Photo credit: Rodger Wilder

08/30/2026

Drive through the refuge this time of year, and you'll notice pops of pink standing out amidst the browns and greens of the marsh. The hibiscus-like pink flowers of Virginia saltmarsh mallow, also known as seashore mallow, attract hummingbirds, butterflies and other important pollinators.

Photo credit: USFWS

08/26/2026

Eastern Neck Bayview Butterfly Garden Open House: Fun for adults and children. No RSVP needed. Only registered if you have children ages 6-12 that want to participate in the art activities.

The Friends Of Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge will host an Open House on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon in the Bayview Butterfly Garden in honor of its 25th Anniversary. The morning will be filled with fun, educational activities all amongst the butterflies.

Butterfly Garden Volunteers will greet you and welcome you into the garden. They will be on hand to give guided

History Tours of the garden and share facts about the Refuge.

Plein Air Artist will be painting throughout the garden. Instructors will guide children through two painting experiences. We can only accept 16 and participants must be aged 6 through 12 and it is . Parents will need to sign up for this unique opportunity ahead (See Below). Children will paint two canvases, one rock which they will find in the garden and one card should time allow. Materials will be provided. Children will have the opportunity through a sensory-rich environment to create what they observe.

The University Of Maryland Traveling Insect Zoo, run by the Department of Entomology, maintains a collection of about 100 species of insects and arthropods. Select species from the collection, and experts will provide hands-on interactions. Adults, as well as children, will enjoy this exhibit.

Meadows support a wide range of species, from pollinators and birds to mammals like deer. They provide shelter and corridors of movement sustaining biodiversity and ecological balance. Talk with Master Gardeners of Kent County about the newest development of a plot in the garden. Learn how meadows add diversity to the environment and how you can have one too.

The Chestertown Environment Committee's Sub-Committee Water & Habitat will exhibit a Slice Of Life. Learn how to give a slice of life to a pollinator in your home garden.

The children's table will allow children to engage in planting a nectar plant for a butterfly to take home.

Register children: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/open-house-eastern-neck-bayview-butterfly-garden-25-year-anniversary-tickets-1995817727549?aff=oddtdtcreator

08/21/2026