Maryland Native Plant Society Annual Fall Conference: “Biodiversity of Maryland’s Eastern Shore”

On September 25 and 26, 2010 the Maryland Native Plant Society, headquartered in Silver Spring, and Environmental Concern of St. Michaels, are co-sponsoring a conference “Biodiversity of Maryland’s Eastern Shore” to be held at Chesapeake College, in Wye Mills.

“The Maryland Native Plant Society annual conference highlights a different region of the state each year to learn more about our natural habitats and native plants,” said Karyn Molines, Maryland Native Plant Society Fall Conference Chair. “Maryland’s Eastern Shore offers a wide variety of habitats—old growth forests, wetlands, Delmarva bays—each with interesting rare and common plants. The speakers and field trip leaders provide information and experiences for both the amateur and professional naturalist.”

The conference begins Saturday morning with a series of illustrated lectures on the diverse natural habitats and plants found on the Eastern Shore. Wesley Knapp, Ecologist/Botanist for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service will present an overview of select Natural Communities, discussing their distributions and diagnostic rare and common plant species. Dr. Joan Maloof will provide a fast-moving presentation about Eastern Shore Forests, what they were like 500 years ago compared to current conditions. Dr. Maloof author of Teaching the Trees: Lessons from the Forest and professor of Biology and Environmental Studies at Salisbury University will share the results of her work on The Nature Conservancy’s Nassawango Preserve. The morning ends with a discussion by Dr. Sara Tangren about wild lupines (Lupinus perennis) a rare plant found growing on the crests of ancient sand dunes of the Delmarva Peninsula. Dr. Tangren is the founder of Chesapeake Natives which works with the University of Maryland Arboretum and Botanic Garden on its native plant demonstration gardens and rare plant conservation program.

Following lunch, participants will travel to parks, natural areas, and other locations for field explorations to learn first hand what was presented in the morning lectures. Trips are planned Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Pristine Pines Delmarva Bay, Wye Island natural Resources Management Area, Adkins Arboretum and a wetland plant identification workshop at Environmental Concern. Additional field trips will be held on Sunday, September 26.

At the Saturday evening dinner and social Nick Carter, “Admiral of the Chesapeake Bay,” will explain how watersheds work. Mr. Carter was a biologist and ecologist for Maryland Department of Natural Resources for 35 years, analyzing the impacts of habitat alteration on aquatic resources and developing strategies to protect ecosystems.  Through his talks on the necessity for conservation for the survival of society he integrates history, habitats, population growth, recycling and the second law of thermodynamics.