Nature is a wonderful world we have right outside our window. With spring materializing in daffodils and warmer temperatures, the Sierra Club is offering more opportunities to get outside with fellow members! So shake off those winter blues and giant jackets, and get outside to remove invasive plants at Ruth B. Swann park, help clean up the Potomac, take a walk or hike in neighboring parks, or ditch the car and bike to work!
Check here regularly to see upcoming outings
Upcoming Outings
5/31/19 Friday 4:00 PM Caledonia State Park Car Camping
6/2/2019 1 pm Ospreys and Mountain Laurel at Jug Bay Natural Area
6/9/19 Sunday 9:00 AM Become an Outdoor Leader! Sierra Club Outings Leader Training 101, Howard Co
6/21/19 Friday 7:00 PM Cromwell Valley Park Sunset Hike
Southern Maryland Weekly Wander 2019. Wander through our local parks on Wednesdays every week between Memorial & Labor Day. Kid oriented. RSVP here:
- 6/5/19 Wednesday 10:00 AM
- 6/12/19 Wednesday 10:00 AM
- 6/19/19 Wednesday 10:00 AM
- 6/26/19 Wednesday 10:00 AM
July and August dates are on our weekly calender.
10/12/19 The Jamboree Bioblitz is back! Come enjoy environmental workshops and trainings, hikes with nature experts, a live concert, silent and live auctions, games, great food, campfire singing, and more! RSVP here.
Weeding Local Parks for Health, Safety, and to Protect Native Plants & Animals
(At left) Marc Imlay, Biodiversity Chair and Skylar Petrick, Stewardship intern pull out English ivy.
Invasive weeds have been brought to the US from other continents. Most alien plants don’t spread, but a few with no natural predators will take over and crowd out or replace native species. Invasive species change habitats, put ecosystems at risk, cost the economy, and pose a danger to humanity’s future. They are the biggest threat to our native plants and animals, falling behind habitat loss. Join us for a day of pulling invasive weeds in a local woods or park so natives can grow and flourish!
Learn about invasive weeds
Upcoming Invasive Species Removal Workdays:
5/31/2019 Friday 10:30am-3pm Invasive Plant Removal at Little Paint Branch
6/6/19 Thursday 8:30 AM Invasive Species training with EPMT NCR-PRISM Rockcreek
6/8/2019 Saturday 11 am-5 pm Invasive Plant Removal at Ruth B. Swann in Charles County
6/15/19 Sunday 10:00 AM Hellen Creek Invasive Removal
6/29/19 Saturday 11:00 AM Invasive Plant Removal at Little Paint Branch Park in Beltsville weekend workday
Find another location nearby www.sierraclub.org/maryland/invasive-plant-removal-outings
Preserving Special Places
Sierra Club leaders bring people out to see the natural beauty and value of threatened special places. On Sunday, March 24, a group of 15 participants explored Buck Lodge Community Park, a patch of green space where the Maryland State Highway Administration plans to create a parking lot for trucks. They observed many native plant species including bush blueberries, huckleberries, native pinkster azaleas, rhododendron, evergreen mountain Laurels, pink lady slipper orchids, American Wisteria, scarlet oaks, buttercups, and blooming cherries. They also picked up trash along the way and removed a few invasive Japanese honeysuckle vines. Recently the Prince George’s Group visited Buck Lodge Community Park.
Become an Outdoors Leader
Lead with us! Share the outdoors with friends, neighbors and families. Bring people out to explore and enjoy the great outdoors, to find inspiration, and to protect nature! Whether you're an experienced outdoors person or just getting started, join us for a fun day of team-building to become a Sierra Club hike and trip leader. We have an upcoming Sierra Club Outings Leader Training 101 dates scheduled for June. For more information for Sunday June 9th click here
Sierra Club Inspiring Connections Outdoors
This is a community outreach program providing opportunities for urban youth and adults to explore, enjoy and protect the natural world. Baltimore Inspiring Connections with the Outdoors (BICO) was founded in 1999 with the goal of providing under-served Baltimore City youth with educational, enjoyable, and safe outdoor experiences at no cost to them.
This spring, BICO will be hosting a variety of outings including disc golf, hiking, canoeing, biking, and camping with a variety of ages from 4th to 12th grade. Check out the BICO calendar.
In addition to volunteering for outings there are always opportunities to assist with maintaining gear, updating the website, and writing grants. If you would like to get involved you can contact BICO at BaltimoreICO@gmail.com.
Sierra Club Potomac Regional Outings Program (SCPRO)
SCPRO is a special activities section of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter that organizes hikes and other events for the general public mostly in Virginia, DC, and Maryland. SCPRO offers an outing every Saturday and Sunday of the year, and sometimes more. Leaders take participants on hiking, biking, and kayaking trips which always feature a conservation message. See upcoming SCPRO outings.
And when you do get yourself outside...
Remember to Protect yourself outdoors from ticks and other hazards.
Recognize Poison Ivy:
