Above: Participants in one of Southern Maryland's Weekly Wanders.
“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” - John Muir
Nature is a wonderful world we have right outside our window. With summer materializing in sunflowers and warmer temperatures, the Sierra Club is offering more opportunities to get outside with fellow members! So shake off those rain 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.
Weeding Local Parks for Health, Safety, and to Protect Native Plants & Animals
Above: Beyond Coal Intern, Sophia Kelleher with native PawPaw plant. Removing invasive plants helps ensure that plants like these have a greater chance of survival.
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:
7/17/2019 Wednesday 10am-1pm Magruder Invasive Removal
8/6/19 Tuesday 9 AM HoCo Invasive Weed Pull at the Community Ecology Institute
Become a Sierra Club Outings Leader
Above: Attendees of Sierra Club's Outings Leader Training in Howard County on June 9, 2019.
Becoming a Sierra Club Outings Leader is a great way to share your passion for the outdoors with other eager and excited people! Outings leaders lead weekly walks, hikes and other outings throughout the state of Maryland. To become an outings leader or for more information, please email Laurel Imlay laurel.imlay@mdsierra.org, or outings.intern@mdsierra.org, or call (301) 277-7111.
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.
Upcoming Outings
Above: Interns Angela Scafidi, Heather Merrifield, Sophia Kelleher, and Maria Janush at Great Falls' Billy Goat trail in Potomac, Mayland.
7/16/2019 Saturday 1 PM Oxon Cove Shoreline Sweep up
7/12/2019 1 pm New Germany State Park Car Camping
7/20/2019 Saturday 8:00 AM Walk and Talk: Environmental Justice in Charles County
7/20/2019 Saturday 9:30 AM Explore Chapman State Park
Southern Maryland Weekly Wander 2019. Wander through our local parks on Wednesdays every week between Memorial & Labor Day. Kid oriented. RSVP here:
- 7/3/19 Wednesday 10:00 AM
- 7/10/19 Wednesday 10:00 AM
- 7/17/19 Wednesday 10:00 AM
- 7/24/19 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.
And when you do get yourself outside...
Remember to Protect yourself outdoors from ticks and other hazards.
Recognize Poison Ivy:
