By Selena Zhao, photos by Janet Gingold
Janet Gingold (chair of Prince George’s Sierra Club, Outings Leader, and Maryland Master Naturalist) returned this month with another edition of her nature-outing-turned-virtual tour, this time of four parks along the Patuxent River watershed in Prince George’s County, Maryland. She was joined by local residents and nature enthusiasts, many of whom were eager to discover new parks to enjoy before the weather cooled, and a couple whom had previously attended Gingold’s in-person nature outings before the pandemic. Before beginning the event, attendees introduced themselves, their hometowns, and acknowledged the tribal land that they now reside on.
Next, Gingold introduced the Patuxent River watershed. The Patuxent River is the longest, deepest river found solely in Maryland, and curves along the edge of Prince George’s County, creating boundaries between the seven counties that contribute to its watershed. The four parks Gingold introduced all drain into the Patuxent River:
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Oak Creek West
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Watkins Regional Park
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Jug Bay Natural Area
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Patuxent Research Area
OAK CREEK WEST
A smaller park located in a suburban area, Oak Creek West provides a combination of recreational and community spaces, such as a ballpark, community garden, and putting gree, as well as a paved, accessible trail to explore. Though Gingold prefaces her virtual tour with a caveat: “I don’t usually share this place, because it’s just a little neighborhood park,” we find plenty of exciting nature finds for curious eyes.
A deer stomps its foot in warning. Overhead, turkey vultures circle, calico asters bloom, buckeye butterflies flutter, and spiders defend their eggs. In the fall, though plants aren’t flowering vibrantly as in the spring, they are fruiting instead, providing new feasts for the eyes.
Here, a jack-in-the-pulpit sparkles “like a little jewel, full of goodies for birds or squirrels,” as Gingold describes.
WATKINS REGIONAL PARK
Just slightly to the west is a much larger park with lush greenery, on the western branch of the Patuxent River. This time of year, the fungi are particularly varied and colorful, replacing the flowering plants of spring with different colors, such as this vivid turkey tail.
So, too, are fruiting plants providing splashes of bright colors. This fruiting spice bush also has aromatic leaves, when scratched, and can be found alongside many other fruits, such as persimmons, pawpaws, and pokeberries.
At the beaver pond, astute visitors, who had perhaps noticed a pair of nesting bald eagles back in the springtime, can hope to glimpse a juvenile bald eagle fledgling spreading its wings now, or wood ducks venturing out to feed in the ponds, wary of the predatory eagles cohabiting their pond.
In fact, frequent visitors can find comfort in familiar, year-long residents, as well as the natural seasonal changes in flora and fauna. Says Gingold, “my husband and I walk here all the time, at least once a week, and every time there’s something new to see.” The “weird thing of the week” for Gingold, was spotting some beech blight aphids, better known as “boogie woogie aphids,” sinuous white insects, appeared to be covered in fluff, appearing as if dancing on the forest floor, watched nearby by a pair of toads. Gingold surmises that before she happened upon the scene, the toads had been feeding on the aphids which had washed off from their usual habitat in the leaves and branches onto the forest floor. You never know what scene you might chance upon during a casual nature stroll!
JUG BAY NATURAL AREA
A park surrounding a natural widening of the Patuxent River, Jug Bay Natural area houses a boat launch and canoe rental for those looking to get out onto the river. It also hosts some unique species which occupy its freshwater tidal swamp. The tides are formed by saltwater pushing the river up from its mouth, and thus the tidal swamps are unusual to be found so far upriver, yet bald cypresses call Jug Bay home, and sport “knee-like” buttressing roots, which help it to stabilize amidst the super-saturated soil. The bald cypress is unique in other ways—it is also a deciduous conifer, which sheds its needles every winter, unlike trees with needles and cones known as “evergreens.”
Another shot reveals the biodiversity that can be observed by sharp eyes in even a small patch of forest floor. In this single picture, Gingold points out two types of fern, partridge berries, beech leaves, sweetgum, and at least two different kinds of moss.
This time of year, the floor is also littered with the debris of hickory and walnuts, which squirrels are busily caching away for leaner times ahead. In the marshes, you can also find skunk cabbage and turtles, and if you’re lucky you might just see an osprey swooping down to prey on fish in preparation for their fall migrations!
In the marsh, astute observers can find lessons in nature’s efficient use of existing infrastructure, where vines will wrap around sturdier, upright reeds such as cattails to gain better access to sunlight.
And even as winter sets in, holly, club moss, and partridge berries will preserve bright patches of greenery amidst the duller winter colors, allowing keen observers more interesting sightings as the seasons change.
PATUXENT RESEARCH REFUGE
The final natural area of the afternoon is also the largest—the Patuxent Research Refuge spans thousands of acres, with areas federally run by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and heavily researched by scientists. It is also a favorite spot for local birders. Gingold takes us up to the North Tract and Lake Allen, an area recently acquired from neighboring Fort Mead. Interestingly, as a result of this former land use, there are remnants of military activity in the area, and signs warn visitors to stay on paths and not to pick up foreign objects.
Nonetheless, the lake provides pleasant scenery, is frequented by fishers, and boasts a nearby wildflower area, which is still in bloom in September.
A 1.5-mile loop takes you around the lake, where you might spot ant hills bustling with activity. Though ants are often overlooked as pests, Gingold reminds us of their ecological importance as pollinators for many plants, as well as key sources of food for reptiles, amphibians, and some bird species.
The session wrapped with attendees sharing their own recent nature finds and favorite natural areas, inspired to keep on discovering local parks and keeping their eyes peeled for the wonder in everyday forests, vines, fungi, and insects. And even if visitors have already frequented these natural areas, Gingold stresses that “you can go to the same place over and over again for decades and still see new stuff,” as she demonstrated during her virtual tour.
Happy Exploring!