Katie Carl Lucas

Wild Wanderers Summer Edition is here. Bring this family-friendly, self-guided activity with you on your next hike to deepen your observation skills and connect with your inner naturalist. You can download, view and print this nature learning activity.

Treat it like a scavenger hunt — all of the plants in this guided activity have been spotted recently on the Muddy Branch Trail. Use this guide to learn about their place in the ecosystem and deepen your connection to the wilderness around you.

Please share your wilderness finds with us on Instagram @MuddyBranchAlliance and Facebook at facebook.com/MuddyBranchAlliance using hashtag #MBAWildWanderers to join the conversation and perhaps be spotlighted! We will be shining the spotlight on our participants throughout the year on social media and in our newsletter!

This activity was made specially for the Muddy Branch community by board member and UMD Master Naturalist Julia Rasnake, LCSW-C 

Ah, the first spring in a new meadow…. The plants are germinating, the Rudbeckia are growing quickly, and the whole thing is accidentally getting mowed to the ground.

All of these things happened in our meadow in the past couple of months, but don’t worry. Our plants are going to be fine.

Once they mature a little more, they’ll be doing great things to protect our watershed. They’ll slow down stormwater, filter out pollutants and reduce flash floods that erode streambanks.

All native plant gardens provide these important benefits. But they need a little help. Join us this summer to learn how to maintain a native garden by identifying and removing (sneaky) non-natives.

Fighting back against weeds helps a native plant garden do its job — and sets an example to the community about how to be good stewards of our watershed. Our meadow isn’t ready for this type of maintenance yet, but you’ll be able to check in on its progress while helping some of the more mature plantings at the Izaak Walton League.

The League grounds sit directly on a stretch of the Muddy Branch stream that struggles with heavy runoff from major roads and big parking lots, so your help will really make a difference! RSVP here to join us Saturday, June 26 (9:30-11:30 am) and/or Sunday, July 18 (3-5 pm).