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Featured Events This Week – Find Your Chesapeake – National Park Service and Chesapeake Conservancy

Find Your Chesapeake is focused on connecting people to authentic Chesapeake Experiences.

Featured Trips in Maryland
 

Join the Sierra Club for an easy six-mile winter hike on a wooded trail around beautiful Clopper Lake in Seneca Creek State Park. It is a rolling grade around the lake on a natural surface trail and this hike is good for all skill levels. Elevation gain: 360 feet. We will leave after a short introduction at the park office. We try to keep an average 2.5 miles/hour pace. Leashed dogs are allowed on this trail. SCPRO requests a $2/person donation to support its volunteer-led activities. March 3, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm; Seneca Creek State Park, Gaithersubrg. More details.
 
The month of March brings the departure of the Lady in Chains –  we’ll say goodbye to her Great Andromeda Galaxy. Take in a view of Mars, the red planet, which is still a prominent evening object in the late winter sky. Next, view the famous Pleiades and Hyades open clusters in Taurus, and then look at some other denser, but less well known, open clusters in Auriga the Charioteer and “The Ruby in a Field of Diamonds”. Because this event is weather dependent, you must sign up in advance, and will be notified which night the event will occur on Feb. 28th. This program will be held on the night with the best chance for clear skies. Possible dates, depending on skies are March 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm; Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel. More details and registration.
 
The Roundhouse Model Train Show brings real trains and model trains together under one roof at the B&O’s historic roundhouse. The family-friendly show features model railroad manufacturers, model and toy train vendors, operating train layouts and interactive toy train displays in addition to the museum’s other world class exhibits. Purchase discounted admission for this special weekend on-site! March 2, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and March 3, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm; B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore. More information and tickets.
 
Join Fair Hill NRMA ranger staff on an approximately three-mile guided hike where we will look for birds that overwinter in the park. Hike is free but regular service charges in effect ($3 Maryland residents; $5 out-of-state visitors). March 2, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm; Fair Hill Natural Resource Management Area, Elkton. More details.
 
Explore the woods on a cold winter evening at Bosely Conservancy to learn about and locate the owls that call this bottomland hardwood swamp home. Venture into the woods of Bosely Conservancy on a cool fall evening to hear the call of these elusive creatures and possibly catch a glimpse of them. Ages 8 to adult, under 13 w/adult. $5/person. March 2, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm; Anita C. Leight Estuary Center, Abingdon. More details and registration.
 
Every Wednesday in March, get hands-on instructions on making unique baskets from natural materials. You will have the opportunity to make needle baskets, woven baskets and twined baskets, with the final session set aside as a make up day. Classes are $15 for nonmembers. March 6, 13, 20, 27, 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm; Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum, St. Leonard. More details and registration.
 

Featured Trips in Virginia
 

Learn about our native animals and how they adapt to the changing of the season on this Potomac Overlook Regional Park hike in Arlington. Join our naturalists as they lead you round the park examining changes in plants, animals and the environment as spring begins to arrive. $5 per participant. Appropriate for ages six and up.  Meet at the nature center. March 3, 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm; Potomac Overlook Regional Park, Arlington. More details and registration.
 
Ducks, geese, swans, mergansers, loons and grebes sightings are possible on this Caledon walk and talk. Learn to identify the waterfowl that winter on the Potomac River and in the swamps and marshes of Caledon. The introduction to waterfowl identification will be followed by a visit to the waterfront to observe and identify these magnificent wintering wonders. We will also be searching for heron and eagle nest sites. $3/person or $8/family. March 2, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm; Caledon State Park, Surry. More information and reservations.
 
To celebrate National Pig Day, join in discovering everything known about domesticated pigs throughout history. Meet Taz and Chew Chew, and make a piggy craft for home. Free. March 2, 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm; Chippokes Plantation State Park, Surry. More details.
 
A breeding colony of great blue herons is not just a rookery, it is more specifically a heronry. Experience the sights and sounds of these iconic birds as they build nests and tend to their young along a terrific view of Woodstock Pond and the York River. A friendly ranger will have a spotting scope, binoculars, and field guide information handy as you enjoy a day of hiking or biking. Free and open to all ages. March 2, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm; York River State Park, Williamsburg. More details.
 
Ever wonder how the timber post and beam structures you see at Henricus Historical Park were built? Come to “A Roof Above My Head” – a program that explores how skilled carpenters, sawyers, and woodsmen arriving from England 400 years ago constructed houses, churches, and more – all without recourse to modern power tools. This is a hands-on experience and you will get dirty! $9/adult, $7/children aged 3-12. March 2, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm; Henricus Historical Park, Chester. More details and registration.
 
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Feature of the Week

Top Places for Spring Birding in Washington, DC

You may be surprised to learn that you do not need to leave the confines of Washington, DC to find world-class spring migration birding opportunities. There are a number of parks and habitats throughout the city that provide important habitat for breeding or foraging on the journey northwards. The Chesapeake Bay watershed will experience a huge influx of neotropical migratory birds starting in late February to early March and extending through June. Conservancy birder, Jessica Hammond, has offered up her own favorite places in DC for spring migratory birding to help DC visitors and residents get started. From hatchling wood ducks at Theodore Roosevelt Island  and black-crowned night herons at Anacostia Park to killdeer and spotted sandpiper at the National Mall, Jessica’s list will surely provide more than enough DC birding to keep you busy this spring. Top Ten Places for Spring Migration Birding in the District of Columbia.

Tip of the Week

Wolf Trap National Park Releases Its Summer Schedule

Spring hasn’t arrived yet, but the staff at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Virginia is hoping a strong concert lineup will entice you to visit this summer and take in a show. From enjoying a show under the stars to sharing a picnic with friends and family, no matter your musical taste, an evening at the Filene Center is a chance to easily escape the city, experience nature, and just enjoy great music. Tickets for all announced performances go on sale to the public on Saturday, February 23 at 10 a.m. Wolf Trap schedule and tickets.

Explore the Current, Weather and Captain John Smith’s Historic Voyage with CBIBS!

Head out on the water and learn first hand the experiences of Captain John Smith’s Voyage on NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay interpretive Buoy System. CBIBS provides real time weather and environmental information, as well as a glimpse into living Chesapeake Bay History. You can also download the app for your Android or iPhone or Dial-a-Buoy at 877-Buoy-Bay!

Chesapeake Trail Riverview

Take a virtual tour of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail from your computer or mobile device! To help you plan your trip before you go, the Chesapeake Conservancy partnered with Terrain360 to bring you virtual tours of the trail’s great rivers. Sit back and virtually explore the Elk, James (sponsored by the James River Association), Nanticoke, Northeast, Patapsco, Patuxent, Potomac, Rappahannock, Sassafras, Susquehanna, and York rivers. Check out some of the Chesapeake’s special places like Werowocomoco, Fones Cliffs, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and Mallows Bay. We hope to eventually bring you a virtual tour of the entire Chesapeake Trail! Explore the Chesapeake’s great rivers on our  website.

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