Catoctin Creek Park & Nature Center

Catoctin Creek Park & Nature Center Nature programs for all ages. Visit www.recreater.com for more information. This page is monitored weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

About Catoctin Creek Park & Nature Center and Frederick County Parks and Recreation

Welcome to the official page for Catoctin Creek Park & Nature Center with Frederick County Parks and Recreation in Frederick, Maryland. and during emergency incidents. The purpose of this page is to present matters of public interest related to Frederick County Parks and Recreation as they concer

n our many residents, businesses and visitors. This is a limited online discussion site and not a public forum. We ask that users post responsibly and respectfully on any posted topic. Community Guidelines: Once posted, the County reserves the right to delete any submissions, including: 1) vulgar or profane language, 2) threatening or personal attacks of any kind, 3) comments or content that promotes, fosters or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or intellectual disability or sexual orientation, 4) spam or links to other sites that are inappropriate, 5) clearly off topic, 6) advocacy of illegal activity, 7) promotion of particular services, products or political organizations or candidates for office, 8) infringement on copyrights or trademarks, 9) personally identifiable medical information, and 10) information that may compromise the safety, security or proceedings of public systems or any criminal or civil investigations. Frederick County Parks and Recreation reserves the right to restrict or remove any content that is deemed in violation of these guidelines or any applicable law and reserves the right to delete comments that are more than 30 days old. Those who provide content to this site agree to have no expectation of privacy in the information provided. The County is not responsible for and does not endorse any links embedded in comments posted to this site by third parties. This site does not circumvent or supersede the County's normal business practices or processes. For example, responses to requests for proposals, invitations for bid, or other competitive procurements are not properly submitted via this site. Content submitted to this site is not legal notice to the County. Comments expressed on this site do not necessarily reflect the opinions and position of Frederick County or its elected officers and employees. Questions with regard to these guidelines should be e-mailed to [email protected].

Martin Fans, itโ€™s time for another nest check! ๐ŸฆJoin us this Saturday, June 13 at 10 a.m. at Catoctin Creek Park & Natur...
06/11/2026

Martin Fans, itโ€™s time for another nest check! ๐Ÿฆ

Join us this Saturday, June 13 at 10 a.m. at Catoctin Creek Park & Nature Center as we continue monitoring our purple martin colony.

Stop by to see whatโ€™s happening in the nests, learn more about these amazing birds and discover how we help support this special species. We hope to see you there!

๐Ÿฆ๐ŸŒฟ   This month we are looking at one of our midsummer singing birds, the Indigo Bunting!These birds breed in Maryland a...
06/09/2026

๐Ÿฆ๐ŸŒฟ This month we are looking at one of our midsummer singing birds, the Indigo Bunting!

These birds breed in Maryland and can often be heard singing from telephone lines and wooded edges for hours during midsummer. During migration, you will often see large flocks of them feeding in agricultural fields and lawns.

Indigo Buntings are common along the edges of woods and fields, in abandoned fields and in brushy canyons. These habitats are crucial because they breed in brushy and weedy areas. They eat small seeds, berries, buds and insects. Common seed forage includes thistles, dandelions and goldenrods, though most of their summer diet typically consists of spiders and insect prey.

Fun Fact: Indigo Buntings learn their songs as youngsters from nearby males, but not from their fathers. Buntings a few hundred yards apart generally sing different songs, while those in the same "song neighborhood" share nearly identical songs. A local song may persist for up to 20 years, gradually changing as new singers add novel variations.

References:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Indigo_Bunting/overview

๐ŸฆŸ๐ŸŒŽ Did you know that mosquito-borne diseases kill over one million people each year?Today is   and while there are a wid...
06/06/2026

๐ŸฆŸ๐ŸŒŽ Did you know that mosquito-borne diseases kill over one million people each year?

Today is and while there are a wide variety of pests across the world that cause harm in other forms, such as reducing food production and increasing pollution, mosquitoes have a notable impact on human health.

Mosquitoes act as vectors to spread certain diseases in the same way that rats and ticks do. Some of the diseases that can spread through mosquitoes include West Nile Virus, Dengue and Malaria.
The biggest ways you can protect yourself are to wear insect repellent and eliminate standing water in your yard to prevent mosquitoes from having places to breed. For additional information on how you can protect yourself and your yard from an abundance of mosquitoes, check out the University of Maryland Extension page here: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/controlling-mosquitoes/

References:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8428437/
https://www.worldmosquitoprogram.org/world-mosquito-day

Martin Fans, itโ€™s time for another nest check!Join us this Saturday, June 6th at 10 a.m. at Catoctin Creek Park & Nature...
06/04/2026

Martin Fans, itโ€™s time for another nest check!

Join us this Saturday, June 6th at 10 a.m. at Catoctin Creek Park & Nature Center as we continue monitoring our purple martin colony.

Come see whatโ€™s happening in the nests and learn more about these fascinating birds. We hope to see you there!

Hello Martin Fans!Join us Saturday, May 30 at 10am for the first nest check at Catoctin Creek Park & Nature Center.Hope ...
05/29/2026

Hello Martin Fans!

Join us Saturday, May 30 at 10am for the first nest check at Catoctin Creek Park & Nature Center.

Hope to see you there!

๐ŸŒŽ๐ŸŒฟ Did you know that biodiversity is good for our health? This   we are highlighting the importance of diverse environme...
05/22/2026

๐ŸŒŽ๐ŸŒฟ Did you know that biodiversity is good for our health? This we are highlighting the importance of diverse environments!

Biodiversity is critical to the survival of not only humans, but all life on the planet, as well as the planet itself! For humans, fish provide 20% of the animal protein consumed by about 3 billion people and 80% of the human diet is provided by plants! Additionally, 80% of people living in rural areas of developing countries rely on traditional plant-based medicine for their basic healthcare. If that wasnโ€™t enough, the loss of biodiversity can also expand zoonoses (diseases transmitted to humans from animals) and lead to a decline in the health of our communities.

Now, more than ever, it is critical to heal our ecosystems and increase biodiversity for the sake of our planet as well as our own wellbeing. To learn more about efforts currently being made to restore biodiversity and how you can help, check out the UNโ€™s page here: https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/

References:
https://www.un.org/en/observances/biological-diversity-day

Happy  ! Did you know that there are all sorts of different types of bees? In Maryland we have ~400 species of bees with...
05/20/2026

Happy ! Did you know that there are all sorts of different types of bees?

In Maryland we have ~400 species of bees within 5 bee families! The types of bees that we have here include:
Apidae: Largest family that we have and includes bumble bees and honeybees among a few others!
Halictidae: Includes some of our most colorful bees including โ€œsweat bees!โ€
Adrenidae: These are the miner bees and will nest in tunnels underground!
Megachilidae: This family includes mason bees and leaf-cutter bees! Fun Fact: These bees will carry pollen on their bellies instead of in pollen sacs like many other bees!
Colletidae: These bees are solitary and have a much less hairy appearance that can cause them to be confused with wasps.

References:
https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/pages/habitat/wabees.aspx

๐ŸŸ   This month we are looking at one of our native fish species, the Northern Pike! ๐ŸŒฟNorthern Pike can be found througho...
05/14/2026

๐ŸŸ This month we are looking at one of our native fish species, the Northern Pike! ๐ŸŒฟ

Northern Pike can be found throughout the northern half of North America, and their range extends farther than any other freshwater gamefish. Typically, these fish can be found in freshwater lakes, ponds and rivers and prefer clear, shallow and vegetated areas.

Outside of humans, these fish have few natural predators but prey on smaller fish, frogs, crayfish and small birds and mammals.

Fun Fact: While the typical size of a Northern Pike ranges from 18-20โ€ long, the state record was set in 1999 with a fish that measured 46โ€ long!

References:
https://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/fish-facts.aspx?fishname=Northern+Pike
https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/entry/northern-pike

  ๐Ÿ‘€๐ŸŒธThis month you can keep a lookout for this species in our parks and surrounding areas of the county:Species: Virgini...
05/06/2026

๐Ÿ‘€๐ŸŒธ

This month you can keep a lookout for this species in our parks and surrounding areas of the county:

Species: Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginica) ๐Ÿ’™
Distinguishing Feature: Pink buds and blue, trumpet-shaped flowers ๐ŸŒท
Habitat: Shady areas with moist soil, like woodlands or shaded floodplains ๐ŸŒณ
Food Preference: Sunlight, soil nutrients, moist soil โ˜€๏ธ
Behavior: Bloom in clusters and typically bloom around March or April for about 3 weeks ๐ŸŒผ

References:
https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2023/03/20/native-plant-profile-virginia-bluebell/
https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/entry/virginia-bluebells

๐ŸŒŒ LOOK UP AND EXPLORE THE NIGHT SKYJoin us for a special Astronomy Program with the Westminster Astronomical Society, a ...
05/03/2026

๐ŸŒŒ LOOK UP AND EXPLORE THE NIGHT SKY

Join us for a special Astronomy Program with the Westminster Astronomical Society, a passionate community of amateur astronomers dedicated to sharing the wonders of the universe.
Founded in 1984, this group brings together everyone from beginners to experienced stargazers through engaging presentations, public outreach, and observing events.

โœจ Saturday, May 23
๐Ÿ•ฃ 8:30 PM
๐Ÿ“ Catoctin Creek Nature Center

Enjoy an evening under the stars with guidance from knowledgeable astronomers. The program takes place rain or shine, and all ages are welcome.

๐Ÿ”— Register here: https://bit.ly/FCPRAstronomyProgram

Address

2929 Sumantown Road
Middletown, MD
21769

Opening Hours

Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+13016002051

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