The Howard County Conservancy

The Howard County Conservancy The Howard County Conservancy offers year-round educational programs for adults and children, school
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Labor Day signals the end of summer, and that our offices are closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Sept. 5, 6 and 7. But ...
09/04/2026

Labor Day signals the end of summer, and that our offices are closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Sept. 5, 6 and 7. But our grounds are open sunrise to sunset, every day of the year. The fall offers great hiking, garden peeping and wondering at nature's beauty. Poet Camille Dungy addresses autumn in her verse "Two Ways": "Let grass grow into a soft rustle. Let weeds flower/ into a gentle array. Let fruit grow and let plants go /
to seed. Let leaves fall. Let them fall. Let them stay. Let them soften,/
in slow time. Before and under and after the silencing snow." Link to the full poem: https://buff.ly/MejxLZY Enjoy your fall!
📸: Craig Carlson

The annual silent auction held at W**e in the Garden, B**r in the Barn, offers nearly 100 items, from nature-inspired ar...
09/02/2026

The annual silent auction held at W**e in the Garden, B**r in the Barn, offers nearly 100 items, from nature-inspired art and getaways to Orioles tickets and locally made soaps. You don't need to attend the event (on Sept. 17) to bid on an auction item, but you can't win if you don't bid! Ditto for the raffle, with tickets at $10 apiece or six for $50, with $450 prize: gift cards to Roots Market ($200) and Wegmans ($250). For auction and raffle information, click here: https://buff.ly/0toP4nW

The Howard County Conservancy hosts a chapter of the Youth Climate Institute that any high school student--private, hom...
08/31/2026

The Howard County Conservancy hosts a chapter of the Youth Climate Institute that any high school student--private, homeschool, or public student without access to a chapter at their high school--is welcome to join. The institute allows students to learn about the science and solutions surrounding climate change, to work on meaningful local environmental action and to become certified as an ambassador. All who are interested can join one of the virtual interest meetings, on Sept. 16 and 30, from 6 to 7 p.m. For more information, https://buff.ly/TjhRIcU

Another season of camp is over, which means the kids are back at school, families are washing damp and dirty clothes and...
08/28/2026

Another season of camp is over, which means the kids are back at school, families are washing damp and dirty clothes and shoes, and the Conservancy staff are growing accustomed to a little bit of quiet around the grounds. Thank you to the volunteers who took campers on nature walks and on stream exploration, to Patapsco Valley Heritage Area for terrific presentations, to Ralph Massella ( ) for his drumming workshop, and to all the interns, staff and supporters who helped make sure our campers were safe, entertained and well-schooled in nature's wonders.
📸: Ricky He

Volunteer spotlight: Summer internsThe Conservancy's summer interns are a hardy bunch. From June through August, they're...
08/26/2026

Volunteer spotlight: Summer interns
The Conservancy's summer interns are a hardy bunch. From June through August, they're tramping through fields and streams with campers, sawing through invasive grapevines and handling hornets and hot- tempered kids. Many of our stalwart crew, (left to right) Maggie Orlofsky, Emily Allen, Eryn Balchunas, DJ Grava, Isabel Mena and Ella Morgan, are interested in environmental careers, and this summer has given them lots of hands-on opportunities. Big thanks to all!

Spotted at the Conservancy: Gregg Petersen, naturalist extraordinaire, was testing the East Branch stream at the Conserv...
08/24/2026

Spotted at the Conservancy: Gregg Petersen, naturalist extraordinaire, was testing the East Branch stream at the Conservancy when he found a special caddisfly species: Rhyacophilidae. Nicknamed the Michelin Man for its plumped-up body segments, this predatory caddisfly is an indicator that the stream is in excellent health, Petersen said, since the species is quite pollution-sensitive.

Tickets to the Conservancy's fundraiser to support environmental education and land preservation, set for Sept. 17 this ...
08/22/2026

Tickets to the Conservancy's fundraiser to support environmental education and land preservation, set for Sept. 17 this year, are going fast. Come thirsty! W**e in the Garden, B**r in the Barn is named for what's in our glasses, so we want to thank our drink sponsors for providing libations, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic!
Great gratitude to Cushwa & Rad Pies Taproom / Far Eastern Shore W**ery / Brian and Cassie F***h / The Iron Bridge W**e Company / Manor Hill Brewing / Petite Cellars / Sapwood Cellars Brewery / Sobar
For tickets, visit: https://buff.ly/ve2qkvs

📸: Mocktails, Tara Hope Photography; w**e glass, Berni Carrieri; w**e drinkers in hats and b**r bar, Mark Winter

Lightning struck and we're grateful! The Thunder Hill Lightning Swim Team stayed up late July 11 to swim laps and raise ...
08/21/2026

Lightning struck and we're grateful! The Thunder Hill Lightning Swim Team stayed up late July 11 to swim laps and raise $4,297.96 for the Conservancy. Swimmers found sponsors to pay them per lap. Sixty-one swimmers swam 4,284 laps, which totals out to 58.42 miles. The top swimmer swam more than 6 miles--that's 440 laps. Thunderous applause for all the swimmers and sponsors!
📸: Thunder Hill swimmers were thanked by the Conservancy's Ellie Smith and Ranger, the barred owl, and Lauren Nelson, development director

Ladies and gentlemen, prepare your palates. W**e in the Garden, B**r in the Barn is one month away (Sept. 17, 5 to 8 p.m...
08/17/2026

Ladies and gentlemen, prepare your palates. W**e in the Garden, B**r in the Barn is one month away (Sept. 17, 5 to 8 p.m.), and the 17 caterers who are feeding our guests are planning menus, stocking their pantries and concocting recipes for the event. With great thanks to / & Bar / Atlantic Catering Inc. / / The Elkridge Furnace Inn and Garden House / Evolved Hospitality Group / Lib's Grill Of Towson / / Putting on the Ritz Catering / Santoni's Marketplace & Catering/ Simply Fresh Events / Timber Pizza Company / Zeffert and Gold Catering and Event Planning / Tasty Creations / / Beefalo Bob'sCatering / Cured / 18th & 21st
📸: Tara Hope Photography

August is hot, but the garden color is hotter! These Maryland plants, blooming now in the Clark Native Plant Garden, off...
08/15/2026

August is hot, but the garden color is hotter! These Maryland plants, blooming now in the Clark Native Plant Garden, offer gorgeous color, as well as habitat and food for pollinators. To top it all off, they require less water than plants imported from other regions. Come out to the Conservancy and see what kind of flower power is in our public native plant gardens, open sunrise to sunset every day of the year.

Address

10520 Old Frederick Road
Woodstock, MD
21163

Telephone

+14104658877

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