Summer Staff Retreat

Last week the WSA staff team enjoyed a staff development day by exploring a local native nursery, touring the Captain Avery Museum, and even took some time to play games and do a craft together. We started our day bright and early before the heat of the sun could do us in by traveling down to Friendship, Maryland for a tour of Bona Terra Native Plant Nursery.  

Jeremy Tidd, owner of Bona Terra, showed us his incredible operation which focuses on best environmental practices using organic and compost-based fertilizers and without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or growth hormones all in recycled pots! One of the most fascinating things Jeremy showed us was his peat-free soil and fertilizer made from invasive plants and fish! We were lucky enough to take home a few seedlings for our gardens! Jeremy has an ambitious goal of giving away 1,000,000 native plants this year so please visit his website and schedule your visit with him. You will not be disappointed.

 After our nursery tour, we headed to the Captain Avery Museum in Shady Side where we had a delicious lunch from South County Café and made Jellyfish terrariums! Our Director of Restoration, Jeff Popp led us through this creative craft project and each jellyfish turned out unique and beautiful.

We finished up the day with a rousing game of Head’s Up! curated by our Community Engagement Specialist, Terryl. Terryl made our game completely environmentally focused which he named the “Chesapeake Challenge.” I have to say, MOST of us did pretty well!

Thank you to Bona Terra Native Nursery and the Captain Avery Museum for hosting us! We had a fantastic day filled with knowledge, inspiration, and lots of laughs!

Latin for Gardeners: July 2023

July’s Native Maryland Plant

Lilium superbum L.

(LIL-ee-um soo-PER-bum)

Common Name: Turk’s Cap Lily

When considering new plants to add to a garden, choosing native bulbs may not be what first comes to mind. However, if you’re searching for a stunning addition to add to your perennial garden, and you have patience and the right conditions, Lilium superbum may be the plant for you.  Keep in mind that bulbs can take more time to establish, sometimes two seasons or longer, and small rodents are fond of some bulbs.

I planted Lilium superbum in a raised bed that is consistently moist-wet and frequented by foxes – maybe why no rodents have bothered the bulb? The slightly acidic, loamy soil is a very loose medium that allowed the bulb to quickly establish; I topped with compost, providing nutrients that encourage growth, improve drainage, and help maintain moisture.  It was easy to recognize the plant as it emerged, since its whorled leaves and thick stem are unlike any others I’ve seen. It took my plant two years to develop into a tall mature plant, but it was well worth the wait.

Lilium superbum is the largest native American lily; it’s easily one of the tallest perennials in my garden - and not an easy plant to ignore.  It has no fragrance, but that doesn’t stop pollinators from finding it and feasting on its nectar. Although it has a stiff stem, I provide it with additional support to keep it standing tall after heavy summer rains. 

I’ll be spending much of my summer outside with my grandson, my first grandchild!  When we’re not in the garden looking at plants and searching for insects, we’ll be reading books, our second favorite way to spend time together.

I hope you enjoy your summer and that you consider planting a superb native bulb of Maryland, Lilium superbum!

NOTE: Lilium superbum are true lilies, growing from bulbs.  The Orange Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) seen growing across Maryland, is a rhizomatic plant native to Asia; it’s considered a Species of Concern by the Maryland Invasive Society².  It easily spreads, forming a dense mat that can overtake native plant communities.

¹ Petals and sepals that cannot be distinguished

² https://mdinvasives.org/species-of-concern/terrestrial-plants/

Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013

Watershed Steward Class 7/CBLP

aligmilligan@gmail.com

Latin for Gardeners: June 2023

June’s Native Maryland Plant 

Penstemon digitalis Nutt. ex Sims

(PEN-stem-on dig-ee-TAH-liss) 

Common Name: White or Foxglove Beardtongue

Names of plants can be intriguing, whether the common name or botanical name. They often describe where a plant naturally grows (e.g., Swamp Rose (Rosa palustris)) but more often they draw attention to a physical attribute of a plant or its similarity to another plant. They can stoke your imagination and even make you want to ‘lean in’ to see and learn more about a species.  Penstemon digitalis is one such plant. With a common name of Foxglove beardtongue, it conjures up many images, some even a bit fanciful. But this plant’s botanical name (Greek genus, Latin specific epithet) describes its more interesting features quite plainly. Looking at the flower closely it’s easy to see the five stamen (Penstemon) that are designed to ensure pollination occurs.  The long corolla gives it its species name – it does in fact resemble a finger – or digit. 

Penstemon digitalis is a tall, showy plant that offers pollinators both pollen and nectar. It’s a particularly valuable plant in a landscape as it bridges the gap between when spring flowers are fading, and when summer flowers have yet to bloom.  Its sturdy stem keeps it standing tall and its tolerance of different soil types makes it an easy plant to add to a garden.  P. digitalis is also considered a deer-proof plant, another valuable feature in many landscapes.

Its common name, Foxglove Beardtongue is due to its resemblance to European Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) – see below. Although they share a common name and some physical attributes – you wouldn’t want to confuse the two – the latter being very toxic.   

After the flowers complete their bloom period, they form small oval seed capsules.  These capsules will dry, turn brown and then split open to release their seeds – if they aren’t consumed by bunnies first (as is sometimes the case in my garden). 

Learning the botanical names of the plants in your garden is helpful to learning more about them. It’s especially important when purchasing plants or recommending them to others. If you aren’t growing it already, I’d highly suggest you try some Penstemon digitalis in your garden!  

Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013 

Watershed Steward Class 7/CBLP

aligmilligan@gmail.com

2023 Ann Jackson Watershed Steward and Consortium Member of the Year

Each year Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy honors volunteer Watershed Stewards and the environmental professionals who support their action for clean water. The Watershed Steward of the Year is awarded to a Steward(s) who excels in engaging their community to reduce pollution. The Consortium Member of the Year is awarded to an environmental professional who makes a significant impact on projects for clean water. 

This year, WSA renamed its Watershed Steward of Year Award in honor of the first recipient, Ann Jackson.

ANN JACKSON WATERSHED STEWARDS OF THE YEAR

Candy Dayton, Francesca King, Thom Marston, and Dawn Taft

The Ann Jackson Watershed Stewards of the Year, Candy Dayton, Dawn Taft, and Thom Marston were honored for their dedication to clean water and their leadership in the Anne Arundel Patapsco River Alliance (AAPRA). This generous and committed trio is the backbone of AAPRA. Candy and Dawn co-founded AAPRA when they saw a need to mobilize Watershed Stewards and volunteers in the northern part of the county. AAPRA’s mission is to forge new relationships and engage new Stewards, so that their efforts can be replicated as they work towards healthy, swimmable, fishable creeks and rivers. 

Candy Dayton has partnered with Faith Baptist, a church in Glen Burnie where she volunteers her time and is deeply committed to Stewardship and maintenance. Candy implemented a maintenance plan for the rain garden that was so successful she’s now able to put her time into helping others congregations with maintenance. Additionally, Candy leads a Project Clean Stream effort every year, organizing multiple sites in North County.

Dawn Taft has worked extensively with Empowering Believers Church, also in Glen Burnie, on maintenance. With Candy and Thom’s support, Dawn has empowered members of the congregation and community as they work together to maintain their projects. She’s also worked with the Linthcisum Library, and partnered with Candy on many other projects. Dawn is incredibly passionate about maintenance and is always willing to teach others and build their skills and confidence.

When Thom Marston became a Watershed Steward in 2018, he jumped right in and became a leader with AAPRA! Thom has taken the mission of AAPRA to heart and been a key part in connecting with new Stewards of each graduation class. It’s been said that Thom never says no to a request for help, and always has a smile on his face!

This small but mighty organization has a big impact, and it's all thanks to the leadership of these three Stewards. Despite being in a part of the county where WSA has fewer Stewards, Candy, Dawn, and Thom help harness the power of volunteers by building authentic relationships.  We love seeing the many ways this trio supports one another and their communities- they are an inspiration to us all! 

With their focus on project maintenance, and the number of times it has been said that Ann Jackson seemed to do the work of much more than just one person, we couldn’t have chosen more perfect winners of the newly renamed Ann Jackson Steward of the Year Award.  

CONSORTIUM MEMBER OF THE YEAR

Jeffrey Popp and Jennifer Carr

WSA was thrilled to honor Jennifer Carr as the 2023 Consortium Member of the Year. Jennifer has been a valuable partner to WSA in her capacity as the Director of Restoration with Arundel Rivers Federation. Jennifer leads watershed restoration projects ranging from small native plantings to large-scale living shoreline and stream restoration projects. Most recently, our teams have been working together on the St. Mark Project in Hanover. Jennifer is not only an outstanding restoration professional but is also skilled at coordinating partners and other involved parties, providing thoughtful guidance to communities taking on new projects, and thinking creatively about funding opportunities. Perhaps most importantly, Jennifer is skilled at building relationships and trust with the communities she works with. Jennifer is also a certified Watershed Steward and was lucky enough to have the incredible Ann Jackson as one of her mentors.