Hello MPEA Friends & Volunteers! There’s really no reason to be reading this newsletter instead of taking a visit out to the environmental area. The birds are singing, insects are chirping, different wildflowers are in bloom, and the weather has been great. There’s plenty of sights, sounds, and smells to soothe all of your senses. If you’re stuck inside, go ahead and read along. Otherwise, all of this info can wait ‘til after you squeeze a hike into your schedule.

T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E M I D D L E P A T U X E N T E N V I R O N M E N T A L A R E A

JULY 2014

VOLUME 10, ISSUE 07

Meander ings . . .Meander ings . . .Meander ings . . .

Inside this issue:

Greetings and

Introduction

1

Hungry Pests 1

Volunteers 1

Volunteers

(cont’d)

2

1 - 2- 3 ... 2

Switcheroo 2

Mystery Moth 2

Think before you print!

This newsletter is

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will change if printed.

Each and every summer we find ourselves spraying the invasive plant Wavyleaf basketgrass (Oplismenus hirtellus ssp. undulatifolius). If you are capable of identifying Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) then you could also, very easily, learn to identify the basketgrass too. The more people that can recognize basketgrass the better off we’ll be. Download the app for tracking this pest and help researchers learn more about its distribution.

http://heron.towson.edu/wavyleaf/home/

Maybe, just maybe, there will be more money made available for academics to study how to get rid of this plant if enough people support the effort, track their sightings, and assist in proving that this plant is a real problem.

For general information about the concept of invasive pests, consider this statement and visit the great website published by the USDA:

Imagine not having real maple syrup with your pancakes or orange juice to enjoy with breakfast. Or not relaxing under the shade of an ash tree with a glass of California wine. Invasive pests and diseases threaten so many things we hold dear.

If left unchecked, these “hungry pests” can affect many aspects of life—the fabric in clothing, food on the table, lumber used to build homes, flowers in the garden—and have already cost billions of dollars to the U.S. economy. Some can even hurt public health. What can you do to help leave these hungry pests behind? Visit www.HungryPests.com

Hungry Pests

Volunteers

Helpers continue to remove invasive plants in and around the seep area. Most everyone who walks our trails has noticed the Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) removal going on in the vicinity of the bridge closest to the outdoor classroom. Look carefully and you will also see 10 native Common pawpaw (Asimina triloba) trees that were planted and sheltered by volunteers too. If you step off the trail for a closer look, be careful, as the footing in this area is tricky. Through these efforts Davey has even able to certify another Weed Warrior!

I hope to see you out in the MPEA,

Jeff

Meanderings... Page 2

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Conservation Stewardship Project:

July– no program

August– no program

Meadowside Vine Cutting

Sept. 23rd, 9:00 AM

South Wind Circle

entrance

Check out the Howard

County page for the

Maryland Amphibian &

Reptile Atlas (MARA)

2010-2014

http://www.howardbirds.org/

herpatlas/index-MARA.htm

Volunteers (cont’d)

In other volunteer news, two intrepid volunteers who are on summer break from their college studies have expressed an interest in the streams of the MPEA. The first project they are implementing is to measure a few stream cross sections. Depending on their time constraints they may continue to record additional cross sections or progress to measuring other parameters before returning to college.

1 - 2 - 3….

Cheryl recently conducted the annual MPEA butterfly count. She observed 14 different species and 78 individuals. In past years Cheryl has counted a few more species but overall this year’s species total is in line with expectations. The number of individuals recorded was markedly lower than last year; however, last year was a remarkable year with about 400 individuals sighted. The most numerous butterfly this year was the Silver-spotted skipper (Epargyreus ciarus) and the highlight of Cheryl’s count was a single Pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor).

Switcheroo

There has been a small but notable change to the composition of the MPEA staff. Evan Sims, whose primary responsibility was trail repair, accepted a new position with the county’s Forestry section. Among other things, Evan will be helping to count and map Ash trees. We wish him the best. Fortunately we were able to re-hire a past employee of the Natural Resources Division to partially take over where Evan left off. You may recognize the smiling face of Amy Roswurm from her days working at the Robinson Nature Center. Please take the time to stop and chat about the MPEA with Amy when you see her out and about in the environmental area.

Can you help us identify this moth? Our loyal Bluebird

Box Monitor found the moth resting on the post holding

up the nest box. We have tentatively identified it as a

White-marked tussock moth (Orgyia leucostigma).

Are we right? Are we even close?

If you are certain what species this moth is, please tell us.

NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY

One-time Volunteers are Welcome

Meet on the 4th Tuesday each month from 9–11:30 AM

Please Carpool!!!

Howard County

Department of Recreation And Parks

7120 Oakland Mills Road

Columbia, MD 21046-1677

Jeff Claffy, Asst. Natural Resources Manager

Phone: 410.313.6209

E-mail: jclaffy@howardcountymd.gov

Cheryl Farfaras, Natural Resources Manager

Phone: 410.313.4726

E-mail: cfarfaras@howardcountymd.gov

Fax: 410.313.0409

The Middle Patuxent Environmental Area (MPEA), established in 1996, is 1021 acres in size and contains a diversity of habitat types. There are upland and bottomland hardwood forest, fields, wetlands, ponds, and riparian (riverine) habitats. The primary components of the MPEA's mission are natural resource management, education, research and

recreation. Successfully delivering our mission depends on the efforts of volunteers such as you!

T h e N e w s l e t t e r o f t h e M i d d l e

P a t u x e n t E n v i r o n m e n t a l A r e a

MIDDLE PATUXENT ENVIRONMENTAL AREA

We’re on the Web!

http://www.howardcountymd.gov/mpea.htm

AND

www.middlepatuxent.org

July: No Program August: No Program September 23: MEADOWSIDE VINE CUTTING South Wind Circle trailhead Clegg’s Meadow, our largest grassland, contains a riparian buffer planting site and a small Cedar glade that volunteers nurture and protect. The meadows are also surrounded by mature stands of native hardwood trees. Slowly these majestic meadow neighbors are succumbing to the ill effects of several different invasive vines. We’ll navigate the meadow border and de-vine the mature trees. Weather permitting we’ll provide a guest to talk about Monarch butterfly natural history and demonstrate butterfly capture, tagging and release methods. Finally, we’ll have a speaker to warn us about English Ivy.

October 28: SWEEPING THE SEEP Trotter Road entrance For many years volunteers have been removing unwanted plants and replacing them with native varieties in the spring seep portion of the Woodcock Habitat Management Area. Much more effort has gone into maintaining the deer-exclusion tree shelters and in keeping the planting sites weed-free. Today your work will aid in restoring this vital habitat that provides proper American woodcock feeding cover. During this event we’ll continue with our prior volunteers’ work by cleaning off, repairing, or removing shelters and by re-checking areas previously cleared of Multiflora rose, Royal empress tree, privet and other non-native invasive plants.

Middle Patuxent Environmental Area

Conservation Stewardship Project

2014