Events

Native plants are the foundation of habitat, but wildlife need more than food to thrive. Join ecologist and Certified Wildlife Biologist Shaun McCoshum, PhD, to explore how nesting sites, shelter, water, soil conditions, and other often-overlooked resources can transform a yard into a functioning ecosystem that supports biodiversity year-round.

Registration link coming soon.

Explore the Leonardtown Library’s Front Yard Pollinator Garden with magnifying glasses and children’s binoculars looking for and identifying birds and bugs in the garden. We can loan our guests magnifying glasses and binoculars but if you have your own, please feel free to bring them.

Tots in the Front Yard family garden walks will be led by Master Gardener volunteer Deb Pence and other volunteer community garden enthusiasts in the Leonardtown Library’s “Front Yard Garden.” Activities and guided walks are developed for 3–6 year-olds, but the whole family is welcome to join in the explorations. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and parents should note there will most likely be exposure to nuts, seeds and other plant parts as well as a variety of pollinators, so please be advised for potential allergens.

Registration is requested but drop-ins will be welcome. Walks will be approximately 30-40 minutes and loosely scheduled for 10:00 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Upcoming Walk Themes:

Saturday August 22, 2026: Water in the Front Yard Garden! - Come prepared to get a little wet as we review “What Plant’s Need to Grow” and talk about the importance of nurturing our plants and gardens in the heat of summer with different watering methods and systems.  Registration opens August 1. 

Saturday September 5, 2026: Pollinators in the Front Yard - An end of summer investigation looking for pollinators in our favorite native plant garden.

Saturday October 3, 2026 : Fall in the Front Yard! - Enjoy exploring the fall garden’s colors, smells, sights, sounds and perhaps tastes In the Leonardtown Library’s Front Yard Garden. 

Saturday November 14, 2026: Sleepy Seeds in the Front Yard - A Fun exploration of seeds and fruits found in the garden for flowers, shrubs and trees. We have flower seeds & pods, shrub fruits and tree nuts to look at, feel and learn to associate with our garden plants.

AGE GROUP: | Upper Elementary | Toddler | Preschool | Lower Elementary | Baby |

Explore the Leonardtown Library’s Front Yard Pollinator Garden with magnifying glasses and children’s binoculars looking for and identifying birds and bugs in the garden. We can loan our guests magnifying glasses and binoculars but if you have your own, please feel free to bring them.

Tots in the Front Yard family garden walks will be led by Master Gardener volunteer Deb Pence and other volunteer community garden enthusiasts in the Leonardtown Library’s “Front Yard Garden.” Activities and guided walks are developed for 3–6 year-olds, but the whole family is welcome to join in the explorations. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and parents should note there will most likely be exposure to nuts, seeds and other plant parts as well as a variety of pollinators, so please be advised for potential allergens.

Registration is requested but drop-ins will be welcome. Walks will be approximately 30-40 minutes and loosely scheduled for 10:00 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Upcoming Walk Themes:

Saturday September 5, 2026: Pollinators in the Front Yard - An end of summer investigation looking for pollinators in our favorite native plant garden.

Saturday October 3, 2026 : Fall in the Front Yard! - Enjoy exploring the fall garden’s colors, smells, sights, sounds and perhaps tastes In the Leonardtown Library’s Front Yard Garden. 

Saturday November 14, 2026: Sleepy Seeds in the Front Yard - A Fun exploration of seeds and fruits found in the garden for flowers, shrubs and trees. We have flower seeds & pods, shrub fruits and tree nuts to look at, feel and learn to associate with our garden plants.

AGE GROUP: | Upper Elementary | Toddler | Preschool | Lower Elementary | Baby |

A collaboration between Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay, Deale Library, and Southern Maryland Native Plant People. Native plants will be shared with participants. A table with information regarding the benefits of native plants, Wild Ones membership information and plant lists for native plant conditions and garden design. Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay members will be available to answer questions and provide other guidance for including native plants in residential gardens. 

Join Earthly Delights for the first time ever at our native plant nursery!! Come shop at our plant sale and mini maker's market to kick off fall planting season!! We will have great prices on plugs and quarts of many species of home-grown natives that are more than ready to go into your garden! In addition, you can browse nature-inspired art and clothing made by Miranda, ceramics by Fea Pottery, homemade baked goods, and more to come!

Be sure to RSVP on our FB event page to get updates and help us plan! More open nursery days may be planned for the fall, but this will be the most exciting! We are so excited to see you there!

What does it really take to turn a conventional lawn into a thriving native meadow? Join Owner & Principal, New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL), Sara Weaner Cooper for a candid look at her family's ongoing lawn-to-meadow transformation featured in The New York Times and BBC. Drawing from three years of hands-on experience, Sara will share the methods, lessons learned, successes, and challenges of converting turfgrass into a dynamic native plant community. Participants will gain practical insights into site preparation, planting, management, and the ecological principles that guide successful meadow establishment, along with realistic expectations for how these landscapes evolve over time.

Registration link coming soon.

Join members of the Chesapeake Beach Green Team and the University of Maryland Extension Home Horticulture Educator for Calvert County to learn about our plans to plant a buffer garden using native plants along the Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail! 

The program will introduce the partnerships that makes the project possible, our planting plans, how planting this garden can help to protect the water resources from the impacts of stormwater all while providing co-benefits like supporting pollinators and improving the aesthetic of an area. The information presented will give attendees ideas they can apply to their own homesites to help control stormwater onsite to protect local waterways, address erosion challenges or persistently wet areas. 

The program will conclude with an invitation to help during the planned planting day on Saturday, October 17, 2026. As the buffer garden grows over the years it will serve as an educational model members of and visitors to our community can visit for inspiration for Bay friendly landscaping ideas to use at their own homes!

The Green Team will also have giveaways for participants including rain barrels and books for adults and children on how to make your backyard more Bay and critter friendly!

Event hosted by Cape St. Claire Improvement Association. Visit the Read More link for more information from the host. 

Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay members will be on hand to provide information on native plants with an outreach/display table during the plant sale. 

Details to follow.

Event is in conjunction with the Patuxent Research Refuge’s 90th anniversary celebration and National Public Lands Day.

Bats are among the most important and misunderstood wildlife in our communities. Join experts from Bat Conservation International to explore how native plants, healthy insect populations, and thoughtful landscape design can help support bats. Learn about the ecological role of bats and discover practical ways to create habitat for North America's night flyers right in your own backyard.

Registration link coming soon.

Monarch butterflies depend on a network of habitats stretching across North America, and home landscapes can play an important role in their survival. Join experts from Monarch Joint Venture to explore the science behind monarch conservation, including the importance of milkweed, nectar resources, and regionally appropriate habitat. Learn practical ways to support monarchs through native landscaping and help sustain one of the world's most remarkable migrations.
 

Registration link coming soon.