Events

The City of Bowie has begun transitioning some of its stormwater ponds to native pollinator habitat. This showcase is at the first pond to be improved.

Join Sam Droege, other researchers, and City staff to see the work completed by both volunteers and contractors to improve aesthetics and provide habitat for pollinators. In 2017, excavation of the existing dry pond began, and all trees were cut to enlarge the pond (footprint and depth) in an effort to meet State stormwater treatment mandates. 

This is a unique site with an unknown-at-the-time soil pH that would rival the drainage from any acid mine in western Maryland. It was killing large swaths of the standard turf grass planted by the contractor and required annual reseeding by staff. With guidance from current and retired staff of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the City's Environmental Advisory Committee, a transformation to pollinator-friendly plants and grasses began in 2023. This is an interesting case study that will help others determine how they can make their stormwater management areas more natural and ecologically-sound. 

Speakers:

Sam Droege is a biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland. He has coordinated major wildlife monitoring programs, including the North American Breeding Bird Survey and the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program, and has developed community-based initiatives like BioBlitz and FrogwatchUSA.

Currently, Sam focuses on native bee conservation, leading efforts to create comprehensive monitoring programs and online identification tools. He also works on reviving the North American Bird Phenology Program to document migration

If you missed it, check out our blog post on Sam’s recent webinar/panel discussion hosted by Wild Ones in which Sam discussed the critical roles that wild native bees play in our ecosystem and how we can support all pollinators in a balanced and evidence-based way.

Elmer Dengler, member of Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay, worked for 31 years for USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (formally Soil Conservation Service) in the States of Montana, Rhode Island, and Maryland. 

In retirement, Elmer has been the technical lead with the City of Bowie Natural Resources subgroup of the Green Team for approximately 10 years, including the successful development of 4 demonstration pollinator gardens and the transformation of a grass stormwater management pond into a diverse pollinator habitat area.  He also advises the Bowie City Council as an appointed member of the City's Environmental Advisory Committee. Elmer leads the growth of over 2,000 native plants annually at the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab for free distribution to the public at over a dozen educational programs on or related to pollinator habitat.