ASCM News

(Click an Item to view, or simply scroll down the page.)
Item 1	--	ASCM Nature Walk - Saturday, May 18th
Item 2		2013 ASCM Native Plant Sale - THANK YOU!
Item 3	--	ASCM Garden Grant Program Reactivated!
Item 4	--	ASCM Project Teams
Item 5	--	Events: Neighborhood Green Workshop, Weed Warriors
Item 6	--	ASCM eNewsletter
Item 7	--	Become an ASCM Volunteer!
Item 8	--	Bird Counts (Part 1)
Item 9		Bird Counts (Part 2)
Please check back often for updates!

Item 1: Audubon Nature Walks! We'll be hosting our May 2013 Nature Walk on Saturday, May 18th, from 8 to 10 a.m. at our Audrey Carroll Audubon Sanctuary near Mount Airy. (Please note that this month's walk starts one hour earlier!) The topic of this month's walk will be a Bird Banding Demonstration. Birds will be safely captured in special netting, fitted with a numbered aluminum band, and released unharmed. If we are lucky, we may re-capture birds that were banded last year. Participants will see how the birds are caught and handled, have a chance to see them closer than ever before, and maybe hold them in the hand! Because birds are most readily caught early in the morning, participants will have to get up when the birds do! We'll meet at 8 a.m. at the entry gate to the sanctuary, located at 13030 Old Annapolis Road (between Charles Drive and Detrick Road) in Mt. Airy. (Here's a link to a map.) For more information contact Bob Schaefer at 301-831-5660 or by email. Our monthly Nature Walks are always free of charge, and suitable for people of all ages and levels of birding experience. Bring binoculars if you have them, and as always, wear clothing and shoes appropriate for the weather and a fairly easy hiking pace. Again, please remember that this month we'll be starting earlier, at 8 a.m. at the entry gate to the sanctuary.  No rest room facilities are available, and the walk will be cancelled in the event of inclement weather. You'll find directions and maps to both of our local Audubon Sanctuaries, plus more information on our Nature Walk schedule, by clicking here. We hope you'll be able to join us for one or all of our events! (Return to Top)

Item 2: The 2013 ASCM Native Plant Sale - THANK YOU! Many THANKS to the many buyers and browsers who joined us to enjoy an absolutely gorgeous day at our 2013 ASCM Native Plant Sale! The weather definitely smiled on us this year, rewarding the impressive throng of enthusiastic native plant gardeners who turned out bright and early for this year's Native Plant Sale, as well as our dedicated volunteers! Thank You All! Your loyal support of our native plant sales is always gratifying, and contributes greatly to ASCM's ability to continue our preservation and education missions! We look forward to welcoming you back again at future sales, and we wish you all the best with your gardening pursuits! (Return to Top)

Item 3: Garden Grant Program for 2012-2013 School Year! The ASCM Board of Directors has voted to re-activate the popular Garden Grant Program for the upcoming 2012-2013 school year! If you are an educator associated with a school within our Audubon membership area, please consider the educational benefits of starting or expanding a garden at your school, and consider applying for an ASCM grant to help fund your efforts. Check our Garden Grants web page for more information on this valuable program. Grant applications were accepted through the middle of December, 2012. We'll be announcing the results soon! Thank You for your interest! (Return to Top)

Item 4: Join an Elite Team! You have very likely noticed that we are a 100% volunteer organization. And we are always looking for folks who are willing and able to lend a helping hand with the many activities and projects we have in the works. We are currently forming teams to start whittling away at the ever-long list of things needing attention at our two Audubon Sanctuaries. Projects range from invasive plant control to brd nest monitoring to filling in woodchuck holes along our walking trails. You can see the range of stuff on our To-Do List on our Projects page. If something there piques your curiosity, please let us know! True, it is "work", but the proverb, "Many hands make light work", definitely applies. Plus, you'll get to meet a great group of fellow volunteers, and you'll savor the beauty and tranquility of the Sanctuaries even more, knowing that you're helping to maintain and improve them. All skill levels and abilities are welcome, whether you're already an experienced birder or naturalist, a seasoned woodchuck-hole filler, or simply have basic knowledge of digging implement or lopper operation! If none of the above apply, we gladly provide on-the-job training! If you would like to enlist in the Sanctuary Team effort, please let us know! Send us an email, or call 301-831-5060 for more information. (Return to Top)

Item 5: Other Events in the Area 1. Have you heard about the Neighborhood Green Workshop? It's coming up on May 18th, from 9 am to Noon, at Linganore High School, and can help you make your property more environmentally friendly! For more information and to register, go to the web site. 2. The Carroll County Weed Warriors group periodically offers free training in identifying and removing invasive exotic weeds. These weeds are a major threat to our native plants and animals, second only to loss of habitat! Training consists of an one-hour online course to take at home followed by a two-hour field training class at Bear Branch Nature Center in Westminster, MD. For additional information, just email ccforestryboard@gmail.com. After you complete the course, you will be added to an email list that notifies participants when the Weed Warriors will be conducting group weedings at such public properties as the Bear Branch Nature Center/Hashawha Environmental Center, Piney Run Nature Center, Charlotte's Quest Nature Center, the Audrey Carroll Audubon Sanctuary, and the Westminster Community Trail. Middle and high school students can earn student service hour credits for the training and for participating in weed removal sessions. To learn more about Weed Warriors and other interesting programs and activities that will enhance your knowledge of our environment, email Carolyn Puckett at cpuck@comcast.net. 3. The Maryland Forestry Conservancy sponsors a camp for high schoolers interested in a career in forestry or other environmental areas. The website is http://www.marylandforestryboards.org/nrcc.cfm. The Carroll County Forest Conservancy Board (sponsor of the weed warriors) pays the fees above the $100 activity fee for two Carroll County students. Other Maryland counties may also pay part of the fees for two students from their counties. 4. Do you know of an event or activity in our area that would be of interest to birders and nature lovers? We can post information on it here! Just send us an email. Thank you! (Return to Top)

Item 6: Newsletter News! Have you seen our ASCM e-newsletter yet? We publish one almost every month to help keep our members and friends up-to-date on our Chapter activities. You can sign up for it with an email to us that includes your valid email address. (We do not sell or share your contact information!) And if you'd like to catch up on past editions, we keep an archive back to July, 2009. See the Newsletter page for subscription and archive links. (Return to Top)

Item 7: ASCM Needs You! If you have enjoyed our Audubon Sanctuaries and Nature Walks, or any of the other programs we conduct and support through the year, you are also no doubt aware that these things happen only because of the work of dedicated volunteers! If you'd like to lend us a hand, we always have a variety of opportunities for Volunteering open for your consideration. Please let one of our Nature Walk guides know if you can help, or drop us an email. Your participation and help is welcomed and appreciated! (Return to Top)

Item 8: Bird Counts - You Can Help! (part 1) The Audubon Society of Central Maryland holds four annual bird counts, two at each of our local sanctuaries, located near Mount Airy and New Market, Maryland. For planning: - The 2012 mid-Winter counts will be scheduled for consecutive weekend days in January, 2012, one day for each sancturary. - The Spring counts at our two sanctuaries will be scheduled for consecutive weekend days in May, 2012, one day for each sanctuary. For information on how you can participate in one or more of these important wildlife monitoring activities, contact David Smith, our Birdathon Coordinator, at 410-549-7082 or click here for email. (Return to Top)

Item 9: Bird Counts - You Can Help! (part 2) The National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology jointly sponsor a number of important bird count activities during the year, particularly during the Winter months. They make it easy for you to participate, no matter your level of birding experience, and your input is a valued contribution to several important research efforts. If you have a bit of time to help between November 2012 and the beginning of April 2013, please click here for more information. In particular, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a fun and easy birding event open to everyone. For 2013, the GBBC will be conducted between Friday, February 15th and the following Monday, February 18th (i.e., over the Presidents' Day weekend). Remember, just by doing what you enjoy doing anyway, watching the birds at your feeders, you can help to make this annual event successful. Your bird counting contributions count, and it's always impressive to see how the many small contributions add up to create a big, comprehensive picture of our U.S. bird population. Click on the button below to get more information on the GBBC and to check up on 2012 results. (Return to Top)

Be Sure to Check Back Often for Updates!