Join us for a spring ephemerals walk with Judy Fulton and the Maryland Native Plant Society. The walk will explore the stream valley, an island with a more isolated character, rock outcrops, some seeps and a hillside area beginning its second growing season recovering from a brush fire.

We need to limit the number of people who sign up to 10 in addition to those who sign up on the MNPS website. To sign up, please email Thayer Young thayeray@yahoo.com and include how you would like to be contacted (email or cell phone) in the unlikely case that we need to cancel.

Dress for the weather, with close-toed shoes with good ankle support. The walk will be roughly 1.5 miles and include some hill climbing on muddy trails, and some sections that are off trail through open forest. No pets or small children, please.

Judy Fulton is a coauthor of "Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas, Field Guide," where her bio states: "Judy Fulton, founder of EcoPlant Consulting, believes healthy ecosystems are crucial for human survival. She transforms places overrun by invasives into native landscapes, shares her knowledge via workshops, and serves as an expert in invasive plant litigation. She has earned a Harvard MBA and three Maryland’s Top 100 Women awards. Judy’s lead role in creating the Mid-Atlantic Invaders Tool, an online guide to 900+ invasives, has positioned her as a sought-after advisor in eco-restoration."

Thayer Young is a volunteer with the Friends of Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park, and tries to walk each trail in the park in each season. He recently worked with FOGFLP to update and redo the trail map brochure that is available at the main entrances to the park and can also be downloaded here. His day job is making maps and databases for small nonprofits, but he also loves to identify plants and is working with Charlie Davis on a plant list for the park. The list includes 200+ species so far.