Go Native at Adkins Arboretum

Spend the day with us at Adkins Arboretum, the only public garden focusing on plants native to the Mid-Atlantic coastal plain. We’ll take two casual hikes, each with a different focus, with a picnic lunch break in between.

The Arboretum’s location lies where the Piedmont plateau and the coastal plain, intersect, allowing both northern and southern plant life to overlap. This diversity supports habitats for more than 600 species of native shrubs, trees, wildflowers, grasses, and ferns. Birds and wildlife also take advantage of this plant diversity in the Arboretum’s natural settings, ecological restoration projects, and cultivated gardens.

Our morning hike will feature birds and wildlife with long-time birder Jim Wilson. We’ll be on the lookout for the usual summer residents, including cardinals, chickadees, red-winged blackbirds, and vultures. We’ll listen for bird song and learn a few tips to help us identify species by calls. The Arboretum is designated an Important Bird Area by the Audubon MD-DC Chapter.

After a picnic lunch on the grounds, we’ll meet up for a “What’s in Season” hike to check out what plants, bushes, and trees are currently growing. All trails are well-maintained and free of obstacles. The distance will be less than two miles for both of these hikes.

You may also like the following events from The Natural History Society of Maryland:

• This Thursday, 17th July, 11:00 pm, Hellbenders: Natural History, Ecology and Conservation in Overlea, Maryland
• Next Wednesday, 23rd July, 07:00 pm, The Hows and Whys of Raising Giant Silkmoths - July Lep Club in Parkville
• Next Thursday, 24th July, 10:00 am, Lotus & Lily Pop-Up Tour in Bladensburg

Also check out other Trips & Adventurous Activities in Hillsboro, Meetups in Hillsboro.