

# Event Details

- **Event Name**: Find Your Spark - A Naturalist Weekend with NHSM
- **Event Start and End Date**: Fri, 29 May, 2026 at 04:00 pm – Sun, 31 May, 2026 at 11:00 am (-04:00)
- **Event Description**: Have you heard the saying “spark bird”?  It’s a popular phrase among birders that describes the one special species that caught their eye, igniting their passion for birds. What is your “spark” species?  What stoked your passion for nature? Spend the weekend with us and some of the state’s top naturalists to find your spark and turn that flame up to high.

Our weekend will begin with check-in on Friday, starting at 4 pm, and checkout is 11 am on Sunday, after breakfast and a morning class session. A diverse set of classes is in the works with instructors from around the state. Details are still being finalized, but you’re guaranteed to have fun with these talented instructors:

-Bird identification and night sounds program with Kevin Dodge, Program Director/Professor of Natural Resources &amp; Wildlife Technology at Garrett College.
-All that is fungi with mycologist Serenella Linares, Principal Park Naturalist for Mount Rainier Nature Center.
-Wildflower identification and natural crafts activity with naturalist Clare Walker, instructor at Nature Forward, the US Botanical Gardens, and Irvine Nature Center.
-Mammal tracks with naturalist Kerry Wixted, Vegetation Ecologist with Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
-What you should know about the Maryland Biodiversity Project with co-founder Jim Brighton.
-Painting with watercolor with Molly Hoopes, artist-naturalist with Baltimore City Recreation and Parks.
-Bats with Sarah Witcher, Wildlife Education and Outreach Specialist for DNR, and Katie Dell, Resource Teacher- Naturalist, Baltimore County Public Schools.
-Everything bees with Clare Maffei, Bee Biologist, Division of Conservation Science and Partnerships, US Fish and Wildlife.
-Forest bathing with Ana Ka’ahanui, cofounder of the nonprofit, Capital Nature.
-Moths, anthropods, and bird ID with Dave Webb, longtime birder and editor at Maryland Biodiversity Project.
-Herps with Tori Schneider, Associate Professor of Biology, Montgomery College – Rockville Campus.
-Rock identification skills and weather with NHSM’s Geology Curator, Martin Schmidt.
-Mammal skull identification with NHSM Fossil Club volunteer and avid collector, Tom Farrell.
-With more to come!

Plus canoeing, birding, and hiking, all on the property at the Western Maryland 4H Center, 1100 acres of private and public land with a lake. The class schedule will be finalized in early April, and you will be able to sign up for one class per session, with four or five sessions available, all based on the finalized number of classes available
- **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/swanton/find-your-spark-a-naturalist-weekend-with-nhsm/200029773646338
- **Event Categories**: workshops, art, trips-adventures, fine-arts, nonprofit, trekking, sports
- **Interested Audience**: 
  - total_interested_count: 0

## Ticket Details

- **Ticket URL**: https://marylandnature.wildapricot.org/event-6557254?utm_source=AllEvents.in&utm_medium=event-discovery-platform&utm_campaign=swanton-events

## Event venue details

- **city**: Swanton
- **state**: MD
- **country**: United States
- **location**: Western MD 4h Center
- **lat**: 39.563302433333
- **long**: -79.242074913333
- **full address**: Western MD 4h Center, Swanton,MD,United States

## Event Organizer details

- **affiliate_id**: 2
- **organizer**: The Natural History Society of Maryland (https://allevents.in/org/the-natural-history-society-of-maryland/12090529)

## Event gallery

- **Alt text**: banner
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events10/banners/cce8bbd59ee2d637aacc8246a61d832237bfb4a8d81726e3718cc663bcb32333-rimg-w1200-h522-dc010101-gmir?v=1773468843
- **Alt text**: thumbnail
  - **Image URL**: https://dyn-image.allevents.in/generate-image?v=4&title=Find+Your+Spark+-+A+Naturalist+Weekend+with+NHSM&date=29+May

## FAQs

- **Q**: When is the event happening?
  - **A:** Fri, 29 May, 2026 at 04:00 pm (-04:00)
- **Q**: Where is the event happening?
  - **A:** Western MD 4h Center, Swanton,MD,United States
- **Q**: Who is organizing the event?
  - **A:** The Natural History Society of Maryland
- **Q**: What type of event is this?
  - **A:** workshops, art, trips-adventures, fine-arts, nonprofit, trekking, sports
- **Q**: Where can I find ticket details about Find Your Spark - A Naturalist Weekend with NHSM ?
  - **A:** You can find ticket details about this event on AllEvents.

## Structured Data (JSON-LD)

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        "startDate": "2026-05-29T16:00:00-04:00",
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