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Cherry Blossom Festival! Trails, Map, Events

The latest National Park Service peak bloom prediction is for March 22-25 and has a lot of information and events to augment your visit to the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. The National Park Service’s Tidal Basin Welcome Area, open now to April 2, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. is a great place to begin, offering information tents, performance stage, food and souvenir sales areas and first aid station. Park rangers are giving talks about the history and lore of the cherry blossoms at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial now to April 2 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Other activities include ranger-led Lantern Walks, Pup’s and Petals Dog Walk (March 25 only) and tidal basin paddle boats (online reservations available). The NPS official festival partner, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, is also hosting a wide variety of exciting events and activities to celebrate the gift of the cherry blossom trees, including the Blossom Kite Festival, Petalpalooza, official Japanese Stone Lantern Lighting Ceremony and the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. Important links: Bloom Watch, National Park Service Cherry Blossom Events and Activities, trail guides, map, and the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Patapsco VSP Open House Fun

There's lots of fun and info to be had at all three Patapsco Valley State Park locations this upcoming weekend. At all three locations, April 25 is Opening Day of Fishing, starting at 5 a.m. The McKeldin location is offering Introduction to Fishing at 9 a.m. followed by Firewise! with Smokey Swag and Smokey Story Time and Tails on Trails free hiking. At the Hilton location Maryland Conservation Corp staff will be recruiting for the Maryland Conservation Corps. Latino Outdoors will be at the Avalon location for three bilingual guided hikes and Defensores De La Cuenca will be on hand to talk about the different ways you can get involved in your community. You can also join the Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park for an adaptive hike on the River Road Trail. Opening day events are March 25, Patapsco Valley State Park, Marriottsville, Halethorpe and Catonsville, MD. The Patapsco Swinging Bridge (pictured above) is located in the Avalon/Orange Grove area of Patapsco Valley State Park. More information and complete schedule 

Spring Fling Express Train Ride

The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad has the cure for cabin fever. Bring the family out for Spring Fling Family Trips on the Scenic Line. Enjoy a 75-minute train ride though the Cumberland Narrows Canyon, farms and country side. With every child ticket, kids will be able to take part and celebrate spring by decorating and planting flower pots to take home! The Spring Fling departs on Saturdays and Sundays, April 15th, 16th, 22nd, and 23rd; departs Cumberland, MD. More details, tickets 

Signs of Spring Hike

Join naturalist Matt Felperin on a short walk around the Potomac Overlook trails and look for signs of spring around the park. Listen to birds sing their spring songs, learn why trees shed their leaves and grow them back in spring, and why certain forest plants squeeze in their entire growth cycle within a few short weeks in spring. You’ll also get the opportunity to check out the frog pond and meet a few of the park’s in-house reptiles that you could find in the wild this time of year. $8 per person; ages 7+ appropriate. March 25, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Potomac Overlook Park, Arlington, VA. More information and registration (required)

Chesapeake Natives Plant Sale

Come out to Chesapeake Natives Nursery in Rosaryville State Park for an Open House sale of native plants grown on site from locally gathered native seed. The nursery grows over 100 types of local ecotype native plants at its nursery located in the park. Chesapeake Natives volunteers will be available at the sale to help you find the right native plants for your space. March 26, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Rosaryville State Park, Upper Marlboro, MD. More information

Rain Barrel Training/Zoom

Learn how to install a rain barrel! Rain barrels can capture rainwater and make it a usable resource, allowing it to seep back into the ground slowly and filter out pollutants, recharge the water table, and prevent stream erosion during heavy storms. Bonus for DC residents: the District Department of Energy & Environment offers rebates on rain barrels. March 23, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. More information and registration

Trap Pond Spring Wagon Rides

The wagons are rolling at Trap Pond! Meet at the camp store for a 45-minute spring wagon ride through the fields and forest around Trap Pond, which are beautiful any time of year. It should be a great time of year for some bird watching and be sure to check out the Baldcypress Nature Center while you’re there. Free. March 24 and 31, Trap Pond State Park, Laurel, DE. More information and reservations

Feature of the Week

Spring Peeper Paddle

Despite recent setbacks we are confident spring is on its way, and that means it’s time to start planning for a spring paddle. One of Saki’s favorite spring forays is the Daniels area of Patapsco River State after the vernal equinox when “Trees bud, flowers bloom, birds build their nests, reptiles bask in the sun and amphibians focus on reproduction.” Just follow the American toad’s mate-attracting “trilling” calls and if you’re lucky you’ll find find several on the shore puffing their throats like the one pictured above. A veteran paddler with safety always in mind, Saki wears a wetsuit while paddling through early May. Read Spring Peeper Paddle on the Patapsco. 





Featured Tips

Free Trees to Protect Maryland's Waterways

The Maryland DNR’s Backyard Buffers program provides a free “buffer in a bag” to help get qualified homeowners started in buffering the drainage ditch, stream, creek or river flowing through their property. The bag includes 20-30 native tree and shrub bare-root seedlings of various species, approximately one to two feet in height. Backyard Buffer reservations are typically taken during the month of March, with bags available for pickup at a designated local site in time for the spring planting season. Qualified homeowners will also receive fact sheets on the tree species, planting techniques and proper maintenance. Backyard Buffer coordinator contact information by county (not all counties are participating) and more information about the program.




Explore the Current, Weather and Captain John Smith's Historic Voyage with CBIBS!

Head out on the water and learn firsthand the experiences of Captain John Smith's Voyage on NOAA's Chesapeake Bay interpretive Buoy System. CBIBS provides real time weather and environmental information, as well as a glimpse into living Chesapeake Bay History. You can also download the app for your Android or iPhone from the website. Note: some buoys may be offline with no data currently available.




Chesapeake Trail Riverview

Take a virtual tour of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail from your computer or mobile device! To help you plan your trip before you go, the Chesapeake Conservancy partnered with Terrain360 to bring you virtual tours of the trail’s great rivers. Sit back and virtually explore the Elk, James (sponsored by the James River Association), Nanticoke, Northeast, Patapsco, Patuxent, Potomac, Rappahannock, Sassafras, Susquehanna, and York rivers. Check out some of the Chesapeake’s special places like Werowocomoco, Fones Cliffs, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and Mallows Bay. We hope to eventually bring you a virtual tour of the entire Chesapeake Trail! Explore the Chesapeake's great rivers on our website.


Chesapeake Trips and Tips is a partnership publication of National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways and Chesapeake Conservancy.
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