Tree and Plant Biodiversity

The Calvert County Department of Planning & Zoning announces the reopening of its “Spread Your Leaves” tree coupon program.

The tuliptree, Liriodendron tulipifera, is one of the tallest of Maryland's native trees, and one of the tallest of the deciduous trees in North America.

In this issue: Read about a few changes taking place, in the newsletter and more. Register now for the Spring session of our "The Woods in Your Backyard" online course, and learn about upcoming webinars. Our new feature, "Native Trees of Maryland," looks at the state tree: the white oak.  "Invasives in Your Woodlands" looks at wineberry. And don't forget the events calendar and the Brain Tickler challenge.

The white oak is a remarkable tree species. The tree is truly an impressive specimen where older examples are found growing in the open landscape. It is no wonder that this species of oak is Maryland’s state tree.

The wineberry is non-native and invasive. This Asian native was imported to the United States in 1890 by berry growers. They wanted to use it as breeding stock with native raspberries, but it escaped from cultivation and was first observed in natural areas in the 1970s.

Property owners may wish to enhance privacy and aesthetics and the listed providers can help them achieve their ideal setting.

This webinar series, designed for green industry professionals, was held in two parts (fall 2020 and spring 2021).

Two new publications are now available from the University of Maryland Extension and partners to help you manage your woodlands.

The News and Notes roundup for this issue shares news about a potentially new invasive plant species that may affect Maryland, and information about a potentially new avenue for fighting Emerald Ash Borer. Additional items share a property owner's journey to stewardship, a way for power utilities to expand early successional habitat, and results of a survey that asked property owners about methods for managing invasive species.

Dramatic declines in pollinators and grassland and shrub-dependent birds like bobwhite quail, meadowlarks, and more highlight the need for habitat improvement efforts on a broad scale. Our vision is for this meeting to provide education, networking, and inspiration to facilitate habitat improvement efforts across the region.