Join Environmental Concern Inc. for upcoming workshops located on at its campus at 201 Boundary Lane in St. Michaels. Pre-registration is required a week before an event as space is limited. For more information, call 410-745-9620 or visit www.wetland.org.

An Introduction to Living Shorelines

July 15 • 10 a.m.

Participants will learn the basics of living shoreline structures as a means to control erosion and protect waterfront property.

Why Natives?

July 19 • 6:30-7:30 p.m.

The true justification for cultivating native plants derives not from nostalgia or a geographical abstraction of where an ecosystem occurred historically but rather the interaction between plants and their ecosystem. To call a species native implies complex relationships with the regional ecosystem that go well beyond those observable on our temporal and spatial scale. We will explore a worldview that will challenge how you see and interact with both the cultivated and unmanaged ecosystems.

Milkweeds for Monarchs

July 26 • 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Participants will learn about the Monarch butterfly and the dependence of the Monarch caterpillars on native milkweed for survival. Tips for plant selection and habitat creation techniques will be discussed. These important tips will support the creation of Monarch habitat restoration projects on the Eastern Shore.

BMP Options for Stormwater Runoff

July 27 • 6:30-7:30

Participants will learn the defining characteristics of best management practices and what structures are available to take responsibility for the stormwater runoff at home and in their communities. Professional courses coming in August include:

Grasses, Sedges and Rushes

August 14-17

A solid understanding of grasses, sedges and rushes is necessary for anyone working with wetlands. This four-day course will focus on identification of these members of the plant kingdom. Participants will leave with an understanding of the families, family subdivisions and genera of the often confusing species of grasses, sedges, and rushes (wetland and upland). Prior experience with plant identification is required. This is not a beginner level course.

Evaluating Hydric Soils in the Field

August 21-22

Participants will learn to identify the field indicators of hydric soils through lectures and field trips. This course will include extensive field work to build participants’ experience and confidence in accurately identifying hydric soils for delineation reporting. Background experience in hydric soils is not required.