Spring is here, the flowers are in full blossom, and the animals are starting to stir. It is time to get out and about to take in the beauty in nature around us. As Marylanders, we are blessed with beautiful scenery in and around our state, which can easily create a fun-filled day trip. Pack the car and fill your April days traveling to Baltimore, D.C., Annapolis, and beyond to experience the beauty in nature around us and make new friends at the local zoos and sanctuaries.
Photo courtesy of Adkins Arboretum
Adkins Arboretum
Adkinsarboretum.org; 410-634-2847
Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve in Ridgely, Maryland. Pop over to Caroline County for a walk-in nature and to learn how the arboretum strives to engage all people in conversation, appreciation, and the enjoyment of the Chesapeake region through education, recreation, art, and community events. The arboretum offers many educational, science-based programs for adults and kids of all ages including virtual field trips. Visit year-round for self-guided walks through five miles of paths that explore a variety of habitats.
Photo courtesy of Annmarie Gardens
Annmarie Gardens
Annmariegarden.org; 410-326-4640
Visit Solomons for Annmarie Gardens, a 30-acre sculpture garden run as a non-profit organization. Annmarie Gardens is a great place to hit the trails for self-guided tours or to explore Murray Arts Building, this is a spacious indoor area with two art galleries. Bring your own chairs and blankets to create your own picnic. Currently, you can walk around the sculpture garden before visiting the Kay Daugherty Mezzanine Gallery in the Murray Arts Building. Through September 26th, they are featuring the exhibit On Paper: Printmaking, Book Arts & Beyond. Here, selected work will highlight the expanse of printmaking and book arts as an artistic discipline. They will explore techniques such as relief printing, etching, lithography, paper making, book binding, letterpress, collage and papercut. Also, Annmarie Gardens starts their Faries in the Garden experience on April 2nd and runs all summer long.
Catoctin Wildlife Preserve
Catoctinwildlifepreserve.com; 301-271-4922
In Thurmont, Maryland, just south of the Pennsylvania border, you can find Catoctin Wildlife Preserve. This zoo adventure holds over 600 exotic animals across a 50-acre park. What makes Catoctin Wildlife Preserve special is that is features more interactive touch and feed opportunities than any other zoo in the region. Catocin offers one-hour adventure rides through 25 wooded acres of land. Feed and photograph animals from six continents including the African Zebra, Noth American Bison, Asiand and African Antelope, Giant birds like Ostrich and Emu, European deer, Eurasian Wild Sheep, South American Llama and unusual cattle, donkey and goat breeds.
Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute
Nationalzoo.si.edu; 202-633-4888
In 1891, the animals living on the National Mall had a new home in the Zoo within Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., now, over 2,700 animals representing more than 390 species reside in the zoo. In addition to housing these species, SCBI study and breed 20 species at their headquarters, including a few that were once extinct in the wild, like the black-footed ferrets and scimitar-horned oryx. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo is offering online activities and self-guided, interactive learning on their website. The topics include going behind the scenes of zoo jobs with Wildlife Careers, all about migratory birds, Earth optimism, and more. After you have finished with those activities, watch live webcams in the lion, elephant, naked mole-rat, cheetah, and giant panda habitats.
Photo courtesy of the Maryland Zoo
Maryland Zoo
Marylandzoo.org; 410-369-7102
As the flowers start to bloom, the animals come out of their habitat to meet the warm sun. Schedule your visit to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. This is the third oldest zoo in the country and spans 135-plus acres in Druid Hill Park. The Zoo’s mission is to ‘engage people with the wonder of the living world’ and they have done exactly that by housing 130 different species of birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. This Spring and Summer, take a look at the Maryland Zoo’s website for dates on Breakfast with the Animals. Now through October, they are offering a one-of-a-kind dinging experience with the Zoo animals, special keepers, and photo opportunities. Eat alongside the chimpanzees, giraffes, lions, penguins, and more! Also, this Spring, be sure to join the Animal Care Team on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. for their Goat Trek where you can walk a goat through the back paths of the Farmyard or join on Sundays and Mondays for Penguin Fish Toss.
Photo courtesy of US National Arboretum
U.S. National Arboretum
usna.usda.gov; 202-245-4523
In 1927, the Act of Congress established the Arboretum which was administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. The grounds cover 446-acres containing 9.5 miles of winding roadways where researchers learn more about trees, shrubs, turf and ornamental plants. They are also working on the development of new technologies for the floral and nursery industries as well as development of superior landscape plants through a program of genetic improvement, evaluation, and selection. While exploring the grounds, pull up the Arboretum Botanical Explorer on your phone. The ABE combines plant records, GIS maps, and images to become an easy-to-use search and mapping tool for all visitors. Pull up pictures of the plants through ABE and find them around the gardens. Whether you are a novice plant fan or consider yourself an expert, there is always something new to learn about the many plants at the U.S. National Arboretum.
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
serc.si.edu; 443-482-2200
The Smithsonian Environnmental Research Center has created ways to reduce mercury pollution in the food chain and seafood, rescuing blue crabs and other fisheries from decline and so much more to protect us against the environmental challenges of the 21st century. The research they do is urgent due to the fact that more than 70% of the global population resides in coastal zones. Hike, canoe, and search for wildlife on one of the many trails, including the Java History trail, the Discovery trail, and the Contee Watershed trail, each ranging from 1 to 1.5 miles long.