Scattered outcrops of a rare, green rock called serpentinite, with origins deep beneath the ocean bottom, follow the eastern border of the Appalachians from Newfoundland through New England to Georgia. The serpentine weathers into a soil that is extremely low in essential nutrients and high in metals such as nickel, magnesium, and chromium, making it toxic to most plants and animals. Early settlers found that no crops would grow in that soil and named the places "the barrens." The plants that do grow there form unique communities, now called serpentine barrens, which here in the Northern Piedmont, are prairie-like grasslands with scattered, stunted oaks and pines.
Found only in a few places around the globe, serpentine ecosystems are exceptionally rare. And the flora that has evolved to live under these conditions is just as rare, often marked by an abundance of endangered and threatened species.
Join us to learn about the Bare Hills Barrens, our local area of this unusual rock and set of plant communities near Lake Roland, with Roger Latham, an ecologist and conservation biologist. Dr. Latham is instrumental in the restoraton of this ecosystem, now in the process of creating a plan to manage the increasingly dense tree canopy that restricts light, leading to a decline in the populations of many of the barrens’ rarest plants that are adapted to more open settings.
Our day will begin at NHSM with a PowerPoint talk presented by Dr. Latham about the geology, ecology, restoration, and stewardship of serpentine barrens, including an up-close opportunity to see our serpentine rock housed at the museum. He will speak on the geological history of the rock globally and the natural history of the eastern US serpentine barrens ecosystems.
Moving from NHSM to the field, we will carpool to the Bare Hills Barrens to hike in this unique ecosystem with Dr. Latham. Peter Lev, Environmental Committee Chair for the Lake Roland Nature Council will accompany us on the hiking portion, to further discuss the current restoration efforts a the barrens.
The lecture is set to begin at 10 am, with carpooling to begin around 11 to the barrens. We will park at one location and ferry people to the hiking trail. There is very limited parking available at the trailhead. Our hike should last from 12 to 1 pm. This event is free. Please consider donating to cover our costs in offering this specialized program to you.
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SPACES ARE LIMITED — The lecture should take approximately one hour, one hour for transportation to the field, and one hour in the field. The exact carpooling and hiking location will be provided when registration and payment are complete.
Cancellation Policy: NHSM Field Experiences – Cancellations made seven or more days in advance of the field experience will receive a refund (minus a $5 processing fee). Cancellations made within the week of the event will not receive a refund but can be transferred to a friend.
For questions, please email Jayne at JAsh@marylandnature.org.