The Frederick County Nature Council is a member of the Association of Recreation Councils in Frederick County.  As a non-profit organization, the Nature Council is comprised of dedicated volunteers who work together to support the Catoctin Creek Park and Nature Center and Fountain Rock Park and Nature Center.  The group sponsors and helps to coordinate events such as the Annual Butterfly Count at Catoctin Creek Park in July and Dear Santa at Fountain Rock Park in December in addition to participating in county-sponsored events such as the Nature Fest at Catoctin Creek Nature Center in May.  Each year the Frederick County Nature Council greets the many visitors to the Great Frederick County Fair by providing an engaging and interactive nature exhibit for adults and children to enjoy. 

A significant portion of the Frederick County Nature Council membership is comprised of Maryland Master Naturalists.  Working in conjunction with the Frederick County Nature Council, the Maryland Master Naturalists of Frederick County is a group of passionate volunteers who have completed the 52 hours of classroom instruction and at least 8 hours of fieldwork to fulfil the initial requirements toward certification as a Maryland Master Naturalist.  They continue to provide support to Catoctin Creek and Fountain Rock Parks and Nature Centers on an annual basis in the form of volunteer work including the removal of invasive species, planting native plants, maintenance of the pollinator gardens, providing animal habitat, coordinating the Native Plant Sale and facilitating bi-annual Maryland Master Naturalist classes to expand the group.  

In both of these organizations one will find individuals with a variety of interests ranging from birding and butterflies to climate change to outdoor adventure.  Their common thread is their commitment to open natural spaces, particularly those found at Catoctin Creek Park and Nature Center and Fountain Rock Park and Nature Center within the Frederick County Parks and Recreation organization. 

The Frederick County Nature Council meets the third Monday of each month from January to October at 7pm.  Currently meetings are being held via Zoom.  We always welcome new members!  If you are interested in joining the group, or for more information, email the Frederick County Nature Council at fountainrocknaturecouncil@gmail.com. 

We hope to see you in the park.....

Annual Butterfly Count 2020

On Sunday morning, July 26th, the Frederick County Nature Council hosted the Annual Butterfly Count at Catoctin Creek Park.  Several dedicated folks braved the extreme heat to cover a total of fifteen zones throughout the park in search of these winged beauties.  The goal was to identify as many different species as we could find and tally the total number of butterflies we encountered.  Naturalists throughout the state have observed that butterfly numbers have decreased this season....this has been primarily attributed to the two late season frosts this spring....so we were very interested to compare our results to those of previous years.  While numbers were lower than previous years, everyone had a great time at the park.  See below for our 2020 results. Thank you to Kathy Barylski for her leadership on this event!

Brush-footed: 

Red Spotted Purple 2

Hackberry Emperor 1

Monarch 3

American Snout 1

Common Buckeye 1

Eastern Comma 1

Pearl Crescent 1

Silvery Checkerspot 25+

Cabbage White 35+

Clouded Sulphur 6

Orange Sulphur 16

Sleepy Orange 1

Gossamer-wing:

Eastern-Tailed Blue 25+

Red Banded HS 1

Swallowtails:

Black Swallowtail 2

Easten Tiger Swallowtail 8

Spicebush Swallowtail 5

Zebra Swallowtail 3

Skippers: 

Dun Skipper 1

Least Skipper 6

Peck's 6

Zabulon 3

Sachem 8

Hayhurst's Scallopwing 1

Silver-Spotted Skipper 12

We hope you will join us next year! 

Nature Nugget: Green Frog

Green Frog

(Lithobates clamitans)

Photos and Article by Maryland Master Naturalist, Debbie Satorius

• Green frogs can come in many variations, green, greenish brown, brownish, yellowish green and olive, with some rare individuals being blue. They are generally brighter in the front with small random black spots.
• Males usually have a bright yellow throat. Their tympanum (visible external ear on the side of their heads) is much larger than the eye in males and is the same size as the eye in females. Note the two males in the bottom pictures.
• Green frogs have a well defined back ridge that extends from the back of the eye and continues the length of their body.
• They are characteristically frogs of brooks and small streams, but can be found in shallow fresh water, in springs, creeks, and ditches. It is an abundant frog found in southeastern Canada, and in the US , west to the Great Lakes and as far south as Kentucky. Further south they are called Bronze Frogs, with fewer markings and duller in color. They overwinter in the water, usually buried in substrate.
• Green frogs have excellent vision and use it to find and detect prey such as insects, grayfish, spiders, even small frogs and snakes. They hunt both day and night.

FALL STREAM CLEAN-UP EVENT

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Catoctin Creek Stream Clean Up Event

(As part of the 2017 International Coastal Cleanup effort)

Event Information

Date: Saturday, September 09, 2017
Time: 10AM –12PM

Catoctin Creek Park

Meet at the Receiving Shelter as you enter the parking area.

Join park staff in the on-going effort to restore the health of the Bay and its tributaries by removing trash from the park’s creek beds and banks.  How we take care of our watersheds eventually affects the health of our oceans!

·        Who Can Participate? Individuals, Families, Scouts, & Other organizations.

·        Note: Minors must be 8 years or older and be accompanied by an adult.

·        What to bring: Dress in old clothes; long pants encouraged, Closed–toed shoes or boots, Water  bottle, & Work gloves.

·        Contact the Nature Center during business hours if you need more information: 301-600-2051.

Link to the Ocean Conservancy site:  https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/international-coastal-cleanup/

How Well Do You Know Your Grasses?

Presented by

Susan Trice

Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator

Frederick County Extension Office, Frederick, MD

Tuesday, September 5th from 5 to 7 p.m.

at Catoctin Creek Nature Center (CCNC)

How Well Do You Know Your Grasses? Which of the above pictures is Johnson grass (invasive)? And which one is Indian grass (native)? And what’s all the hype about sedges for turf?

Join us for a class on grass identification that will teach us how to know what type of grasses are growing in our yards. From panicles to blades, learn how to tell one type of grass from another. Be prepared to go outside to take a look at grasses around CCNC.

Suggested donation of $10 to help fund Frederick County Master Naturalist programs and projects.

RSVP appreciated but not required to Margaret Pierre-Nanan at errenn@gmail.com.

Catoctin Creek Nature Center

2929 Sumantown Rd, Middletown Maryland

Phone 301-600-2051

Park after Dark Event

Park after Dark

Friday August 25^th from 7-10 pm

at 

Fountain Rock Park

8511 Nature Center Place, Walkersville, MD 21793

Live Music, Hors d'oeuvre, Silent Auction,

Fancy S’mores, and a Nature Program.

18 and over

 $ 25.00 per person

Please inquire at the park for more information: 

301-600-4460

2017 Butterfly Count Results at Catoctin Creek Park

CATOCTIN CREEK BUTTERFLY COUNT

OFFICIAL RESULTS

SUMMER 2017

Thanks to the great turnout by the 4-H Bug Patrol and from the great public notifications, we had 48 people on the registration! Wow!

Butterfly Types	Official Number Counted (1 hr)	Unofficial “Second Sweep” Count
Red-Spotted Purple	5	5
Hackberry Emperor	1	1
Monarch	4	4
Northern Pearly-Eye	4	4
American Snout	2	2
Tawny Emperor	0	1
Common Buckeye	2	2
Red Admiral	0	3
Silvery Checkerspot	100+   (most ever counted here;  11 at most previously)	180-200
Cabbage White	35	35
Clouded Sulfur	4	4
Orange Sulfur	3	6
Eastern Tailed Blue	7	14
Summer Azure	3	14
American Copper	4	6
Gray Hairstreak	4	5
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail	5	5
Spicebush Swallowtail	7	7
Zebra Swallowtail	2	2
Dun Skipper	2	2
Least Skipper	10	10
Peck's Skipper	4	10
Tawny-Edged Skipper	0	1
Silver Spotted Skipper	50	80+
Zabulon Skipper	7	7
Sachem	6	13
Horace’s Duskywing	1	2
Wild Indigo Duskywing	1	1
Pearl Crescent (tentative ID)	1	0
Fiery Skipper (tentative ID)	1	0
Painted Lady	0	1
Common Sootywing	0	4
Total Number of Species	25  confirmed (not including tentative IDs)	30 confirmed
Total Number Counted	250+	400+

Fountain Rock's 30th Anniversary

Please join us as we celebrate 
Fountain Rock Nature Center's 
30th Anniversary!

August 25th, 2017

10 AM - 4 PM

See flyer below for more information!

Annual Butterfly Count

Annual Butterfly Count

Sunday, July 30th, 2017

10 AM—12 PM

Family-friendly!

No experience necessary!

FREE!

Meet at Catoctin Creek Nature Center.

2929 Sumantown Road

Middletown, MD  21769

NATURE FEST 2017 - IT'S JUST A WEEK AWAY!

MARCH 2017 PROGRAM REMINDERS

BIRD WALK on SUNDAY, MARCH 19TH, 2017
Discover the wild bird populations at Catoctin Creek Park with local experts Keith and Beth Hamilton from Wild Birds Unlimited. This is a great walk for the family and will run rain or shine. We have some binoculars to share but please bring binoculars if you have them. This is a FREE program! 
TIME: 10 AM-12

DR. MIKE TURELL:  INSECT MIMICRY ADVANCED TRAINING for 

MASTER NATURALISTS

MONDAY, 2/20/17 from 1-3 PM

FOUNTAIN ROCK PARK

8511 Nature Center Place, Walkersville, MD 21793

FEBRUARY NATURE COUNCIL MEETING:
MONDAY, 2/20/17 at 7:00 PM
CATOCTIN CREEK NATURE CENTER
2929 Sumantown Road, Middletown, MD  21769

FEBRUARY NATURE COUNCIL MEETING:
MONDAY, 2/20/17
7:00 PM
CATOCTIN CREEK NATURE CENTER
2929 Sumantown Road
Middletown, MD  21769

2017 MASTER NATURALIST ADVANCED TRAINING MEETING
Join your fellow Master Naturalists from Catoctin Creek and Fountain Rock Nature Centers to plan and schedule Advanced Training sessions for 2017.   Bring topic ideas and possible contacts for presenters.
Date:  Monday, 2/6/17
Time:  10 AM - 12 PM
Location:  Fountain Rock Nature Center
                 8511 Nature Center Place
                Walkersville, MD 21793

UPDATE on 2/8/17:  Thanks to all our Master Naturalists who suggested some great ideas & presenters for the 2017 Advanced Training sessions.  The committee currently is contacting presenters to schedule the dates.  We hope to have a tentative schedule sent out within the next week or so.

BIRD WALK THIS SUNDAY

BIRD WALK this SUNDAY 
Discover the wild bird populations at Catoctin Creek Park with local experts Keith and Beth Hamilton from Wild Birds Unlimited. This is a great walk for the family and will run rain or shine. Bring binoculars if you have them. This is a FREE program! 
DATE: 12/11/16
TIME: 10 AM 

Great Frederick Fair Booth

Folks enjoying a visit with our volunteers at the Frederick County Nature Council booth.  

Come visit 

The Frederick County Nature Council booth

 at the 

City Streets/Country Roads exhibit area 

of the Great Frederick Fair.  

We support both of our county Nature Centers:  

Catoctin Creek and Fountain Rock.

Visit with our volunteers and 

see what cool things they have to share with you!

We will be there Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 

this week from 10 AM - 3 PM.