Native Ferns Lecture & Hike

How different are ferns from other plants? Ferns are ancient, having taken hold on Earth eons ago, and continue to thrive while others have disappeared. Native plant expert Judy Fulton will teach us about the traits that help ferns continue their success and how they vary with unusual forms and structures in this combination hike and Zoom lecture.
We will be more successful with our field identification by understanding these unique features before we get on the trail. Let’s get started with a Zoom lecture to discuss these differences on Thursday, July 9, at 7 pm. We will then apply our understanding of fern structure on our July 11th hike through Gunpowder Falls State Park, as well as discuss their preferred growing conditions and which birds and insects thrive in a fern community.
The hiking trail will include a short downhill distance to a stream, with uneven terrain in some places. Total mileage should be no more than two miles. We will be moving slowly as specimens are found and discussed.