The Western Mountains Chapter of the Maryland Native Plant Society will hold its regular meeting at the Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg on Tuesday February19th at 7:00 pm. The guest speakers will be Dr. Katia Engelhardt and Dr. Steve Keller of the University of Maryland. Their presentation titled “Citizens Restoring American Chestnuts” will begin immediately following a brief chapter meeting. The public is welcome to attend.
Native plant species play critical a role in maintaining ecosystem services within a watershed, such as maintaining high water quality, filtering nutrients, supporting complex food webs, and stabilizing the ecosystem in the face of natural and human-induced perturbations. This program, Citizens Restoring American Chestnuts (CRAC), is a citizen science effort that directly involves western Maryland residents in “cracking the code” to re-establish an important native tree in our forests, the American chestnut (Castanea dentata). The goal of the CRAC program is to increase western Maryland citizens’ awareness and knowledge of native plants and the importance of their restoration by focusing on the American chestnut—a charismatic native species that once dominated our forests but has disappeared as a canopy tree because of a non-native fungal infection called the chestnut blight.
In this presentation, Engelhardt and Keller will discuss the ecological restoration of native species, using American chestnuts as an iconic example. At the end of the presentation, participants will be invited to sign up for our citizen science planting project (all citizen scientists must be over 18 years old, but children can participate by partnering with an adult). By signing up, participants will be invited to an American chestnut planting workshop this Spring (2013) at the Appalachian Laboratory where they can adopt 1-4 seedlings of native American chestnut to plant out on their own property. Participants will then monitor the growth and survival of their trees, share their data with other CRAC participants and scientists to facilitate the restoration of this important forest tree, and learn more about the ecology and restoration efforts being developed for American chestnuts through periodic CRAC newsletters.
Chestnut leaf, bark and fruit
Katia Engelhardt was introduced to ecology and field research as an undergraduate at Oregon State University when she tracked feral horses through the desert of NV and CA for two summers. At Utah State University, she studied Trumpeter and Tundra swans for her MS, and found her love for plant biodiversity during her PhD when she studied the effects of biodiversity loss on wetland ecosystem functioning. Her passion for biodiversity has only grown since coming to the Appalachian Lab in 2000. Ongoing research projects focus on the maintenance of biodiversity in tidal marshes, the importance of genetic diversity in restoration success, and the restoration of American chestnut.
Steve Keller was first captivated by the ecology of native and non-native plants as an undergraduate student at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA. He did his PhD research at the University of Virginia on how genetic diversity influences invasion success, focusing on species in the genus Silene (Caryophyllaceae) that were introduced to North America with European settlement. Since coming to the Appalachian Lab in August of 2011, he has been excited to start several new research projects focusing on the biology of native plants and their conservation under environmental change, including restoration of American chestnuts to western Maryland forests.
Directions: From I-68 take exit 33 (Braddock Rd & Midlothian Rd). Follow Braddock Rd ~ .2 miles to the entrance to the Appalachian Lab on the left side of the road (301 Braddock Road). There is plenty of parking in front of the building.
The flow of glazes, both earthy and crystalline, on Josh Brown’s pottery echoes the bold and ephemeral colors in Sue Arnson’s paintings. This visual experience awaits you at the current exhibit “Friends – Pots and Paintings” at The Gallery Shop in downtown Oakland.
Over the past 20 years, Josh and Sue have participated individually in numerous art shows and exhibits in Garrett and Allegany Counties, and beyond. This is their first joint exhibit.
Josh has been inspired to work with clay nearly his whole life. After high school, he explored the United States by hitchhiking to 49 of our 50 states. He then pursued an academic degree in ceramics at the University of Minnesota. His apprenticeship experience, which included living in a cold, drafty room attached to an old barn, taught him harsh realities about life as a working artist. He changed direction, earned a degree in electronic technology, and toiled in that field for a decade. Eventually, Josh left to travel in Central and South America and ultimately landed in Frostburg, Maryland, where he soon returned to his artistic love – pottery. Josh became a professional potter in 1991.
When working with stoneware clay, Josh throws unique functional pots for everyday use. He has also perfected the challenging process of creating porcelain pots encased in jewel-like crystalline glazes. Crystalline glazes are mesmerizing, often evoking an explosion of iridescent petals, shimmering clouds of snowflakes, or colorful, icy ‘Jack Frost’ patterns. When the technique is mastered, crystals form spontaneously in the molten glazes and grow as the pieces cool in the kiln.
In 1986, after a teaching career in the Montgomery County Public Schools, Sue Arnson and her husband, Alan, realized their dream of living full-time at their idyllic getaway property in Bittinger, Maryland. The following year, they converted their rustic barn into The Loft Shop, a venue for local artisans to display and sell their handcrafted work.
During a vacation trip to southern Mexico, an impromptu silk painting workshop kindled Sue’s desire learn more about watercolor design and techniques. Back at home, she took several watercolor painting workshops including a class with Garrett County artist Jim McNeil. Jim’s sage advice was, “If you want to become a painter, paint every day for 5 years.” Sue adopted that as her mantra -- and an artist was born!
The barns, rural landscapes, and natural beauty of Garrett County are a constant source of inspiration. Over the years, Sue has expanded her artistic expressions to include monotypes and collages.
In addition to being an award winning artist, Sue shares her artistic talents, as well as her skills as an educator, by teaching watercolor techniques to aspiring beginners and mentoring fellow artists. A passionate supporter of the arts in Garrett County, Sue has served on the Garrett County Arts Council (GCAC) Board of Directors for 15 years, including 4 years as president. She played an instrumental role in establishing The Gallery Shop and continues to serve in a leadership role, guiding its exhibits and events in support of local artists. Sue also serves on the Garrett Lakes Arts Festival (GLAF) Board of Directors, and is an active member of the Allegany Arts Council and the Western Maryland Watercolor Society. In 2009, the Arnsons were awarded the Friends of the Arts Award by GCAC for their “exemplary support” of the arts in Garrett County.
Sue and Josh’s exhibit “Friends – Pots and Paintings” will be on display and these works available for purchase through September 28th. The artistic duo will be honored at an open-to-the-public reception at The Gallery Shop, 206 E. Alder Street, Oakland, Saturday, August 25 from 5:00-7:00 PM. For more information, contact 301-334-6580.
The new Executive Director of the Savage River Watershed Association (SRWA), Kathy Bisko, will be introduced at the July 19 bi-monthly SRWA meeting to be held at 7 PM in the classroom of the Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg, MD. The public is welcome to attend.
Over the past 15 plus years Bisko has worked with a diverse group of communities, organizations, and businesses to help implement local programs and projects. These range from a green building initiative in rural Montana to the construction of a residential subdivision on a reclaimed brownfield site in suburban Philadelphia. Most recently she has been working as program director for a non-profit organization in Somerset County, Pennsylvania to implement community improvement projects based on locally priorities and long-terms goals.
In her new position as Executive Director of SRWA, Kathy looks forward to dedicating her skills and experience to help preserve and enhance this extraordinary natural area. According to Bisko, “Although there are sure to be many challenges along the way, the organization has an impressive record of accomplishments to build on—and I am excited about the potential to do even more good work on behalf of SRWA in the future”.
The SRWA is a group of local landowners and other citizens dedicated to preserving and enhancing the rural nature and natural resources of the Savage River watershed. Members assist interested landowners and public land managers with environmental stewardship efforts and educational outreach. Anyone who is concerned about the Savage River watershed is invited to join. For more information, persons may contact SRWA through email at SRWAdirector@gmail.com or by telephone at 301-689-7156. The SRWA is a non profit charitable organization. Donations may be sent to: Savage River Watershed Association, PO Box 355, Frostburg, MD 21532. For directions or further information, contact us at 301-689-7156.
