Adkins Arboretum to Launch The Diversity Around Us with the Maryland Biodiversity Project

On Thurs., April 4 at 1 p.m., Adkins Arboretum will launch The Diversity Around Us, a series of free talks and walks offered in partnership with the Maryland Biodiversity Project. Jim Brighton, co-founder of the Maryland Biodiversity Project, will introduce the series and provide insight into his project’s efforts to catalog Maryland’s living things and build a vibrant nature study community. Understanding biodiversity is the first step toward conserving wild species, habitats and a healthy ecosystem.

Over several months, The Diversity Around Us will bring experts and citizen scientists together to learn about and observe the plants, animals and fungi of Maryland’s Coastal Plain. The general public is invited to participate in some or all of the series. Lecture topics include birds, plants, reptiles, amphibians, insects, fungi and lichen of the Coastal Plains. INaturalist Walks, led by experts, will build on the information presented in the lectures and take place on third Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m. from April through October.

The Diversity Around Us will culminate in a Community Bioblitz at the Arboretum in early September. Experts will be on hand to help identify and confirm sightings. Data gathered will contribute to a comprehensive list of species at the Arboretum and be added to the Maryland Biodiversity Project website.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and plant preserve that strives to be a model for land stewardship. Biodiversity is an integral indicator of healthy and resilient landscapes. Through its Diversity Around Us series, the Arboretum will create a more complete picture of the biodiversity of Maryland’s Coast Plain and empower community members to contribute to resilient, biodiverse ecosystems.

For more information and to register for the series, visit adkinsarboretum.org.