Introducing a New Book All About Serpentine at Soldiers Delight!
Soldiers Delight Conservation, Inc. is excited to introduce a new book all about the serpentine barrens at Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area in Owing Mills, Maryland. Read all about it here!
Soldiers Delight Conservation Year-end Wrap-up
Here's a look at how 2025 went for Soldiers Delight Conservation, Inc.!
STEAM Festival at Lyons Mill Elementary School!
On September 30, 2025, Soldiers Delight Conservation, Inc. was invited for the second time to have a display at Lyons Mill Elementary School's annual STEAM festival. We were overjoyed to be invited back. Here's how it went...
SDCI Delights Owings Mills Residents at National Night Out!
SDCI had a great evening at our tent on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, during the 2025 National Night Out event hosted by the Owings Mills New Town Community Association!
Hot on the Trail!
Is it hot enough for you? Sunny days on the serpentine barrens raise the temperature of the trail well beyond that of the air. Hiking at Soldiers Delight NEA is not recommended during periods of extreme heat. Heat related illness and dehydration can and have occurred. Pets without protected paws risk serious burns requiring evacuation on sensitive, protected ground.
In July and August, the air temperature might be 100ºF, but the surface of the trail can be far hotter, as you see in this photo of an infrared thermometer showing the surface temperature of our Serpentine Trail at 135ºF. This is because solid serpentine bedrock lies just beneath a shallow surface of soil. Please recreate responsibly in this rare ecosystem and visit on cooler, cloudy days or early in the morning after sunrise. Make certain your pets are kept on a very short leash and that their paws are protected. Be sure you and your pets are well-hydrated at all times!
Fireworks Danger!
There has been an alarming amount of fireworks debris found at the Soldiers Delight Overlook in recent days. We implore you not to set off fireworks anywhere near Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area. Not only do the spent explosives introduce foreign elements to our sensitive habitat, but an uncontrolled wildfire would be devastating to our fragile ecosystem, and terrifying and dangerous for adjacent homeowners. Please, please, no fireworks in or near Soldiers Delight NEA!
Introducing... Chromite Man!
Come see what's new at the Soldiers Delight Visitor Center and take your picture with Chromite Man!
