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!
Bat Study at Soldiers Delight!
Soldiers Delight Conservation, Inc. was thrilled to have researcher and university student Sadie Rozics give a presentation at our January board meeting on a study of bat populations at Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area, which she conducted over the summer of 2025. Sadie's research project, Baseline Assessment of Bat Occupancy and Foraging Activity Across Habitat Types in Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area, Maryland, was conducted to fulfill requirements for her BS in animal behavior, which she will receive in the summer of 2026 from the School of Biological Sciences at Aberdeen University in Scotland.
A native of Baltimore County, Sadie was motivated to conduct a bat study at SDNEA as her undergraduate thesis project because she wanted to collaborate with an organization in her home state of Maryland so that her work could be mutually beneficial to the county and state she calls home. It was her way of giving back to the community where she grew up and furthering scientific study at the same time.
Sadie's goals for her project were threefold: to promote understanding of how bats currently use SDNEA to help inform future conservation management decisions at Soldiers Delight, to create a baseline ecological indicator of bat ecosystem health and habitat quality, and as a baseline for future studies to determine how Maryland bat populations fare as they face threats from white nose syndrome and habitat loss. She collaborated with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife & Heritage Program to use non-invasive ultrasonic detectors to acoustically monitor bat types and quantities, placing four of them in strategically-varied positions throughout the Soldiers Delight habitat.
To Sadie's delight, the monitors detected a range of bat species across Soldiers Delight’s meadow, pond, and riparian woodland habitats. Her analysis of the bat echolocation activity recorded by the acoustic monitors revealed that these habitats are essential for conservation. The big brown bat and eastern red bat were the most frequently detected species. A variety of less common species were also heard, which Sadie said is a great indicator of local biodiversity.
A synopsis of Sadie's project was published October 21, 2025, on the Maryland DNR website. Her research shows that Soldiers Delight plays an important role for bats in central Maryland and opens the door for future research on how less common species utilize the area. Her presentation to the SDCI board of directors in January was fascinating and enlightening. Bats have never been studied at Soldiers Delight before and their relationship to serpentine ecosystems is poorly understood, so this was important research on many levels, for both bats and for Soldiers Delight.
Non-native Invasive Plants Finally to be Illegal to Sell in Maryland!
SDCI is excited to share the welcome news that many non-native, invasive plants widely used in landscaping and available at big box stores everywhere will soon become illegal to sell in the state of Maryland. So many of the invasive shrubs and trees slated to become illegal to sell are plants that routinely threaten our rare and endangered native flora at Soldiers Delight Environmental Area. Read all about the new law and what plants it includes here.
Make Your Voice Heard!
Baltimore County voters will decide whether to strengthen protection of the county’s rural areas in 2026, as the County Council has agreed to put on the November 2026 ballot a question of whether to make it more difficult to move the county’s Urban-Rural Demarcation Line, known as the URDL. Soldiers Delight Conservation, Inc. believes it is important to vote in favor of this legislation, as it is of critical importance to protect the county’s water supply, farmland and natural spaces, including land surrounding the Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area in Owings Mills.
Soldiers Delight Conservation Year-end Wrap-up
Here's a look at how 2025 went for Soldiers Delight Conservation, Inc.!
Geology Talk at Holbrook Community Association in Randallstown
On October 6, 2025, Laura Van Scoyoc, president of Soldiers Delight Conservation, Inc., was invited by the Holbrook Community Association to attend their monthly meeting at the Wards Chapel Methodist Church in Randallstown to give a talk on the geology of chromite at SDNEA. Laura was happy to oblige, and took with her a slide show she prepared and talking points she developed from discussions with our resident mining historian, Johnny Johnsson, and our resident expert on Soldiers Delight serpentine geology, ecologist R. Wayne Tyndall. Laura also took several copies of Dr. Tyndall's new book, All About Serpentine at Soldiers Delight, along with several booklets promoting native pollinators in the home garden, some native milkweed seed packets, and some living invasive plants to teach listeners how detrimental to various ecosystems planting non-native landscaping can be.
The group of about 20 residents was enthusiastic and receptive to the information and Laura's messaging, and at least one person bought a copy of Wayne’s book. Several took home pollinator booklets and native seed packets.
We are happy to speak at your group's next function for a modest donation to be mutually agreed upon beforehand. Fill out our website contact form and tell us what Soldiers Delight-related topic you'd like to hear about!
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...
