Soldiers Delight Conservation Year-end Wrap-up
Soldiers Delight Conservation Inc. (SDCI) had a great 2025! In April, our group celebrated as Maryland Governor Wes Moore officially designated chromite Maryland’s official sate mineral, an effort launched by 9-year-old David Shore in 2017 that culminated in the law’s passage nine years later. You can read all about SDCI's efforts on David Shore's behalf here.
In August, SDCI was invited, for the 12th year in a row, to host an outreach display at the Owings Mills New Town’s Community Association’s National Night Out event. Read all about our outreach to residents about the wonderful vistas and history that Soldiers Delight has to offer here.
In September, SDCI’s booth was one of the most popular displays at Lyons Mill Elementary School’s annual STEAM event. We had so much fun teaching students and parents all about the plants and animal life at Soldiers Delight!
Of particular note this year was the publication of All About Serpentine at Soldiers Delight, a scientific work on the origin, geology, landscape history, ecology, restoration, and stewardship of Soldiers Delight by SDCI's own R. Wayne Tyndall, Ph.D., who retired as the state's restoration ecologist for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. SDCI is proud to offer the book for sale at the Soldiers Delight Visitor Center or by filling out the contact form on our website.
Soldiers Delight Conservation, Inc. (SDCI) is an all-volunteer, nonprofit group, formed in 1959, whose mission is to educate the public about Soldiers Delight and to conserve and restore its rare and endangered ecosystem for future generations. We serve as the “Friends” group for the Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area in Owings Mills, Maryland, the most significant biodiversity site on any of Maryland’s state lands: it provides habitat for more than 30 rare plant and animal species, including several that occur nowhere else in Maryland.
As a group dedicated to preserving and conserving this unique habitat, SDCI meets regularly to strategize ways to improve opportunities for Soldiers Delight’s rare and endangered species to thrive. Our donors, sponsors and concession sales are an integral part of our continued success in carrying out our mission and helping the Soldiers Delight habitat thrive. This year we received notable donations from the following generous donors:
Donna Shoemaker in memory of Jack Wennerstrom
Wachs Family Giving Fund
Owings Mills New Town Community Association
The Lyons Mill Elementary School Explorers PTA
The Eric Furst family in Ellicott City
To these and other donors to Soldiers Delight Conservation, Inc., your generosity in 2025 has been the cornerstone of Soldier Delight Conservation, Inc.’s efforts to preserve and protect one of Maryland’s most unique ecosystems. Your donations have empowered us to continue vital conservation projects, safeguard endangered habitats, and educate future generations about the importance of environmental stewardship.
Thanks to your support, we've made meaningful progress in restoring native grasslands, protecting rare flora and fauna, and ensuring that the beauty of Soldiers Delight remains for years to come. Your commitment to this cause inspires us daily, and we are profoundly grateful for your partnership in this critical mission.
Would you like to make a year-end, tax-deductible donation to help the Soldiers Delight habitat thrive? Please contribute here in any amount. Together, we are making a lasting difference. Thank you, and please consider volunteering with us!
Image: Pictured in front in period garb at the 2025 OMNTCA National Night Out event are mining historian Johnny Johnsson and his wife Dawn, dressed as the son and daughter-in-law of Isaac Tyson, who owned and operated the nation’s first chromium mine in the 1830s, which was located at Soldiers Delight. In the back row from left to right are volunteer Melissa Caudill, SDCI President Laura Van Scoyoc, volunteer Ben Giraldo, Master Naturalist Natalie Snyder, Wildlife & Heritage Service (WH&S) outreach specialist Edwin Guevara, and SDCI Vice President Lynell Tobler.
