Conservation & Nature Study
Interested in the birds which make Soldiers Delight their home? Want to know what butterflies and other insects you might see on the savannah? Do beautiful wildflowers strike your fancy? Explore the articles on this page to learn about the fascinating and diverse flora and fauna which inhabit the serpentine barrens.
All About Bees
At the August 2014 meeting of the directors of SDCI, board members were treated to a lively presentation of all things “bees” by one of our favorite biologists from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Natural Heritage Program, Paula Becker.
Butterflies of Soldiers Delight NEA
Richard (Dick) Smith of Columbia, Maryland, has spent his spare time tracking butterfly species throughout Maryland since the late 1960s, and he has more recently conducted butterfly surveys for the Maryland and Delaware Natural Heritage Programs and for the National Park Service. He presents a slide program on barrens butterflies and leads butterfly hikes at Soldiers Delight every year in early May and again in early September. Read what Dr. Smith has to say about butterfly viewing at Soldiers Delight.
The best time to see butterflies at Soldiers Delight
Want to know the best days for viewing your favorite species of butterfly? Take a look at this list for when various species of butterflies are flitting about in Soldiers Delight.
Seasons of Birding at Soldiers Delight
Keith Eric Costley is a Field Trip Leader for the Baltimore Bird Club and has been birding at Soldiers Delight for sixteen years. As a field volunteer working on the Maryland/DC Breeding Bird Atlas Project for the Maryland Ornithological Society, he documented the breeding status of the species found at Soldiers Delight and adjacent areas of Baltimore County (2002-2006). Read what Keith has to say about the birds which inhabit and visit Soldiers Delight.
Serpentine Grassland and Oak Savanna Ecosystem Restoration
Due ultimately to the absence of Native Americans and lightning fires, Virginia pine and other invasive vegetation began to spread into the Soldiers Delight barrens through the 1930s. These unwelcome vines and trees had overtaken most of the NEA when restoration activities began in the late 1980s. Read how we've fought back!
