Field Trip Schedule 2022

Please note: we will add the 2023 Field Trip Schedule to the website in February.

This was the Field Trip Schedule for the 2022 Convention.

Online field trip sign-ups were open from April 1st to May 16th, 2022.

For a list of 2022 field trip descriptions, please click here.

For the 2022 Field Trip Leader bios, please click here.

Field trip leaders met participants in the designated parking area, where they departed as a group and caravanned to the field trip site.

All Friday afternoon field trips returned by 5:00 or 5:30 pm for dinner. All Saturday afternoon and all-day field trips returned by 4:00 pm for evening programs and dinner. All Saturday and Sunday morning trips returned by 11:30 am for lunch. Depending on the meal plan selected, a boxed lunch was provided for all-day field trips.

Please review these field trip suggestions:

  • Carpooling is expected and expedient. Please help out drivers with a contribution towards the cost of gas.
  • Some venues have a nominal fee per vehicle. Please be prepared to contribute to this cost.
  • Be sure to have appropriate field gear: sturdy, waterproof boots and jacket, sunscreen, insect repellent and a good supply of water. 
  • Please do not wander off the road except on public lands.

Friday, May 20 AFTERNOON FIELD TRIPS (1:00 pm – 5:00 pm)

Departing at 1:00 pm:

  • Point Lookout State Park, sponsored by Maven, with Phin Rouland. Cost: $3/vehicle on Friday. Driving time: ~45 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot A. Meeting Location: Phin Rouland will meet you at Point Lookout State Park, 10444 Point Lookout Road, Scotland, MD 20687. Meet at the picnic area parking lots near the point, immediately before the ponds at the point. 
  • Maxwell Hall Park, sponsored by Zeiss, with Gwen Brewer. Cost: Free. Driving time: ~35 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot B. Meeting Location: Gwen Brewer will meet you in Parking Lot B.
  • Battle Creek Cypress Swamp, sponsored by the Toler Financial Group, with Nick Nicholson and Steve Sheffield. Cost: Free, thanks to MOS permit. Driving time: ~25 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot C. Meeting Location: Nick Nicholson and Steve Sheffield will meet you in Parking Lot C before driving to 2880 Grays Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678.PLEASE NOTE: You should not just select “Battle Creek Cypress Swamp” in your GPS or map app. This will take you down a dirt road to the most northern part of the swamp and you will not have any access to the building and will be surrounded by private property.
  • Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum with Tyler Bell. Cost: Free. Driving time: ~20 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot D. Meeting Location: Tyler Bell will meet you at Jefferson Patterson Park and Musuem. Drive to 10515 Mackall Road, St Leonard, MD 20685. Meet Tyler in the upper part of the parking lot near the museum/visitor center. Click here for a Google Map, and click here for the driving route (thanks to Tyler Bell!).

Departing at 1:15 pm:

  • American Chestnut Land Trust (ACLT) – South Side, sponsored by Tractor Supply Co., with Sue Hamilton. Cost: Free. Driving time: ~20 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot A. Meeting Location: Sue Hamilton will meet you at the ACLT South Side Trailhead at 1985 Scientists Cliffs Road, Port Republic, MD 20676. The parking lot is opposite the entrance to Scientists’ Cliffs, Gate A. For a driving route, you can also use these GPS coordinates: (38.51274, -76.51807).
  • Flag Ponds Nature Park, sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited, with Russ Kovach. Cost: Free, thanks to MOS permit. Driving time: ~15 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot B. Meeting Location: Russ Kovach will meet you in Parking Lot B.
  • Myrtle Point Waterfront Park, sponsored by Celestron, with Cheryl Hogue. Cost: Free on Friday. Driving time: ~15 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot C. Meeting Location: Cheryl Hogue will meet you in Parking Lot C. The group will then drive to 24050 Patuxent Boulevard, California, Maryland 20619. For the specific parking area at Myrtle Point Waterfront Park, please use these GPS coordinates: (38.32988, -76.49674).

Friday, May 20 EVENING FIELD TRIP (immediately following keynote address – 10:30 pm)

Departing immediately following the Keynote Address:

  • Owl Prowl at Flag Ponds Nature Park with Mike Callahan. Cost: Free, thanks to MOS permit. Driving time: ~15 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot A. Meeting Location: Mike Callahan will meet you in the parking lot at Flag Ponds Nature Park, 1525 Flag Ponds Parkway, Lusby, MD 20678.

Saturday, May 21 ALL-DAY FIELD TRIPS (6:00 am – 4:00 pm)

Departing at 6:00 am:

  • Patuxent River Park/Jug Bay Natural Area, sponsored by The Mill, with Matt Felperin. Cost: $12/person. Driving time: ~one hour. Departing from: Parking Lot A. Meeting Location: Robin Todd, MOS Past-President, will meet you in Parking Lot A and lead the caravan. The group will meet Matt Felperin at Jacksons Landing at Patuxent River Park. There is not a reliable street address to use for Jacksons Landing, so please use these GPS coordinates: (38.7735783, -76.7111912).
  • Charles County Highlights Tour, including Mallow’s Bay, Friendship Farm Park and Allen’s Fresh, with Gwen Brewer. Cost: Free. Driving time: ~one hour and 10 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot B. Meeting Location: You will meet Gwen Brewer at the Mallows Bay boat ramp parking lot, located at 1440 Wilson Landing Road, Nanjemoy, MD 20662. There is not a reliable street address to use for the specific meeting location at the Mallows Bay boat ramp parking lot, so please use these GPS coordinates: (38.468616, -77.262680).

Departing at 6:15 am:

  • Chesapeake Beach and North Beach with Lisa Bierer-Garrett and Alex Koch. Cost: Free. Driving time: ~one hour. Departing from: Parking Lot D. Meeting Location: Alex Koch will meet you in Parking Lot D. Lisa Bierer-Garrett will meet you at your first stop in Chesapeake Beach.

Saturday, May 21 MORNING FIELD TRIPS (6:00 am – 11:00 am)

Departing at 6:00 am:

  • Point Lookout State Park with Kevin Graff and John McKitterick. Cost: $5/vehicle Saturday-Sunday. Driving time: ~45 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot C. Meeting Location: Kevin Graff and John McKitterick will meet you in Parking Lot C.

Departing at 6:30 am:

  • St. Mary’s River State Park with Ben Springer and Phin Rouland. Cost: $3/vehicle. Driving time: ~30 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot A. Meeting Location: Meet Ben Springer and Phin Rouland in the parking lot at 21250 Camp Cosoma Road, Callaway, Maryland 20620.

Departing at 7:00 am:

  • Gatewood Preserve with Meg Harris, followed by 9:00 am program at Battle Creek Cypress Swamp with Gene Groshon. Gene has been banding Prothonotary Warblers in this location for several years. Gene’s program begins at 9:00 am and ends at 10:30 am. Cost: Free, thanks to MOS permit. Driving time: ~25 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot A. Meeting Location: Meg Harris will meet you in Parking Lot A. Gene Groshon will meet you at Battle Creek Cypress Swamp. For Gatewood Preserve, drive to 2800 Grays Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678. For Battle Creek Cypress Swamp, drive to 2880 Grays Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678. Meet in front of the Nature Center. PLEASE NOTE: You should not just select “Battle Creek Cypress Swamp” in your GPS or map app. This will take you down a dirt road to the most northern part of the swamp and you will not have any access to the building and will be surrounded by private property.

Departing at 7:15 am:

  • Flag Ponds Nature Park with Steve Sheffield. Cost: Free, thanks to MOS permit. Driving time: ~15 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot B. Meeting Location: Steve Sheffield will meet you in Parking Lot B.

Departing at 8:00 am:

  • Calvert Marine Museum Walking Tour and Boat Cruise, sponsored by Megan Massa, with Cheryl Hogue, Kari McPartland and Russ Kovach. Cost: $10/person. Driving time: this walking tour departs from the Solomons Inn. Departing from: Cheryl Hogue, Kari McPartland and Russ Kovach will meet you in. Parking Lot A. From there, the group will walk to nearby birding sites and the Calvert Marine Museum.

Saturday, May 21 AFTERNOON FIELD TRIPS & SEMINARS (12:30 pm – 4:00 pm)

Departing at 12:30 pm:

  • Flag Ponds Nature Park with Nick Nicholson. Cost: Free, thanks to MOS permit. Driving time: ~15 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot A. Meeting Location: Nick Nicholson will meet you in Parking Lot A.
  • Calvert Cliffs State Park, sponsored by Kaytee, with Russ Kovach. Cost: $5/vehicle. Driving time: this walking tour departs from the Solomons Inn. Driving time: ~15 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot B. Meeting Location: Russ Kovach will meet you in Parking Lot B.

Departing at 12:45 pm:

  • Warrior’s Rest, Calvert Cliffs at Parker’s Creek Fossil Walk with Stephen Godfrey and David Bohaska. Cost: Free. Driving time: ~20 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot A. Meeting Location: Stephen Godfrey will meet you in Parking Lot A. PLEASE NOTE: Participants will have to sign a Release from Liability form provided by Dr. Godfrey.

Seminars in the Patuxent Ballroom at Solomons Inn

  • 1:00 pm – Audio Recordings of Flight Calls with Andy Wilson, Associate Professor for Environmental Studies, Gettysburg College
  • 2:30 pm – Tiny Travelers: Saw-whet Owls of Maryland with Melissa Boyle Acuti, Citizen Science Program Volunteer, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and Chief of Interpretation, Maryland Park Service

Saturday, May 21 EVENING FIELD TRIP (immediately following keynote address – 10:30 pm)

Departing immediately following the Keynote Address:

Sunday, May 22 MORNING FIELD TRIPS (6:00 am – 11:00 am)

Departing at 6:00 am:

  • Point Lookout State Park with Kevin Graff and Alex Koch. Cost: $5/vehicle Saturday-Sunday. Driving time: ~45 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot A. Meeting Location: Kevin Graff and Alex Koch will meet you in Parking Lot A.

Departing at 6:15 am:

  • American Chestnut Land Trust – North Side, sponsored by Big Pockets, with Judy Ferris. Cost: Free. Driving time: ~35 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot B. Meeting Location: Judy Ferris will meet you at the McDonald’s in Prince Frederick, located at 515 Solomons Island Road N, Prince Frederick, MD 20678. From there, the group will drive a few miles to the first birding site at the American Chestnut Land Trust.

Departing at 6:30 am:

  • Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum with Tyler Bell. Cost: Free. Driving time: ~20 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot A. Meeting Location: Tyler Bell will meet you at Jefferson Patterson Park and Musuem. Drive to 10515 Mackall Road, St Leonard, MD 20685. Meet Tyler in the upper part of the parking lot near the museum/visitor center. Click here for a Google Map, and click here for the driving route (thanks to Tyler Bell!).

Departing at 7:00 am:

  • Gilbert Run Park with Tiffany Farrell and Lynne Wheeler. Cost: $5/vehicle Saturday-Sunday. Driving time: ~35 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot A. Meeting Location: Tiffany Farrell and Lynne Wheeler will meet you at Gilbert Run Park. Drive to 13140 Charles St, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622. Meet Tiffany and Lynne at the first parking lot on the right after entering the park, immediately after the toll booth.
  • Newtowne Neck State Park with Bob Boxwell. Cost: Free. Driving time: ~30 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot B. Meeting Location: Bob Boxwell will meet you at Newtowne Neck State Park, 21156 Newtowne Neck Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Heading north out of Leonardtown on Route 5, take a left at the light for Newtowne Neck Road.  Follow to the entrance of the park. Meet Bob at the parking lot and kayak launch overlooking the creek on the left.
  • Historic Sotterley/Greenwell State Park with David Moulton. Cost: $3/vehicle for Greenwell State Park. Driving time: ~20 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot C. Meeting Location: Meet David Moulton at 7:30 AM at the visitor center parking lot of Historic Sotterley, located at 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD 20636. Directions: cross bridge to St. Mary’s County, turn right on Rte. 235, turn right on Rte. 245, turn right on Sotterley Lane to parking lot. PLEASE NOTE: Historic Sotterley has waived its fees for this MOS field trip.

Departing at 7:15 am:

  • Maxwell Hall Park, with Mikey Lutmerding. Cost: Free. Driving time: ~35 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot A. Meeting Location: Mikey Lutmerding will meet the group at Maxwell Hall Park, in the parking lot near the Equestrian Area. There is not a reliable street address to use for this location, so please use these GPS coordinates: (38.5289832, -76.6982838).
  • St. Mary’s River State Park with Steve Sheffield. Cost: $3/vehicle. Driving time: ~30 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot B. Meeting Location: Meet Steve Sheffield in Parking Lot B and drive to 21250 Camp Cosoma Road, Callaway, Maryland 20620.
  • Calvert Cliffs State Park with Russ Kovach and Kari McPartland. Cost: $5/vehicle. Driving time: ~15 minutes. Departing from: Parking Lot C. Meeting Location: Meet Russ Kovach and Kari McPartland in Parking Lot C.