Community Corner

MLK Day Events + 3 Upcoming Hikes In MD

Martin Luther King Jr. Day will bring events and volunteer opportunities to Maryland. Three scenic hikes are also coming up.

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The National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways and Chesapeake Conservancy suggested attending a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is pictured above in Washington, D.C.
The National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways and Chesapeake Conservancy suggested attending a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is pictured above in Washington, D.C. (Kaylah Sambo/Patch)

MARYLAND — Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on Monday. The national holiday will bring free park entrance, events and volunteering opportunities to Maryland. Three hikes, a Chesapeake Bay talk, a fire-making class and seed swaps are also approaching.

Patch recently partnered with several local organizations to bring you their latest news. This guest contribution comes from National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways and Chesapeake Conservancy. Here's what Jody Hedeman Couser submitted to help you explore the Chesapeake Bay:

"MLK Birthday: Day of Service and Fee Free Day

In honor of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., national parks will waive entrance fees for everyone on Monday, January 16, 2023, as the first fee free day of the year. It is also a day of service when thousands of volunteers participate in service projects across the country. In the District you can join the Student Conservation Association to clean up Anacostia Park in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day or help the National Capital Region Invasive Plant Management Team with non-native plant removal. In Maryland you can help clean up the shoreline at Fort Foote Park in Fort Washington. You can also pay tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy and life-long struggle for freedom, equality, and justice at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC."

Find out what's happening in Annapolisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

"MLK Weekend at the B&O

In celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the B&O Railroad Museum’s new exhibit, The Underground Railroad: Freedom Seekers on the B&O Railroad, the museum is hosting special programming. Weekend programs include a performance by the historic Union Baptist Church’s choir, train rides, educational activities in the Roundhouse for kids and the From Slavery to Civil Rights tour. All programming is included with admission, except the tickets for the train rides. Jan. 15-16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore, MD. More information"

"Kent Island Hike

How about a nice, flat winter island hike with a beautiful sandy beach? This Sierra Club-organized hike starts with an unpaved three-mile loop around the Terrapin Nature Park, with beach, marshlands, and expansive views of the Chesapeake Bay. The out-and-back that follows along Kent Island's Cross Island Trail is about 3.5 miles, but you can turn around at any point. Jan. 14, 9:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.; Terrapin Nature Park, Stevensville, MD. More information and registration"

Find out what's happening in Annapolisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

"Billy Goat Trail Hike

The Billy Goat Trail on the Potomac, Maryland section of the C&O Canal is an incredible winter hike, where the Potomac is at its wild and white water finest. Join the Sierra Club for a moderately-paced, 11-mile hike on the Billy Goat Trail Section C. This hike involves some rock scrambling and rough sections of trail, with a stop by the Waterfalls Overlook. Jan. 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; C&O Canal National Historic Park, Potomac, MD. More information and registration"

"Winter Weed Walk

In the winter many plants are still visible as dried stalks and seed clusters. The setting for this Nature Forward/Woodend Sanctuary introduction to winter weed and wildflower identification will be the woods and wetlands of McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area. You’ll also explore seed dispersal strategies and examine plant skeletons for signs of summer insect activity. Members $33; nonmembers $46. Jan. 15, 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area, Poolesville, MD. More information and registration"

"Winter Lecture: Wreck of Schooner Levin J. Marvel

As part of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s Winter Speaker Program, author Kathy Bergren Smith will recount the story of the most-deadly shipwreck on the Chesapeake, as well as the courtroom and legislative fall-out from the event, pulling together illustrations from newspapers, a recovered diary, and the photos of A. Aubrey Bodine. Suggested ticket price $8. Jan. 12, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, St. Michaels, MD. More information and registration"

"Playing with Fire for Women

Learn the art of fire building at this fun Irvine Nature Center workshop for adults and teens 14+. Discover where to find dry wood and tinder even in winter and how to build and start a fire with various substances like ferro rods or everyday fire-starting materials from lip balm to hand sanitizer. This is an event for women and any individuals who identify as trans, gender-neutral or non-binary. $15 per person. Jan. 15, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Irvine Nature Center, Owings Mills, MD More info and registration"

"Let's Share Seeds

January 28 is National Seed Swap Day. Seeds have been saved and shared since the dawn of cultivating food. The practice is valued by farmers and gardeners around the world for centuries and is gaining traction locally. Seed exchanges are a great way to reduce seed waste and save money while at the same time adding new varieties of ornamentals, vegetables, fruits and herbs to your garden. A seed swap will be held at the Howard County Library on January 21. The Irvine Nature Center in Owings Mills will hold a seed exchange on January 29. Here's a seed swap in Stafford, VA. More seed swap events"

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