Peter Sheggrud: Natural Resources Career Camp 2021 Student, Baltimore County Forestry Board

Peter Sheggrud, Baltimore County Forestry Board’s student, who attended the Natural Resources Career Camp in 2021

Earlier in October, Peter Sheggrud, who represented Baltimore County Forestry Board at the NRCC this year, attended our Board meeting to discuss his experiences during the week. They were quite positive. Of course, COVID-19 affected some of the traditional ways that the NRCC has been held in the past. Mrs. Sheggrud regretted that parents could not attend some of the workshops  due to COVID restrictions, but she understood the need.

Peter’s interests for now are to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services after college. He and his parents are exploring colleges and universities that can best help him reach his goals. His experiences at the camp were positive and exciting. When prompted by board members, his suggestions for camp experience improvement for students made sense and were well thought out. The Board not only enjoyed the discussion, we had a sense of pride for this young man and wish him great success.

View the 2021 brochure, a PDF document, at this link.

Fall Foliage Report from MD DNR

The Fall 2021 foliage report from the Maryland Department of Resources has come out! “The western parts of Maryland will see the first true signs of color beginning this week, although things are off to a slow start. With the recent rain fall color should ramp up soon and the show will begin.”

Fall foliage image for September 23, 2001 from MD DNR

Each week, the DNR will publish the transitions throughout the state at this link.

“This year for the first time, we welcome all of Maryland’s outdoor enthusiasts to send in photos capturing the beauty of the fall season. Please use the submission form to submit your entries directly to us. Your photo might be selected to appear in a future edition of the Fall Foliage Report!”

Feeding Backyard Birds

Image © Maryland Department of Natural Resources

This post about backyard birds provides a PDF link to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources about common feeder birds, which might be of interest to readers who like to watch wildlife friends attracted to their feeders.

In her article on “Feeding Wild Birds – Maryland’s Wild Acres,” Kerry Wixted from the Wildlife and Heritage Service tells us that

In Maryland, the most productive time to hang up bird feeders is November through April when natural foods aren’t as readily available. During breeding season, over 90% of our songbirds feed their young insects. So, while feeders may still be used by adults, birds really need insects which can be attracted by planting native species. 

Wixted also discusses the importance of keeping the feeders clean and removing empty seed shells to prevent rot that would sicken the birds.

Our board planned this new site to be informative and user friendly. We hope you’ll leave many comments for discussion and questions! –The Baltimore County Forestry Board