Sunday, October 17, 2010 - Prettyboy Trail Hike (Dogs and older children are welcome) GB – Moderate.
6 miles along the shoreline and hillsides and through forests around Prettyboy Reservoir on the old Prettyboy Trail, walking a loop between George’s Creek and the trail’s start at Beckleysville Rd.  The trail is maintained by neighbors, Boy Scouts, and the GB Sierra Club in collaboration with the Prettyboy Watershed Alliance and Mountain Club.  Learn about this isolated trail and its wildlife and pristine drinking water for Baltimore.  The trail is cleared to varying degrees and has some hills and minor stream crossings.  Children under 18 must be able to hike this distance and be accompanied by a parent or other responsible adult.  Dogs must be friendly.  Meet at 10:00 AM at the Mt. Carmel Rd. Park and Ride just west off I-83 north of the Baltimore Beltway and past the Shawan Rd. exit.  For more information, contact Mary at 410-239-4590 (home), 443-386-0862 (cell), or email at XxDiTz4LyFxX@aol.com.

FALL FOR A TREE!  Homeowners can get $10 for every tree planted in their yards this fall through the Growing Home program.  The $10 Growing Home Tree Coupon and information about selecting, planting and caring for trees is available at www.growinghome.info  More than four-dozen area garden centers and nurseries are accepting the $10 coupon on trees with at least a $25 price tag.

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NOTICE: Reservoir Forest Management Study - This is a long-term cooperative research program being conducted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service (MD-DNR Forest Service) and the City of Baltimore (DPW).  The project is first being tested on a small scale in order to see if it will result in a healthy and increasingly diverse native forest.  The goal of the project is to create and maintain a healthy forest for long-term watershed protection through comprehensive, ecosystem-based management.  Six study sites, comprising a total area of 21 acres, were chosen at Liberty and Prettyboy Watersheds, by foresters from the MD-DNR Forest Service.  In each site, trees will be thinned in order to allow more light to reach the forest floor and stimulate new growth.  High quality, mature trees will be left in order to provide seed for repopulation.  In addition, invasive species will be treated to allow for native plant regeneration and eight-foot tall deer-proof fencing will be erected to prevent damage from grazing by white-tailed deer.  Data will be collected annually by City of Baltimore Reservoir Natural Resources Section staff to evaluate tree regeneration for the next three years.  The trees you may see being removed are only being removed for the purpose of the study.