Conserving Chesapeake Forests

The top of two loaves of lemon pound cake drizzled with icing surrounded by sliced lemons.

Bake Up a Slice of Spring: Lemon Pound Cake with Redbud Flowers Recipe

This lemon pound cake with redbud flowers offers a local blend of flavors and a beautiful springtime aesthetic, making it a perfect treat to celebrate the season.

What’s Hoppin’? Phenological Fun

Is there any other sound that is more diagnostic of spring than the aptly named spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)?

A bucket of freshly cut live stakes sits in a bucket after being trimmed from a black willow.

What’s Poppin’? Phenological Fun: Shrub Willow

Shrub willows are notoriously challenging to identify, but provide numerous benefits to Chesapeake forests and streams!

A group of people in hard hats and orange vests planting large trees along a street.

Large Caliper Bare Root Tree Planting: A Game-Changer for Urban Green Spaces

Despite the challenges, large caliper bare root trees are a fast, cost-effective way to green up cities.

A plate of plain acorn jelly slices sitting on a plate resting on a table by a window.

What’s Poppin’? Phenological Fun: Acorn Jelly

Acorn jelly, although there is not much to say about it’s flavor, this gelatinous food has an interesting origin story.

The Puzzle of Extrafloral Nectaries

Do you know what extrafloral nectaries are? Learn about these essential plant parts found in over 100 plant families, including ferns.

an adult and a child plant a small tree in a field

Pass the Golden Shovel for this Year’s Tree Planting Relay

Join the Alliance as we host back-to-back tree plantings in a relay-style event to get thousands of trees in the ground in just one day!

Rhododendron leaves exhibiting thermonasty in a deciduous forest with snow on the ground.

What’s Poppin’? Phenological Fun: Rhododendron

You may have noticed on a particularly cold winter hike that rhododendron also seems to huddle up for warmth.

Thank You to Our 2024 Volunteers!

Our volunteers’ hard work has a lasting impact improving the ecosystem, health, and beauty of the watershed, and their time and dedication has made this effort a success. We could not have done it without them!

Two people smile while reading a book and holding a tree branch

“Tree Talk” Turns Six This Year!

Happy sixth birthday to our plant identification YouTube series, Tree Talk! It’s hard to believe so much time has passed since the series began, and we’re honored to have taught so many people about so many species!