I moved to Maryland in February for my first job after finishing graduate school in Alabama. It was already a big change before COVID shut everything down. In mid-August, I was up late scrolling on Facebook when I saw a post about the NHSM fossil raffle. I started looking into the NHSM page where I learned about the photo safari/scavenger hunt! I have enjoyed nature photography for a long time and figured this would be a fun way to explore my new home, so I signed up that night (after purchasing some raffle tickets).
Every weekend turned into a mini road trip to check out new parts of the state, starting in the west with Hoye Crest and ending in the east at the Atlantic Ocean. My favorite photography subjects have always been plants, so I started taking more time to investigate the different plants I passed when traversing local trails and even while at work. I also enjoyed the challenge of some of the state symbols. It was pure luck that I caught a small striped bass on a last-minute head boat fishing trip Labor Day weekend. As a geologist, I appreciated the opportunity learn about where to find all the rock types and figure out the best place to look for Ecphora, which I was super excited to find at Matoaka Beach! My white whale is still the Baltimore Oriole, which I did see but couldn’t capture on film before they left the area and migrated south, but I’ll definitely keep my binoculars peeled in the spring!
In the end, I had a lot of fun and I can’t wait for more events and activities with the Natural History Society of Maryland!
