“Going to the woods is going home.”

- John Muir

There are many ways to experience the wonders of our forests and trees, especially through active and passive forest-based recreation. Take a walk or hike along trails; breathe the fresh air. Observe the changing seasons in the woods; listen to and watch forest-dwelling birds and other wildlife. Camp, hunt, and fish where permitted. Photograph or sketch the scenery. Challenge your tree identification knowledge. Enjoy a moment of solitude and contemplate your surroundings.

To experience forests and trees is to love them, and to love forests and trees is to protect them. Here are eight great ways to experience our forests and trees in Baltimore County:

Experience Baltimore County’s Forested Parks

Visit the County’s expansive forest-based recreation areas, including Oregon Ridge Park and Marshy Point Parks. Find information here about recreational opportunities at Baltimore County’s outdoor parks managed by the Department of Recreation and Parks.

Experience Maryland State Parks, Wildlife Management Areas, and Natural Environment Areas

Visit forest-based recreational facilities of the State of Maryland located in Baltimore County, including the Gunpowder Falls State Park, Patapsco Valley State Park, Gwynnbrook Wildlife Management Area, and Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area.

Enjoy recreational opportunities located in Baltimore City's Reservoirs and Baltimore County reservoirs that include Prettyboy Reservoir and Liberty Reservoir.

Look for films, paintings, photography, and books and poetry about forests and trees in libraries, book stores, and galleries and museums.

Experience Foods from the Forest

With careful identification, try adding a few new tastes to your diet: some edible fruits, nuts, roots, and seeds found in the forest. Some books on this subject include Bradford Algier’s Free for the Eating (1966) and other titles and Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier’s Edible Forest Gardens, 2 volumes (2005). Several useful web resources are also available.

Experience the Pride of Craftsmanship

Make something useful or beautiful out of wood or paper. Build shelves, picture frames, or a table from non-tropical woods, or make a drinking cup from folding a sheet of paper using simple Origami techniques. Save money by building projects for your home and garden such as a storage shed, a picnic table, compost bin, fence, or a classic Adirondack chair. Experience the joy of giving a toddler a durable hand-made toy gift such as a pull-along duck.

Visit one of the historic wooden log buildings or covered bridges, built long ago from trees cut from a pre-colonial forest that once thrived throughout central Maryland.

Experience Your Own Trees

Get to know the trees in your yard. Look up to view the forest tree canopy. Estimate how much blue sky is visible between the trees. Look down and around to see the forest understory. Count how many young tree seedlings you can see. Measure your trees and their growth over time.

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Revised October 17, 2007