By Michael Schneider, Baltimore County Recreation & Parks

Welcome to the dog days of summer, when the dog star Sirius rises with the sun. Tap in to the outdoors with a shooting stars campfire, dragonflies, crabby canoe trips, mud day, and a cool pickle party at Baltimore County’s parks and nature centers.

Every day is a “dog day” in Baltimore County with our five dog parks. These member parks are sure to keep your pooch social, happy and well exercised:  Paw Point at Lake Roland; BARC Dog Park at Hannah More; Perry Paw Dog Park at Honeygo Regional Park; Saint Helena’s Dog Park in Dundalk and The Dog Park at Southwest Area Park in Baltimore Highlands.

Check out our Baltimore County Recreation and Parks Summer Listing of Fun Stuff to Do! Here are some August highlights:

Wednesday, August 1

Natural World of Art: Mini Summer Flower Banner (registration required)    Holt Park and Center for the Arts

Preschool Program    Holt Park and Center for the Arts

Thursday, August 2

Shoots and Letters: Chesapeake Bay    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Friday, August 3

Creative Clay: Free Choice (registration required – class concludes on Wednesday, August 17)    Holt Park and Center for the Arts

Friday Strolls    Lake Roland

Bookworm Story Time    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Saturday, August 4

Hereford Jr. Farm Fair    Baltimore County Center for Maryland Agriculture and Farm Park

Foraging At Banneker’s Homestead (registration required)   Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum

Get Ready for the Perseids! (registration required)   Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum

Kids in Gardens   Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum

Discovering Dragonflies (registration required)   Cromwell Valley Park

Yoga in the Park    Lake Roland

Acorn Hill Nature Drop-In    Lake Roland

Leaping Lizards (registration required)    Marshy Point Nature Center

Tubing on the Little Falls (registration required)  Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Sunday, August 5

Late Summer Wildflowers    Cromwell Valley Park

Tracks and Scat (registration required)    Marshy Point Nature Center

Tubing on the Little Falls (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Wednesday, August 8

Natural World of Art: Everlasting Sand Sculpture (registration required)    Holt Park and Center for the Arts

Thursday, August 9

Shoots and Letters: Native Americans    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Friday, August 10

Friday Stroll    Lake Roland

Shooting Stars Campfire (registration required)    Lake Roland

Campfire and Owl Prowl (registration required)    Marshy Point Nature Center

Morning Bird Walk (registration appreciated)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Saturday, August 11

Basket Making: Cat’s Head Basket (registration required)    Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum

Mud and Fire – Part II (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park

Acorn Hill Nature Center Drop-In    Lake Roland

Fishing the Dock (registration required)    Marshy Point Nature Center

Backyard Butterflies (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Sunday, August 12

Go Wild for a Native! (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park

Sunday Birdwalk    Marshy Point Nature Center

Backyard Butterflies (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Tuesday, August 14

KinderGarden Club (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Wednesday, August 15

Preserving the Harvest: Salsa! (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park

Natural World of Art: Native American Dice Game (registration required)    Holt Park and Center for the Arts

Thursday, August 16

Shoots and Letters: Nature Scavenger Hunt    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Friday, August 17

Friday Stroll    Lake Roland

Saturday, August 18

What’s Cookin’, Mr. Banneker?   Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum

Kids in Gardens    Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum

Just for Kids – Animal Story Time (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park

Weed Warriors    Cromwell Valley Park

 

Going Batty    Holt Park and Center for the Arts

Acorn Hill Nature Drop-In    Lake Roland

SAVs - Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (registration required)    Marshy Point Nature Center

Live Bluegrass and Country Music    Middle River Recreation Council

Canoe the Gunpowder (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Hot August Music Festival    Oregon Ridge Park

Sunday, August 19

The Earth Oven and A to Z Pizza (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park

Fan Brush Landscape (registration required)    Holt Park and Center for the Arts

Aw Shucks! (registration required)    Marshy Point Nature Center

Canoe the Gunpowder (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Wednesday, August 22

Preserving the Harvest: Pickle Party (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park

Weed Warriors    Cromwell Valley Park

Thursday, August 23

Shoots and Letters: Insects    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Friday, August 24

Owl Prowl (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park

Friday Stroll    Lake Roland

The Full Sturgeon Moon Canoe Trip (registration required)    Marshy Point Nature Center

Saturday, August 25 - Sunday August 26

End of Summer Campout (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Saturday, August 25

Moss Workshop (registration required)    Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum

Trace Your Roots (registration required)    Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum

Nighttime Music (registration required)    Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum

Migrating Monarchs (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park

Weed Warriors    Cromwell Valley Park

Acorn Hill Nature Drop-In    Lake Roland

Singing Insects Campfire (registration required)    Lake Roland

Crabby Canoe Trip (registration required)    Marshy Point Nature Center

Sunday, August 26

Stream Search    Cromwell Valley Park

Mud Day (registration required)    Lake Roland

 

The Hive and the Honey Bee (registration required)    Marshy Point Nature Center

Monday, August 27

Pre-K Nature Drop In     Marshy Point Nature Center

Tuesday, August 28

KinderGarden Club (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Wednesday, August 29   

Weed Warriors    Cromwell Valley Park

Thursday, August 30

Shoots and Letters: Mammals    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Friday, August 31  

Friday Stroll    Lake Roland

Programs are run by Baltimore County Recreation and Parks and Nature Council volunteers. Many programs are free, but some ask for a donation or have a small fee. Be sure to check the websites to confirm times and locations.

With over 200 Baltimore County Parks, there’s something to do every day of your summer. Dogs included.