The St. Mary’s Arboretum Association is pleased to invite the public to its first 2012-2013 calendar event on Saturday, August 11 in St. Mary College of Maryland’s Cole Cinema of the Campus Center, from 9 a.m. until noon. Craig Highfield, program manager for Forestry for the Bay, will share simple techniques useful for landowners in Southern Maryland who wish to be good environmental stewards of their properties. Some class time may be outdoors; participants are encouraged to wear appropriate clothing and comfortable shoes.

Owners of even just a few acres can make a positive difference in their environment through planning and implementing simple stewardship practices. By enhancing wooded areas or creating natural areas on your lot, you can enjoy recreation, aesthetics, wildlife, and improved water quality.

Topics will include:

•           Forest ecology and woodland management principles

•           Tree identification

•           Converting lawn to natural areas

•           Invasive species control

Craig Highfield will also address invasive species identification and control. Are you unsure of something in your yard that appears to be invasive, climbing or crawling everywhere? Bring a piece of it to the session and Highfield will identify it for you.

The St. Mary’s Arboretum Association was founded in 2010 at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. As the state’s public honors college, St. Mary’s is committed to exemplifying an honors commitment in all that it does, be it in the classroom or in its grounds practices and management. The St. Mary’s Arboretum Association holds public education sessions relevant to its waterside home in St. Mary’s County, and this year’s overall theme is “Seeing the Forest…and the Trees…Landscaping with a Sustainable Future in Mind.” All education sessions are free and open to the public. Upcoming events are listed on our website: www.smcm.edu/arboretum.

St. Mary’s College of Maryland, designated the Maryland state honors college in 1992, is ranked one of the best public liberal arts schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. More than 2,000 students attend the college, nestled on the St. Mary’s River in Southern Maryland.

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