Upcoming Events
Maryland Master Naturalist Course at Fountain Rock Nature Center - Fridays from Sept. 4th to December 4th from 8am - 2:30pm. Click here to learn more.
Sept. 9, 2026, 7pm: Master Naturalist Webinar - Insects: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly with Dr. Michael Turell. Insects play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Beneficial insects pollinate crops, prey on pest species, produce food such as honey, and contribute beauty and diversity to the natural world. Other insects can damage crops and stored food, transmit disease, or deliver painful and potentially dangerous stings. Many people also fear insects or view them as unpleasant.
This presentation will explore beneficial insects, including bees, butterflies, flies, dragonflies, parasitic wasps, moths, and other species that support pollination, food production, and natural pest control. It will also examine pest species that damage crops and stored products, as well as insects and related arthropods associated with diseases such as West Nile virus, dengue, malaria, and Lyme disease. The presentation will conclude with examples of unusual insects that some people find fascinating and others consider unattractive or intimidating. A question-and-answer session will follow.
Dr. Michael J. Turell is a medical entomologist and arbovirologist with extensive expertise in the transmission of infectious diseases by mosquitoes, ticks, and other arthropods. After earning degrees from Cornell University, Tulane University, and the University of California, Berkeley, and serving as a medical entomologist in the U.S. Army, he completed a 34-year career at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick. His research has supported vaccine safety testing, diagnostic development, and understanding of emerging arboviruses, resulting in more than 216 publications and field studies conducted in numerous countries. He has also contributed significantly to professional service and education, including leadership in the American Committee of Medical Entomology, mentoring future scientists, advising Frederick’s 4-H Entomology Club, and teaching the Insect Study Merit Badge at every National Scout Jamboree since 1993.
Register here.
Maryland Master Naturalist Course at Fountain Rock Nature Center - Fridays from Sept. 4th to December 4th from 8am - 2:30pm. Click here to learn more.
Sept. 9, 2026, 7pm: Master Naturalist Webinar - Insects: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly with Dr. Michael Turell. Insects play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Beneficial insects pollinate crops, prey on pest species, produce food such as honey, and contribute beauty and diversity to the natural world. Other insects can damage crops and stored food, transmit disease, or deliver painful and potentially dangerous stings. Many people also fear insects or view them as unpleasant.
This presentation will explore beneficial insects, including bees, butterflies, flies, dragonflies, parasitic wasps, moths, and other species that support pollination, food production, and natural pest control. It will also examine pest species that damage crops and stored products, as well as insects and related arthropods associated with diseases such as West Nile virus, dengue, malaria, and Lyme disease. The presentation will conclude with examples of unusual insects that some people find fascinating and others consider unattractive or intimidating. A question-and-answer session will follow.
Dr. Michael J. Turell is a medical entomologist and arbovirologist with extensive expertise in the transmission of infectious diseases by mosquitoes, ticks, and other arthropods. After earning degrees from Cornell University, Tulane University, and the University of California, Berkeley, and serving as a medical entomologist in the U.S. Army, he completed a 34-year career at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick. His research has supported vaccine safety testing, diagnostic development, and understanding of emerging arboviruses, resulting in more than 216 publications and field studies conducted in numerous countries. He has also contributed significantly to professional service and education, including leadership in the American Committee of Medical Entomology, mentoring future scientists, advising Frederick’s 4-H Entomology Club, and teaching the Insect Study Merit Badge at every National Scout Jamboree since 1993.
Register here.
Past Events
Webinar: Restoring Rivers Through Dam Removal: Insights from the Patapsco River with Jessie Thomas-Blate, Director River Restoration, American Rivers - June 4, 2026 (Link to Video to be posted soon)
CommuniTyler day at Fountain Rock Park - May 29, 2026
Webinar: I’m a Naturalist, Not a Meteorologist! Part 2: Climate Patterns and Change: Understanding the Long View - Series with Randy Bass - March 5, 2025 - (Google Drive Link to Slides)
Webinar: I'm a Naturalist, not a Meterologist Part 1: Weather, Climate, and the Rhythms of Nature - Randy Bass - December 4, 2025 - (Google Drive Link to Slides)
Fountain Rock Native Plant Sale Plant - September 20, 2025
Nature Summit - October 1, 2025
Webinar: Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species of Maryland - Paula Becker - September 3, 2025
15th Annual Butterfly Count - Catoctin Creek Park and Nature Center - July 27, 2025
Webinar: Venom - Kerry Wixted - June 4, 2025
CommuniTyler Fountain Rock Park Work Day - May 18, 2025
Webinar: Watersheds & You - Katrina Fauss - March 5, 2025
Regenerative Landscaping - Dr. Sara Via - December 4, 2024 (Google Drive Link to Slides)
Incredible Journeys - Bird Migration - Gemma Radko - September 4, 2024
14th Annual Butterfly Count - Catoctin Creek Park and Nature Center - July 28, 2024
Blossoms & Bees: Exploring 150 Million Years of Plant-Pollinator Evolution - Taylor Roman - June 5, 2024
Croaks, Peeps, and Color: Exploring the World of Amphibian Communication - Kerry Wixted - March 6, 2024Volunteer Appreciation Event and Master Naturalist Graduation - January 20, 2024
Winter Tree Identification - Bradley Simpson - December 6, 2023 (Google Drive Link to Slides)
2023 Fountain Rock Native Plant Sale - September 23, 2023
Animal Corridors/Biodiversity - Karen Russell - September 6, 2023
13th Annual Butterfly Count - July 23, 2023
Driving Electric: The Future is Now - Ron Kaltenbaugh - June 14, 2023
Spring Flowers - Kathy Barylski - April 4th, 2023
Weird, Wild & Wonderful - Kerry Wixted - November 9, 2022
Webinar: Restoring Rivers Through Dam Removal: Insights from the Patapsco River with Jessie Thomas-Blate, Director River Restoration, American Rivers - June 4, 2026 (Link to Video to be posted soon)
CommuniTyler day at Fountain Rock Park - May 29, 2026
Webinar: I’m a Naturalist, Not a Meteorologist! Part 2: Climate Patterns and Change: Understanding the Long View - Series with Randy Bass - March 5, 2025 - (Google Drive Link to Slides)
Webinar: I'm a Naturalist, not a Meterologist Part 1: Weather, Climate, and the Rhythms of Nature - Randy Bass - December 4, 2025 - (Google Drive Link to Slides)
Fountain Rock Native Plant Sale Plant - September 20, 2025
Nature Summit - October 1, 2025
Webinar: Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species of Maryland - Paula Becker - September 3, 2025
15th Annual Butterfly Count - Catoctin Creek Park and Nature Center - July 27, 2025
Webinar: Venom - Kerry Wixted - June 4, 2025
CommuniTyler Fountain Rock Park Work Day - May 18, 2025
Webinar: Watersheds & You - Katrina Fauss - March 5, 2025
Regenerative Landscaping - Dr. Sara Via - December 4, 2024 (Google Drive Link to Slides)
Incredible Journeys - Bird Migration - Gemma Radko - September 4, 2024
14th Annual Butterfly Count - Catoctin Creek Park and Nature Center - July 28, 2024
Blossoms & Bees: Exploring 150 Million Years of Plant-Pollinator Evolution - Taylor Roman - June 5, 2024
Croaks, Peeps, and Color: Exploring the World of Amphibian Communication - Kerry Wixted - March 6, 2024Volunteer Appreciation Event and Master Naturalist Graduation - January 20, 2024
Winter Tree Identification - Bradley Simpson - December 6, 2023 (Google Drive Link to Slides)
2023 Fountain Rock Native Plant Sale - September 23, 2023
Animal Corridors/Biodiversity - Karen Russell - September 6, 2023
13th Annual Butterfly Count - July 23, 2023
Driving Electric: The Future is Now - Ron Kaltenbaugh - June 14, 2023
Spring Flowers - Kathy Barylski - April 4th, 2023
Weird, Wild & Wonderful - Kerry Wixted - November 9, 2022