Adkins Arboretum will host a two-day Grounds for Teaching schoolyard habitat workshop August 4 and 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Arboretum in Ridgely, MD. Educators will learn to identify, select and use plants for creating learning habitats in their own schoolyards. Participants will also classify soil types, observe watershed systems and identify elements of ecosystem health.

The workshop is open to any teacher, volunteer or interested citizen who wants to learn more about schoolyard habitats. Participants who complete the workshop and a schoolyard habitat plan are eligible for one MSDE credit. All participants will leave the workshop with the tools, inspiration and excitement necessary to start their own schoolyard habitat.

This free two-day program is part of the schoolyard habitat partnership between the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chesapeake Bay Field Office and the NOAA Bay Watershed and Education Training Program. Pre-registration is required. To register, contact Karen Kelly Mullin at 410-271-2481 or habitatkelly@yahoo.com.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. Open year round, the Arboretum offers educational programs for all ages about nature and gardening. Through its Campaign to Build a Green Legacy, the Arboretum will build a new LEED-certified Arboretum Center and entranceway to broaden educational offerings and research initiatives promoting best practices in conservation and land stewardship. For additional information about Arboretum programs, visit www.adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.