Each year Columbia Association engages me to lead free, public walks on parts of the 95 miles of nature trails that they maintain. People come to:

• get outside,
• explore areas they have not visited before
• learn more about the past, present and future of these wonderful open spaces, and
• have fun with others as we walk thru the woods and around the lakes.

Each year I try to add something new to my descriptions of the places we pass. This might be about some old foundations , vine covered graveyards, and historic structures. It could be more about the invasive plants and the native plants that we will encounter. We will certainly try to scare up some sitings of rare and common birds, plants, mammals, and insects. We always see something new, something fun to see and discuss.

On these walks, we often discuss best management practices and CA policies on maintaining the 3000 acres of open space in their care. We discuss how residents can help manage the wonderful natural resources in this area. And of course we talk about the plans for the future of Columbia and how our town is evolving.

This year I am going to lead 5 of the walks and Barbara Kellner will lead 4 of them. Her walks will focus more on the art and architecture of Columbia. Mine will be more about the nature we encounter and the past and future of Columbia. All walks will begin at 10 am on Thursdays. CA has invested in a new voice amplifier to make sure everyone can hear our insights, asides, and stories about this intriguing place many of us call home.

Hope to see you all on the trails.

Ned

Ned Tillman is an Earth and Environmental scientist and an award winning author of three books. He has served as the chair of the Howard County Conservancy, The HoCo Sustainability Board, and the HoCo General Plan Task Force. He is also a member of the Horizon Foundation and the Maryland Academy of Science. His books: The Chesapeake Watershed, Saving the Places we Love, and The Big Melt can be obtained from Amazon.