Rain date Sunday, September 10
Leader: Rick Borchelt
Members $35; nonmembers $49
Soldiers Delight just northwest of Baltimore is the largest and most diverse of the disappearing serpentine barrens on the East Coast. It’s also home to some 40 rare, threatened and endangered species of plants and animals, including several butterflies. On this visit we hope to see one of the most iconic of these, Leonard’s Skipper, whose flight is timed to flowering of Liatris in the barrens. In addition, we should be able to see and distinguish a variety of the more confusing fall skippers and other summer butterflies. We’ll also visit the site of a major wildfire on the barrens from April, and see how this sensitive natural area—which evolved as a fire ecosystem—is recovering. Close-focusing binoculars and a good field guide to butterflies are recommended for optimal butterfly watching in the open and sunny habitats we’ll explore, and sturdy shoes will be needed for the often rocky terrain. REGISTER