Nature Trail

<span>When you finish the Nature Loop, you will see a tall flagpole next to the parking lot. Walk to the edge of the grassy patch and you will find some of the most amazing views of Mallows Bay, including the iconic <i>Accomac</i><span> and the Ghost Fleet. Trail signs in this area welcome you to the park and tell you about the sanctuary's history and cultural significance.</span></span>

<span>Welcome to the Nature Loop!<ul><li>Click or tap on the screen to navigate along the trail, which is highlighted by the text at the bottom of your screen.</li><li>Click or tap on the orange hotspots to learn more information about the highlighted area.</li><li>Use the mini-map in the upper left hand corner of your screen to navigate or skip ahead.</li><li>Use the “View” button on the top of the screen to pan back to the correct screen orientation and help you find the next hotspot.</li><li>And most importantly, have fun!</li></ul></span>

The start of the Nature Loop takes you through a meadow that is filled with flowers during the spring, summer, and fall. This meadow is an important habitat for pollinators, like Maryland’s 400+ different kinds of ground-dwelling bees. These bees build their nests by digging small holes in the ground all over the meadow. Charles County Parks has made this meadow even better by planting 19 different kinds of native plants. These plants provide food and habitat for bees, butterflies, and many other insects, helping to create an exciting ecosystem to explore.

The meadow is a vibrant and diverse ecosystem, home to a wide variety of native plants. But non-native species like the yellow flag iris can also take root and quickly spread. This plant, with its large, colorful blossoms, was introduced in the late 1700s as a decorative plant. Unfortunately, it's also very invasive. Yellow flag iris pushes out aquatic plants like cattails and native irises, such as the dwarf-crested iris and the blue flag iris. It's resistant to deer and other wildlife, so it can quickly take over an area.

<span>Stop at this telescope platform for one of the best views of Mallows Bay. The telescopes offer a close-up view of the<i> Accomac</i> and the Ghost Fleet, without having to get out on the water!</span>

<span>On this part of the trail, you will see a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees. The variety of trees makes it a great place to see different kinds of birds. Keep your eyes open for the ruby-crowned kinglet, a tiny native songbird that lives in this area during the winter.</span><br>

In this area, you will find dead or dying trees that are still standing. They are called 'snag' trees. This area is a great place to see many different kinds of woodpeckers, such as the downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, and northern flicker. Woodpeckers search for insects by using their beaks to make holes in the snag trees. Later, these holes often become nesting places for other birds, like the Louisiana waterthrush, prothonotary warbler, Carolina chickadees, eastern bluebirds, and white-breasted nuthatch.

At low tide, you can see one of the ghost ships near the shore. The wreck site is overgrown with plants, creating a lush habitat for a variety of creatures. Marsh tickseed, swamp rose mallow, and common sneezeweed are just a few of the plants that like to live in this wet environment. These plants attract butterflies, moths, bees, and other pollinators, which rely on them for food. Great blue herons, bald eagles, green herons, ospreys, hawks, and red-winged blackbirds are all common and nest in this area.

Serviceberry, shadbush, shadwood, and juneberry are just a few of the many names given to this shrub. You can often find it growing along the edge of the forest. Its white flowers are a sure sign that spring has sprung. A few weeks later, red to purple-black berries ripen and provide food for songbirds and mammals

While many trees may look similar during the summer, in other seasons, there are definite differences. In early spring, look for trees with red tops. These are red maples with small, hanging clusters of bright red flowers. They bloom in the spring before most other trees have leaves. Their early bloom makes them an important source of pollen for bees and other pollinators. In the fall, their leaves turn a brilliant red color, again helping them stand out.

In the spring, look down at the forest floor to see small, native wildflowers. Cut-leaf toothwort, pennywort, yellow trout lily, bloodroot, Virginia spring beauty, and showy orchid are all common. These woodland flowers need a forest habitat to survive and depend on the trees surrounding them for nutrients. They bloom in early spring and soak up as much sunlight as they can before the leaves of the large trees grow and shade the forest floor.

In this wet habitat, you’ll find a group of pawpaw trees. Pawpaws are the largest edible fruit native to the United States. Pawpaw trees are small understory trees, meaning they grow in the shade of taller trees. Their fruits are a bright yellowish-green color and taste like a mix of mangoes and bananas. This delicious fruit attracts animals such as raccoons, squirrels, opossums, and other small mammals. Pawpaws are also essential in the life cycle of the zebra swallowtail butterfly, whose larvae primarily eat pawpaw leaves.

Across the United States, invasive plants have taken over much of the land, reducing habitat for wildlife. Many invasive plants are found in this park, like Japanese wineberry. It is a type of shrub that is in the same family as raspberries and blackberries. It is everywhere in the park, and it is easily identified by its red stems that form thick patches on the forest floor. It's very strong and spreads quickly, replacing the native plants. Without the native plants, there is less habitat area for the animals to live in.

<span>This spot is the first overlook of the Beaver Pond. Look and you will see the remains of an old beaver dam. Over time, beavers expand their territory, building new dams and lodges further upstream. Follow the Beaver Trail, and you'll see evidence of an active dam further upstream. Look closely, and you may see wading birds or turtles basking in the sun. </span>

The fallen trees along the trail are known as tree-of-heaven. Originally from China, they have spread widely in North America as an invasive species. They are easy to spot by their large seed pods and reproduce quickly, which allows them to push out native species. They also release harmful chemicals into the soil that kill nearby native plants. In addition, tree-of-heaven has helped to increase the spread of an invasive insect called the spotted lanternfly. The lanternflies like to lay their eggs on these trees while feeding on and damaging many native trees.

Mallows Bay is a great place to see ospreys, eagles, and songbirds. But did you know it's also home to the Eastern wild turkey? Turkeys live in forests to roost and make nests. They use grassy fields, like this one, to find insects to eat. In the last 50 years, Maryland's wild turkey population has made a huge comeback. With more natural areas like Mallows Bay Park, they now have a thriving population in Southern Maryland.

In 1942, Bethlehem Steel drained the water in this area to sink and burn the World War I ships anchored there. This created the Burning Basin that is now surrounded by wetlands. Today, it is a popular recreational fishing spot because of its calm and slow waters. The area also serves as a transition from the Potomac River to the calmer, upstream waters of Marlow Creek. Many freshwater marsh plants can be found by the water’s edge, which are important habitats and food sources.

Four trail signs highlight common freshwater marsh plants that can be seen in the area near the Burning Basin, such as pickerel weed, tuckahoe, cattails, and wild rice. Each of these plants offers habitat and food for many species. They also absorb nutrients from runoff water and help prevent erosion along the shore. The trail signs also highlight how these plants have been used by indigenous peoples for thousands of years.

This osprey nest at the top of a tree is the best spot to see a nest from land in the park. This area is a popular spot for ospreys, great blue herons, bald eagles, cormorants, and gulls, as it is an easy place to catch fish. Owls are common as well, with great horned owls being one of the biggest predators of osprey chicks during the nesting season.<br>

During the fall, the trail is full of goldenrod. It's a wildflower with small, yellow flowers that grow in clusters. Goldenrod is important for biodiversity because it provides bees and other pollinators with nectar and pollen in late summer and early fall. The trail is also a popular nesting spot for many birds, who build their nests in the trees near the water.