The Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) is an elusive species in Catoctin Mountain Park. Join a ranger and explore the wilds of the mountain to see these snakes in their natural environment and hear the story behind the rattle.
They've waited for 17 years underground, and now it's time for the Brood X cicadas to emerge and morph into their adult form. Watch one of these fascinating insects complete the transformation at 2000 times the speed.
Join the rangers at Catoctin Mountain Park for a Virtual Field Trip! This video introduces the program, which has three parts and features a worksheet available online.
Ranger Ron was called to the campground, where he discovered a crime scene! While the family was away, their picnic area had been torn apart. Join Ranger Ron as he investigates the site, looks for clues, and learns about animal adaptations.
This video was designed as a Virtual Field Trip for 4th grade students as part of Every Kid Outdoors, but it could benefit learners of any age!
Join VIP (Volunteer-In-Parks) Daryl on a nature hike to see some of the amazing ways that trees, bushes, flowers, and other plants stay alive in the forest!
This video was designed as a Virtual Field Trip for 4th grade students as part of Every Kid Outdoors, but it could benefit learners of any age!
Explore what trees are made up of! Did you know that there are more to trees than just wood and leaves? Ranger Amanda will tell you all about each special component that make up trees. Join VIP Katrinka to make leaf and bark rubbings! Did you know that not all bark is rough and not all leaves look the same? Trees sure are cool when you look more closely!
Join a park ranger to check out the exhibits along the Charcoal Trail! This half-mile loop is beautiful in any season. Informational signs tell the story of the charcoal and iron industries on the mountain.
Sarah McCartt-Jackson is the author of Stonelight, which won the Weatherford Prize in Poetry and the Airlie Prize, and three chapbooks: Calf Canyon, Vein of Stone, and Children Born on the Wrong Side of the River, which won the Mary Ballard Poetry Prize. Hailing from Kentucky, McCartt-Jackson is a poet, folklorist, and educator who works to inspire people of all ages to connect with the natural world around them through art.
