Since 1999, the University of Maryland has hosted Maryland Day to celebrate UMD’s agricultural roots and hold community outreach activities. This year, Maryland Day was held on Saturday, April 26th, from 10 am to 4 pm, showcasing activities and demonstrations in different neighborhoods.
The Office of Sustainability (OS) returned for another year of sustainable activities to engage the UMD community and beyond. The OS tent was on McKeldin Mall and received engagement from students, alumni, community members, and families.
OS hosted a variety of activities that focused on wildlife conservation, native pollinators, and water usage. The first activity allowed participants to take a Native Wildlife Quiz to determine which native animal they aligned with based on sustainable actions. Participants could be sorted into one of three animals: the Bald Eagle, which represented land conservation, the Great Blue Heron, which represented coastal conservation, or the Monarch Butterfly, which represented pollinator care. If participants found themselves aligning with multiple animals based on their sustainable actions, they were then assigned the White-Tailed Deer, which represented resilience.
Each animal had a designated activity. Participants who were sorted into the Bald Eagle category could create their own DIY bird feeders by spreading sunflower butter on a pinecone or toilet paper roll, dipping it in bird seed, and hanging it at home using natural twine. Participants who were sorted into the Great Blue Heron category could test their knowledge on water usage by playing water-themed Jeopardy that was developed from an EPA quiz. Participants who were sorted into the Monarch Butterfly category could create seed balls by combining soil, clay, and water and putting native wildflower seeds in them. Participants could choose to use either Black-eyed Susan seeds or Wild Bergamot seeds, and then toss their seed balls into gardens or yards to germinate native wildflowers.
Attendees were welcome to check out all the activities, and the Native Wildlife Quiz offered a fun way for participants to choose where to begin.
Stay tuned for Maryland Day next year on Saturday, April 25, 2026!
