Join us for a conservation with professionals in the environmental sector discussing equity, diversity, and inclusion (DEI). The panel will share stories about and experiences with working on DEI initiatives at their organizations and other groups.

Panelists are:

• Erin O’Grady, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

• Tuana Phillips, Chesapeake Bay Program/Environmental Protection Agency

• Andrea van Wyk, National Aquarium

Please arrive between 6:30 and 7 p.m. for snacks and small talk before the meeting begins.

RSVP on Facebook.

Photo by Chesapeake Bay Program.

Join HerChesapeake on November 10 for a guided Marsh Mammal Hike at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary. We will enjoy a fall day exploring signs of marsh mammal life. This easy hike is from 4:00-6:00 pm and meets at the visitor center. The trip is free with a recommended donation of $5.

There are limited slots so please RSVP on Eventbrite.

We'll see you on the trails!

Interested in carpooling (either as a driver or passenger)? Sign up here.

Our next happy hour will take place on October 21 at Rams Head Tavern in downtown Annapolis. We’ll be at the basement bar.

October is a month where we focus on the spooky things that haunt our world, so what better time to tackle the Sunday scaries with a group of supportive, like-minded women?

What are the Sunday scaries? They are the anxieties one might experience on a Sunday when thinking about the impending work week, school week, or other obligations that await in the week ahead. According to a survey conducted by job site Monster, up to 76% of Americans self-reported having “really bad” Sunday night anxiety, compared to just 47% of people around the world.

• Have you ever experienced the Sunday scaries?

• What do you do to deal with them?

• What is your biggest Sunday scary?

Bring your thoughts (and a friend!) and join us for cocktails, conversation, and camaraderie. RSVP on Facebook.

Newcomers welcome! Arrive when you can.

Photo by Virginia State Parks

Unfortunately, due to the weather foretasted for Sunday, we are cancelling this field trip. Thank you to everyone who signed up and we hope to see you at a future event!

Join HerChesapeake for a guided canoe trip at the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary! We will enjoy a fall day on the water, bonding with fellow environmental enthusiasts and delighting in our waterside view of the sanctuary's 1,700 acres of protected aquatic and forest habitat. The canoe trip is from 9-1 pm, and meets at the visitor center.

First time paddlers are welcome.

The trip is free, but a $10 donation is encouraged. Space is limited, so you must RSVP on Eventbrite. If you find you can no longer make it, please contact us at herchesapeake@gmail.com so we can give your spot to someone else.

Interested in carpooling (either as a driver or passenger)? Sign up here.

Don't forget to bring:

• Water

• Hat, sunscreen, bug spray

• Snacks

We'll see you on the water!

Photo by Chesapeake Bay Program

Join us for our next meeting on Wednesday, August 21 at Republic in Takoma Park, Md. Our agenda will include a conversation about bodily autonomy, a set of stories about stepping outside of your comfort zone, and a Q&A with Hye Yeong Kwon, Executive Director of the Center for Watershed Protection.

Please arrive between 6:30 and 7 p.m. for snacks and small talk before the meeting begins. Newcomers welcome!

RSVP on Facebook.

About Hye Yeong Kwon

As the Executive Director, Hye Yeong’s responsibilities include organizational management, fund-raising, and program development. Hye Yeong joined the Center for Watershed Protection in 1996 and combines her education and training to help lead the center toward a multi-disciplinary strategy to protect and restore watersheds throughout the country. Her project experience has included a wide range of subjects, including illicit discharge detection and elimination, environmentally sensitive site design, watershed planning, green jobs, and consensus building. Hye Yeong has a B.S. in Biology, an M.S. in Management, and an MBA.

About the Center for Watershed Protection

The Center for Watershed Protection’s mission is to protect and restore our streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and bays. Their experienced staff of scientists, planners, and environmental professionals are the technical experts who help municipalities, advocates, policymakers, and citizens get clean water projects in the ground. Founded in 1992, the center began as a nonprofit organization dedicated to research and education on watersheds. With an initial focus on protecting urban streams from the impacts of land development, the organization has grown over the years to become a national leader on stormwater management and watershed planning.

HerChesapeake events are designed to provide a safe space to all women. They are open to anyone who supports our vision of feminism and environmentalism, including trans, non-binary, and gender nonconforming individuals.

Join us for our first D.C. happy hour on July 18! We're excited to meet at Republic Restoratives, a small batch, women-owned distillery and craft cocktail bar in the heart of D.C.

Independence Day may be behind us, but this month, we're talking freedom:

• What does freedom mean to you? Is it different in different contexts?

• When do you feel the most free? At work? In your personal life?

• If you felt free to do whatever you wanted to do with your life, what would you do? How is it the same or different from how you spend your time now?

• Do others influence your personal freedom? How, or how not? If so, how can you maintain a personal sense of freedom despite the boundaries and systems we all live within?

Bring your thoughts (and a friend!) and join us for cocktails and conversation.

Newcomers welcome! Arrive when you can, and RSVP on Facebook.

Are you done taking what you think is the perfect photo, only to have it turn out completely wrong? Do you want to make your blogs, newsletters, or—let's face it—Instagram pop with professional-looking photos? Do you also love being outside? Then join us for a photo walk at Great Falls Park!

On Saturday, June 29, Kaitlyn Dolan, photo editor at Education Week, will teach us tips and tricks for taking the perfect photo as we enjoy the scenery at Great Falls.

Come as you are: cell phone in hand or fancy DSLR around your neck. We'll meet at the beginning of the Billy Goat Trail: Section A at 3:45 p.m., and begin the walk at 4:00.

Space is limited. Please RSVP on Eventbrite.

About Kaitlyn Dolan

Kaitlyn is a photo editor at Education Week who serves on the inaugural National Press Photographers Association student council and is a member of Women Photojournalists of Washington. When she’s not pursuing her dive master certification, she's volunteering at a cat shelter. Based in the DMV, Kaitlyn loves hiking (Great Falls is one of her favorite spots), kayaking, and spending time outside. Her car is even equipped with an "outdoor box" so she can retreat to the wilderness at any time.

Join us for our next meeting Tuesday, May 21 at Bubba Gump Shrimp in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

Our "Conversation with..." series will feature Black Girls Dive Foundation and our meeting will also include a discussion about communicating with confidence.

Please arrive between 6:30 and 7 p.m. for snacks and small talk before the meeting begins.

About Black Girls Dive Foundation
In 2013, a group of women gathered to discuss the lack of representation of African-American women in the diving world and realized that it came down to two common themes: "hair" and negative cultural narratives about swimming. While they realized it would be relatively simple to address hair concerns, changing "the narrative" would be a much larger challenge.

The Narrative

There is a long history of racism and discrimination behind the swimming in America. A lack of access to pools and beaches meant that many African Americans never learned how to swim, which grew into an intergenerational fear of water that prevented their children and grandchildren from learning. Jeff Wiltse documents this in his 2010 book, Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America, and says "It is because of discrimination and segregation that swimming never became a part of African-American recreational culture."

Learn more this the of racism and discrimination on the water this interview with Wiltse.

The Mission

The mission of Black Girls Dive Foundation is "keeping young girls and women afloat," inspiring them to "explore their STEM identities by engaging in aquatic-based STEM activities and become leaders in conservation."

Photo by Chesapeake Bay Program.

Slurp back some oysters with your fellow HerChesapeake members at The Urban Oyster! Join us and support this Black woman-owned business, just a few days after it's grand opening. We'll be talking oysters, trash wheels, and whatever else comes to mind.

Arrive when you can. Newcomers welcome! R.S.V.P. on Facebook if you can.

Image courtesy Chesapeake Bay Program

Winter is the best time to see waterfowl at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Join HerChesapeake on Saturday, February 23, for a guided bird walk! Tundra swans, snow geese, shovelers, pin tails and many more call Blackwater home during winter months. See how many you can spot as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Volunteer Coordinator Michele Whitbeck teaches us about these birds and their habitat.

Logistics

Meet at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (2145 Key Wallace Drive Cambridge, MD 21613) at 8:45 a.m.

Our bird walk will take place from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

At 11 a.m., we will take a short, guided tour of the nearby Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center (4068 Golden Hill Road Church Creek, MD 21622).

Our field trip will end at noon.

Binoculars, field guides and warm clothes are encouraged.

Our last meeting of 2018 will take place Monday, November 19, at Union Jack’s British Pub. Please arrive between 6:30 and 7 p.m. for snacks and small talk before the meeting begins.

Our meeting will feature a conversation with Marcia Pradines, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service project leader at the Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex (which includes the Blackwater, Eastern Neck, Martin and Susquehanna national wildlife refuges).

Our meeting will also include a discussion about identity, authenticity and inclusivity at work.

R.S.V.P. on Facebook

The Chesapeake Watershed Forum is a great place to meet and mingle with your peers in the conservation field. Join HerChesapeake for drinks in the NCTC Social Center (located in the Commons building's Roosevelt Room and Lounge) before, during, or after Saturday's Poster Session to catch up with members or learn more about our association!

Can't make it? Follow along or share your own HerChesapeake Watershed Forum experience with #HerForum on social media.

Catch up with your fellow HerChesapeake members at Yellowfin Steak & Fish House! We'll be celebrating National Seafood Month with a round of trivia about the Bay's most delicious inhabitants.

Arrive when you can. Newcomers welcome!

R.S.V.P. on Facebook

Our sixth quarterly meeting will take place Monday, August 20, at Union Jack's British Pub. Please arrive between 6:30 and 7 p.m. for snacks and small talk before the meeting begins.

Our agenda will include a conversation with Dominique Skinner, Director of Workforce Development at Living Classrooms. Please RSVP on Facebook.

In celebration of the Year of the Anacostia, explore the Anacostia River in an open-air motorized boat. A guide from the Anacostia Watershed Society will discuss the natural and cultural history of the river, as well as the nonprofit organization's restoration work.

Participants should meet at 6:15 p.m. at the boat ramp at Bladensburg Waterfront Park. Please be sure to dress for the weather.

R.S.V.P.: We can accommodate 25 people. Participants must register using this link.

Come to Davis' Pub between 5 and 7 p.m. to catch up and connect with members of HerChesapeake! (We recommend ordering the crab pretzel.) At 7 p.m., we'll walk four blocks to the Annapolis Maritime Museum for its Tides & Tunes Summer Concert Series featuring Dublin 5. Please note: This concert is free, but the museum does accept donations. Food and spirits will be available for purchase, and guests are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs.

R.S.V.P. on Facebook.

Image via irvindr/Flickr.

Our fifth quarterly meeting will take place Wednesday, May 30, at Union Jack's British Pub. Please arrive between 6:30 and 7 p.m. for snacks and small talk before the meeting begins.

Our agenda includes a conversation with Laura Sanford, President of the Corsica River Conservancy, and an open discussion about salaries, raises, negotiations and demonstrating your value to your supervisor. Please RSVP on Facebook.

About our Guest Speaker: Laura Sanford is an Eastern Shore native and active conservationist. While she works full-time as the Director of Advancement and Administration for the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, she is also the President of the Corsica River Conservancy, which protects and restores a tributary of the Chester River in Queen Anne’s County, Maryland. We will discuss Laura’s career path and experience as a woman in the field of environmental restoration, as well as the emphasis the Conservancy has placed on cooperation with the local community.

View this meeting's minutes.

As part of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay's annual Project Clean Stream, we will join the Corsica River Conservancy for a cleanup at Centreville Wharf. The cleanup will take place rain or shine, and gloves and trash containers will be provided.

R.S.V.P.: If you plan to attend, please complete this form to let us know! 

Carpool: If you would like to carpool or caravan with fellow HerChesapeake members from Annapolis, please meet at Jemal's Bay 50 Shopping Center (1544 Whitehall Road) at 11:20 a.m.

Come to Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar to catch up with your fellow HerChesapeake members and celebrate the Year of the Anacostia with a round of trivia about the river! Arrive when you can. Newcomers welcome!

Join us for ice skating at Quiet Waters Park!

Rentals: $9

Details to come

Our fourth quarterly meeting—and our first of 2018!—will take place Monday, January 22, at Union Jack's British Pub.

We are excited to welcome Alisha Camacho, Kari Fulton, and Rhonda Hamilton to discuss the challenges that are facing the Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Buzzard Point. 

Alisha Camacho is a filmmaker who is developing a documentary that will explore how the construction of a new soccer stadium and mixed-use development have raised concerns over affordable housing and environmental health in the area. 

Rhonda Hamilton, the Buzzard Point Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, and Kari Fulton, environmental justice advocate and new media journalist, are community advocate who are seeking improved accountability for hazards disproportionately affecting people of color and low-income residents. 

Also on the agenda? An EmpowHERment discussion about climate change deniers, an introduction to our next HerChesapeake challenge, and a quick vote on the date of our next field trip.

We encourage guests to arrive at 6:30 p.m. for snacks and small talk. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Please RSVP on Facebook.

View this meeting's minutes.

The Chesapeake Watershed Forum is a great place to meet and mingle with your peers in the conservation field. Join Joan Smedinghoff and Melissa Merritt for drinks in the NCTC Social Center (located in the Commons building's Roosevelt Room and Lounge) before, during or after the Poster Session to catch up with these two HerChesapeake officers or learn more about our association. 

Can't make it? Follow along or share your own HerChesapeake Watershed Forum experience with #HerForum on social media.

Join us on our next field trip to Caledon State Park! 

From Virginia State Parks: A National Natural Landmark known for its old growth forest and summer home to many American bald eagles, Caledon attracts bird watchers of all ages. Trails, including Boyd's Hole Trail, which leads to the Potomac River, are open year-round. A visitor center with bald eagle exhibits, four picnic areas, a picnic shelter, and restrooms also are available.

Interested in carpooling (either as a driver or passenger)? Sign up here:https://www.groupcarpool.com/t/5pyodb. Parking is $4/car so please chip in a buck or two for whoever's driving!

We'll be having our third quarterly meeting on Monday, September 18.

What will we be doing?

• Q&A with Stephanie Smith about her experience applying for a job, preparing for interviews, and ultimately accepting a new position.
• Discuss emotional labor
• Play Positive Behavior Bingo
• Vote on our next field trip

Hope to see you there! Please RSVP on Facebook.

View this meeting's minutes.

Join us at Federal House in downtown Annapolis for our next Happy Hour! We'll be there starting at 5:00, but come whenever you can. Newcomers are always welcome!

Come join us for our first field trip! We'll be hiking around the Glendening Nature Preserve at Jug Bay and then having a picnic lunch together.

Interested in carpooling (either as a driver or passenger)? Sign up here:https://www.groupcarpool.com/t/5pyodb. Parking is $6/car so please chip in a buck or two for whoever's driving!

Don't forget to bring:

• WATER
• Sunscreen and bug spray
• Lunch (remember: it'll be hot outside!)
• Binoculars, field guides, and other fun things!