Sunday, September 6 at 10:00am to 11:30am The Secret Life of Vines– Ages 12+. Vines are some of the forest’s most fascinating climbers. On this program, we’ll explore the park to discover how different vines grow, climb, and compete for sunlight. Along the way, we’ll learn to identify several common species and talk about their
Monday, September 7th - Slow-birding for Migration 8:15 am - 10:00 am Join us for the height of fall migration for a slow-paced bird walk around the Minebank Run trail looking for migratory birds. What is Mindful Birding and Who Should Attend? This slow, mindful birding and nature observation event is for beginner birdwatchers and
Sunday, September 7 at 1 PM to 2:30 PM Meadow Singers – All Ages. These important fall flowers are important to pollinators. Join a naturalist on a meadow walk to learn more about the benefits of these fall bloomers. Then return to the nature center to make a flower craft. $3/person. REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Join other 30-year olds for a casual hike (2 miles) scouting for migratory birds of Cromwell Valley Park along the Minebank Run and in some of our old-growth fields. Anything goes during Fall Migration! Cost is $5 per person with all funds supporting Cromwell Valley Park Council, Inc., the 100% volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU VOLUNTEER WITH CROMWELL VALLEY PARK. Please join Cromwell Valley Park Council as we host volunteer service days to scrape and paint the Sherwood Fence through these dates in September. This year, due to the construction that has closed the Willow Grove entrance to the park, visitors for the Fall
Join us for some guided hiking in Cromwell Valley Park and Loch Raven. Members-only event. Meeting place: We’ll begin from the Sherwood side. Cromwell Valley Park has two entrances. Please use the first entrance off Cromwell Bridge Road (if coming from the Beltway) - 2002 Cromwell Bridge Road, Parkville, MD 21234. Meeting at the picnic
Saturday, September 12 at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM Golden Truths About Goldenrods and Aster – All Ages. Take a history tour of the Sherwood Mansion and get a little “behind the scenes” look at this home that was built in 1935. Join us at the end for a brief English-style teatime. $3/person. REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Join other 30-year olds for a casual hike (2 miles) scouting for migratory birds of Cromwell Valley Park along the Minebank Run and in some of our old-growth fields. Anything goes during Fall Migration! Cost is $5 per person with all funds supporting Cromwell Valley Park Council, Inc., the 100% volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Sunday, September 13 at 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Earth Skills Workshop Rendezvous – Ages 10+ -- Have you ever wanted to try your hand at flint knapping - the ancient practice of shaping stone into projectile points? Or learn to make a survival bow from natural materials that will help keep you alive in
WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS! Mindful Outdoor Experience A Shared Journey of Movement, Mindfulness, and Connection with the Land 1 hour yoga $25 for Members / $30 non-Members Step into a restorative outdoor experience designed to reconnect you with the wisdom of the natural world, your body, and community. Through brief place orientation, off-the-mat yoga movement, an easeful
Friday, September 18 at 10:00am-11:00am Trails with Tots 5+ w/Adult - Join the naturalists this fall on the 1st and 3rd Friday, September-November, from 10:00am-11:00am, and enjoy the benefits of being active outdoors with your little ones! FREE! REGISTRATION REQUIRED
September 18, 2026 – Dr. Wayne Bell "The Chesapeake Working Landscape: Past, Present, and a Hopeful Future" A history of land use on the Chesapeake Bay watershed, from pre-colonial times to the present, and insights that land use changes provide for bird conservation. Background - Dr. Bell is Senior Associate and former Director of the
Saturday, September 19th from 8 am - 10 am Join us for the height of fall migration with celebrity birder, Kojo Baidoo. Winner of the World Series of Birding in 2022 and has been featured in NPR when his Princeton team (Tiger Shrikes) spotted 205 species of birds in a 24-hour period! Kojo has had
Sat, Sept. 19, 9am-11am Drop in Gardening! – Ages 13+, with an Adult. Join us for a morning in the garden. We provide direction, gloves, tools, and water. You bring a hat, sunscreen and a little energy. Drop-in program. FREE!
Saturday, September 19 at 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM Farmer Kids: From Garden to Table – Ages 5-12 with an adult. Monthly gardening series where kids plant, harvest, cook, and eat! At each session, we’ll learn what can be planted at that time of year and the proper way to plant it. Then we’ll harvest
Sunday, September 20 at 10:00 to 11:00am Trail Runners – Ages 16+. Want to get active with a group of like-minded people? Join a naturalist on a leisurely 1.5 mile run through the park. We’ll start and end the run with some group stretches! FREE! REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Join other 30-year olds for a casual hike (2 miles) scouting for migratory birds of Cromwell Valley Park along the Minebank Run and in some of our old-growth fields. Anything goes during Fall Migration! Cost is $5 per person with all funds supporting Cromwell Valley Park Council, Inc., the 100% volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Volunteer Training (New and Returning) Wednesday, September 23 to Friday, September 25 at 10:00 AM-2:00 PM Ages 18+. Join us for volunteer training! Participants will meet at a different park sites and learn about a variety of natural, historical and interpretive topics and discover the ways to volunteer at the site from the BCRP Park
Friday, September 25 at 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM The Full Corn Moon Hike – Ages 8+. Learn how Indigenous people propagated the corn plant to what it is today. Find out why they call it one of the “Three Sisters”. Join us for a campfire corn boil, popcorn over an open flame, and corn
Mindful Outdoor Experience: A Shared Journey of Movement, Mindfulness, and Connection with the Land 1 hour yoga $25 for Members / $30 non-Members 90 minute yoga $30 for Members / $35 non-Members Step into a restorative outdoor experience designed to reconnect you with the wisdom of the natural world, your body, and community. Through brief
WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU VOLUNTEER WITH CROMWELL VALLEY PARK. Please join Cromwell Valley Park Council as we host volunteer service days to scrape and paint the Sherwood Fence through these dates in September. This year, due to the construction that has closed the Willow Grove entrance to the park, visitors for the Fall
Saturday, September 26 at 1:00 PM-3:00 PM Autumn Leaf Lab – Ages 10+. Explore the park to collect and compare leaves while learning how to identify trees by their shape, margins, and veins. We’ll also talk about why leaves change color in the fall. Participants will create a simple leaf journal page or rubbing to
Sunday, September 27 at 10:00 AM-1:00 PM Let's Hawk Watch – Ages 14+. Train to become a Hawk Watch volunteer! Be involved in participatory science and learn how to identify raptors in flight. Witness the joy of viewing hundreds (if not thousands) of Broad-winged Hawks along with eagles, hawks, falcons and vultures, as they migrate
Join other 30-year olds for a casual hike (2 miles) scouting for migratory birds of Cromwell Valley Park along the Minebank Run and in some of our old-growth fields. Anything goes during Fall Migration! Cost is $5 per person with all funds supporting Cromwell Valley Park Council, Inc., the 100% volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Friday, October 2 at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM Trails with Tots – Ages 5+ with an adult. Join the naturalists this fall on the 1st and 3rd Friday, September-November, from 10:00am-11:00am, and enjoy the benefits of being active outdoors with your little ones! FREE! REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Saturday, October 3 at 1:00PM- 3:00PM Primitive Technology: Bull Roarers – Ages 18+. Join us in the Primitive Technology Lab to create a sounding device used by indigenous peoples around the world to commune with and invoke the spirits. Please bring a sturdy carving knife; NO serrated blades! $6.00/person REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Sunday, October 4 at 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM A Murder of Crows and an Unkindness of Ravens – Ages 14+. Why are these curious, social, caring and intelligent birds often linked to the afterlife? Join a naturalist as we walk and share some stories, poems and symbolism associated with these birds. $3.00/person REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Monday, October 5 at 8:00 AM-10:00 AM First Monday Bird Walks – Ages 14+. This spring join a Park Naturalist on Monday for an early morning bird walk. Bring binoculars if you have them, and please dress for the weather with wearing sturdy shoes. We will be meeting at the “CVP Bird Hikes Meet Here
WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS! Mindful Outdoor Experience A Shared Journey of Movement, Mindfulness, and Connection with the Land 1 hour yoga $25 for Members / $30 non-Members Step into a restorative outdoor experience designed to reconnect you with the wisdom of the natural world, your body, and community. Through brief place orientation, off-the-mat yoga movement, an easeful
Saturday, October 10 at 10:00 AM-4:00 PM The Fall Harvest Festival Featuring Arts in the Park – All Ages (minors must be accompanied by adult). Baltimore County Dept. of Recreation and Parks is partnering with the Cromwell Valley Park Council and Towson Arts Collective to bring you an outdoor celebration of migrating raptors, live birds
Sunday, October 11 at 9:00 AM-11:00 AM The Less-Walked Path—Ages 8+. Learn to navigate Cromwell Valley Park through its lesser-known interconnected back trails! $3.00/person REGISTRATION REQUIRED
THIS IS A FREE EVENT! Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026 Time: 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM For more information, please email Laura Lechtzin at lechtzin@verizon.net. What is a Bird Sit? This is a free stationary, drop-in birding event. It is designed with mobility access in mind and is for anyone interested in birds. Park Naturalist,
October 16, 2026 – Carrie Engel – Native Plants For Fall – Why is fall a great time to plant natives? Which natives have fall color and/or flowers? Which native plants are migrating pollinators attracted to? Let’s dive into fall natives and learn about these and other subjects. Samples and a slide show will be
THIS IS A FREE EVENT! SPACE LIMITED TO 10 PARTICIPANTS Mindfulness Bird Outing at Cromwell Valley Park 2002 Cromwell Bridge Rd, Parkville, MD 21234 Saturday, October 17th, 2026 9:00am-11:00am Join us for a morning of bird joy at Cromwell Valley Park as we appreciate and learn about the birds of the park! Everyone is welcome,
Saturday, October 17 at 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM Farmer Kids: From Garden to Table – Ages 5-12 with an adult. Monthly gardening series where kids plant, harvest, cook, and eat! At each session, we’ll learn what can be planted at that time of year and the proper way to plant it. Then we’ll harvest
Mindful Outdoor Experience: A Shared Journey of Movement, Mindfulness, and Connection with the Land 1 hour yoga $25 for Members / $30 non-Members 90 minute yoga $30 for Members / $35 non-Members Step into a restorative outdoor experience designed to reconnect you with the wisdom of the natural world, your body, and community. Through brief
Sunday, October 18 at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Primitive Technology: Forest Fibers and Natural Weaving – Ages 10+. On this hands-on program, we’ll explore the park to find natural materials like grasses, pine needles, and flexible stems that can be used for weaving. After learning how people have used plant fibers for thousands of
Tuesdays, September 15 to October 20 at 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM Polliwogs! - Ages 2 to 5, with an Adult. Discovering nature is a lifelong journey. In this class, you and your little one will explore the natural world through hands-on activities, nature play, stories and crafts. Non-mobile siblings only, parent/guardian must be an
Wednesdays, September 16 to October 21 at 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM Polliwogs! - Ages 2 to 5, with an Adult. Discovering nature is a lifelong journey. In this class, you and your little one will explore the natural world through hands-on activities, nature play, stories and crafts. Non-mobile siblings only, parent/guardian must be an
Thursday, October 22 at 10:30 AM-11:30 AM Project Feeder Watch Training Ages 18+. Count birds for science, but first, attend this training to learn how! After the training, we will meet weekly at the Nature Center on Tuesdays or Wednesdays (whichever is better for you) for your 1 hour volunteer shift. This citizen science project
Friday, October 23 at 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM The Full Hunter Moon Hike – Ages 8+. Join Ranger Kirk and his banjo around the campfire as he leads the group sing-along in old familiar tunes. Songbooks and instruments will be provided so you can join in the fun. Afterwards we’ll roast marshmallows! $6.00/person REGISTRATION
Saturday, October 24 at 9:00 AM-11:00 AM Drop-In Gardening (DIG) -- Ages 13+ Join us for a morning in the garden. We provide direction, gloves, tools, and water. You bring a hat, sunscreen and a little energy. Drop-in program. Registration appreciated but not mandatory. FREE! Registration appreciated but not mandatory.
Join us for some guided hiking in Cromwell Valley Park. This advanced level hike will take us around the entire park, including the meadows, pine grove, river bank and the hills of the CVP outback. Refreshments will be served afterwards. Meeting place: We’ll begin from the Sherwood side. Cromwell Valley Park has two entrances. Please
Saturday, October 24 at 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM Roots to Rootheads – Ages 8+. Although we don’t usually see them, roots are a vital part of every plant. Learn the many functions of roots then turn them upside-down for a whole new look! NOT just for kids! $3.00/person REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Habitat Restoration Team 2026 Dates September 12 10am-noon;September 26 10am-noon October 10 2pm – 4pm; October 24 2pm – 4pm November 7 2pm – 4pm; November 21 2pm – 4pm December 5 2pm – 4pm; December 19 2pm – 4pm If you wish to schedule a group of 3 or more, contact: CVPWeedWarriors@gmail.com. We may be
Sunday, October 25 at 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM Room on the Broom – Ages 5-10. Join a Naturalist for a witchy good story and short hike. Gather materials and then return to the Sherwood House to make your own witch’s hat & broom. $6.00/person REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Mondays April 6- Oct. 26 8:30am-10:30am & Thursdays April 9 - Oct. 29 8:30am-10:30am Ages 18+. Do you enjoy gardening, but don’t have the space or a deer-proof fence? Join like-minded green thumbs (and beginner brown thumbs) to grow your own vegetables, herbs and flowers and tend to our shared garden plots. We’ll provide the
Wednesdays, September 2 to November 25 at 9:30 to 10:30 AM Autumn Senior Stroll – Ages 55+. Walking in nature provides benefits to both the mind and body. Enjoy a relaxing stroll with one of our Naturalists along some of Cromwell Valley’s less strenuous trails. Meet at Sherwood House. FREE! REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Saturday, October 31 at 10:00 AM to 3 PM Halloween Trail Trek – All Ages. Come dressed in your costume to discover the tricks along the trails! Start your adventure at the Sherwood House by picking up a self-guided booklet, follow the clues, then head back to the Sherwood House to collect your treats! Registration
Habitat Restoration Team 2026 Dates September 12 10am-noon;September 26 10am-noon October 24 2pm – 4pm; October 31 2pm – 4pm November 7 2pm – 4pm; November 21 2pm – 4pm December 5 2pm – 4pm; December 19 2pm – 4pm If you wish to schedule a group of 3 or more, contact: CVPWeedWarriors@gmail.com. We may be
Cromwell Valley Park Office
(Sherwood House)
2002 Cromwell Bridge Rd
Parkville, MD 21234
GPS: 39.415, -76.552
Phone: 410-887-2503
TDD: 410-887-5319
Willow Grove Nature Education Center
2175 Cromwell Bridge Rd
Parkville, MD 21234
GPS: 39.417, -76.548
Please remember that the Park itself is open only during daylight hours, sunrise to sunset.
In case of inclement weather, the Nature Center and activities follow Baltimore County Pubic Schools. Check the BCPS Website for the latest information on closing. If closing early, all evening activities at the Park are cancelled.
On Saturdays and Sundays when the office is closed, you may call the Nature Education Center.
Note: The addresses (2002 and 2175) are really for Post Office use. If used on a GPS, they may take you to a strange place in the park, or leave you on the main road. Use the GPS coordinates instead.
The Cromwell Valley Park Council (CVPC) is a volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to the stewardship of Cromwell Valley Park as a public space for passive recreation and School Programs. The CVPC works in cooperation with the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks and other entities to maintain, preserve and protect the natural environment and historic structures in the Park.
The Cromwell Valley Park Council is not an official site for Baltimore County Government.