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
Friday, August 28; 7:30pm-9:00pm Campfire Cooking Under the Full Moon – Ages 8+. Enjoy a night hike under the full Sturgeon Moon and learn how to cook delicious, simple meals over an open flame! Participants prepare classic campfire dishes while practicing safe fire-building and cleanup techniques. $6/person REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Saturday, August 29; 1:00pm-3:00pm Migrating Monarchs – Ages 5+. An animal that migrates thousands of miles with no map?! How do they do it? Where do they go? Join us as we observe, capture, tag, and release these delicate insects to help track them for science. $3.00/person REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Sunday, August 23; 9:00am-11:00am Forest Bathing – Ages 16+. A technique by which one becomes attuned to the environment through mindful concentration. Based on the Japanese practice known as shinrin-yoku. $12.00/person REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Sunday, August 30; 1:00pm-2:30pm Terrarium Building Workshop – Ages 8+. Build your own miniature world! Participants design glass terrariums using soil, moss, rocks, and plants while learning how these small ecosystems work. A relaxing, hands-on activity that combines creativity, ecology, and a beautiful take-home creation. $12.00/person REGISTRATION REQUIRED
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
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
Fridays, September 4 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
Saturday, September 5 at 12:00pm-1:00pm Escape from Sherwood House – Ages 12+. Join us for a spooky tour of the Sherwood House and try to find the clues to secure your escape! $6.00/person REGISTRATION REQUIRED
When: Saturday September 5th, 2:00 until 4:30 pm Summer Jam Session - Ages 16+. Play along with old time tunes or just stop in for a listen! Bring your instrument and a chair, and join us in the Beech Grove on Sherwood Lawn. In inclement weather, the fun will continue inside Sherwood House or the
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.