600 Quiet Waters Park Road

The Board of Directors of The Friends of Quiet Waters Park (FQWP) is submitting this application to have Quiet Waters Park, a 336 acre Anne Arundel County Park in Maryland, added to the Pollinator Pathway. The FQWP is a non-profit organization with the mission of providing outreach and stewardship to the community, striving for sustainability, improving park resources, and building partnership and opportunities. Quiet Waters Park is operated by the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks.

The park is located just to the south of the city of Annapolis and part of it borders the South River and Harness Creek. Approximately 90% of the acreage is wooded, providing excellent habitat for a variety of birds and woodland fauna, reptiles and insects. There are numerous native ferns, mosses and grasses located within the park in the understory. While there are herbaceous plants that help attract numerous pollinators throughout the park, there are five areas of specific appeal to pollinators including bees and wasps, butterflies and moths, other insects as well as birds and bats:

1. New Meadow (2 acres): all existing grass removed by repeatedly plowing the area over the summer months of 2021. The area now has been seeded with rye as a winter cover crop and with an Ernst Seeds “Mesic to Dry Native Pollinator Mix.” The majority of these seeds are the ecotype for this region. Three Swamp White Oak trees are being planted as part of this area and it includes pedestrian paths.
2. Existing Unmowed Meadows (2 acres): contain numerous stands of milkweed, grasses and other pollinator friendly plants.
3. FQWP Designed Pollinator Garden (1/4 acre): includes an extensive mix of native herbaceous plants and shrubs and is maintained on a weekly basis. Formally called “Reading & Butterfly Gardens and Watershed Experience,” this garden setting aims to be an outdoor classroom for children and adults to enjoy and learn about the local environment. This site is adjacent to a new “pollinator hotel” for bees constructed by the park rangers. Smaller versions of this pollinator hotel will be added in the future in other areas of the park.
4. Demonstration Native Garden located by the Demonstration Compost Area that is maintained by Master Gardeners.
5. Formal Garden next to Visitors Center (1/2 acre): While there are quite a few trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants in this area that provide resources for pollinators, this garden will be transitioning to include more native plants as time and funding permits. As an example, the Bradford Pear trees all were removed this year and replaced with native Sweet Bay Magnolias.

There are two additional areas in the park where new natives are being added this year. A grove of dogwood trees is being planted near the Dog Park and near the Holly Pavilion, in a swampy area, Inkberries, Swamp Rose Mallow, Clethra and Sweet Bay Magnolias will be planted to join the existing Sycamore, Tupelo and Sweet Gum trees.

The approach to planting and maintenance of all the areas of the park by the park superintendent, horticulturalist, park rangers and volunteers involves hand pulling weeds and invasive plants. In 2021 the park participated in “No Mow May.” The overall plan is to further reduce turf grass areas to encourage more meadows. There is no spraying for either mosquitoes or ticks. Herbicides are only used as a last resort in a targeted area, and this would only be done by the horticulturalist.

Below is a partial listing of native trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials that are found at Quiet Waters Park:

TREES SHRUBS
Acer spp. (Maple) Baccharis halmifolia (Groundsel Tree)
Asimina triloba (Paw-Paw) Callicarpa americana (American Beautyberry)
Betula nigra (River Birch) Clethra alnifolia (Sweet Pepperbush)
Carpinus caroliniana (American Hornbeam) Hibiscus moscheutos (Swamp Rose Mallow)
Carya spp. (Hickory) Hydrangea spp. (Hydrangea)
Cercis canadensis (Redbud) Hypericum spp. (St John's Wort)
Cornus florida (Dogwood) Ilex glabra (inkberry)
Fagus grandifolia (American Beech) Ilex spp. (Holly)
Ilex opaca (American Holly) Itea virginica (Virginia Sweetspire)
Juglans nigra (Eastern Black Walnut) Lindera benzoin (Spicebush)
Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar) Rhododendron spp. (Azalea and Rhododendron)
Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet Gum) Rhus spp. (Sumac)
Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Tree) Sambucus (Elderberry)
Magnolia spp. (Magnolia) Viburnum spp. (Arrowwood and Possum-haw)
Nyssa sylvatica (Black Tupelo) Yucca filamentosa (Adam's Needle)
Pinus spp. (Pine)
Prunus spp. (Cherry and Plum)
Quercus spp. (Oak)
Robinia pseudoacacia (Black Locust)
Sassafras albidum (Sassafras)

HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS
Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed)
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterflyweed)
Baptisia australis (False Blue Indigo)
Cephlanthus occidentalis (Buttonbush)
Chelone (Turtlehead)
Chrysogonum virginianum (Green-and-Gold)
Conoclinium coelestinum (Blue Mistflower)
Coreopsis verticillata (Threadleaf Coreopsis)
Eragrostis spectabilis (Purple Love Grass)
Eupatorium fistulosum (Joe-Pye Weed)
Eupatorium perfoliatum (Common Boneset)
Gaillardia aristata (Blanketflower)
Gaura lindheimeri (Pink Gaura)
Heliopsis helianthoides (False Sunflower)
Liatris spicata (Blazing Star)
Lobelia siphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia)
Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass)
Penstemon (Beardtongue)
Phlox maculata (Meadow Phlox)
Pycanthemum muticum (Mountain Mint)
Rhus aromatica (Fragrant Sumac)
Rudbeckia (various) (Black-eyed Susan)
Rudbeckia maxima (Great Coneflower)
Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem)
Sisyrinchium angustifolium (Blue-eyed Grass)
Solidago (various) (Goldenrod)