Maryland Native Plant Society Monthly Program: Rachel Carson’s Wonder, Wisdom, and Local Legacy presented by Rebecca Henson

August 25, 2026, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Hybrid Meeting (Zoom or In Person): Central Maryland Research and Education Center (CMREC), 4240 Folly Quarter Road, Ellicott City, MD 21042

Hosted by the Maryland Native Plant Society The program is free and open to the public.

Rachel Carson (1907‒1964) was a world-renowned writer and trained biologist and is considered by many as the mother of the modern environmental movement. She lived her adult life in Maryland, first as a graduate student at Johns Hopkins and then moving to Montgomery County for closer proximity to her civil service work in College Park and Washington, DC. This talk will provide an overview of Carson's life and written works, discussing her courage, ecological philosophy, and clear-eyed wonder in the natural world around us, including the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River, Rock Creek Park, and the Chesapeake Bay. It will also explore why Carson wrote her final book, Silent Spring, how it succeeded in shifting public perception about the environment, and where she had hoped her career would go next. Rebecca will briefly share the plans for the creation of the Springsong Museum in Silver Spring, a vibrant community museum celebrating Rachel Carson, a place where visitors of all ages will connect to the natural world through her work and example.