We work hard here at NRPA headquarters, so when the time for a staff retreat comes along, we’re sure to pay special attention to the recreation part of our mission to advance parks and recreation. This July, a special opportunity presented itself when Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation Deputy Director of Facility Operations Roslyn Johnson and her team invited us to spend a day at Patuxent River Park. Its most striking feature is of course the river for which the park is named, but as those of us lucky enough to embark on the trip soon discovered, there’s much more to this lovely scenic park.
Bleary-eyed but bolstered by insulated mugs of hot coffee, NRPA staff gathered at dawn, boarded a charter bus and began daydreaming about a pleasant afternoon in the great outdoors and hopefully a bit of time on the river. I think it’s safe to say on behalf of my colleagues that our expectations were more than met.
Kicking off the day, we were presented with a choice of a bike ride or a short trip down the river on the park’s trusty pontoon boat. I chose the boat first — it was capably helmed by park naturalist Greg Kearns, who plied us with anecdotes of his work banding of hundreds of ospreys on the Patuxent River. We cruised close to an osprey nest, marveling at the wild creature resting there and delighted to hear Kearns’ team installed a live osprey camera, where an online portal invited us to check in on the birds and their young. As he glided the boat further down the river, Kearns described other ongoing restoration efforts on its banks, like the planting of wild rice and the eradication of invasive plants.
Our destination — whether by bike or boat — was the Mount Calvert Historical and Archaeological Park, where archaeologists treated us to an explanation of the site, its buildings and future excavation plans. We were invited to explore the “Confluence of Three Cultures” exhibit in the beautifully preserved 1780s plantation house…and then the day’s activities took more of a raucous turn.
In a nearby field, park staff set up a series of games, ranging from tractor races and leaf-blower ball to archery and cherry-picker basketball. These activities were unconventional, to be sure, but they got everyone’s blood pumping and encouraged our competitive spirits!
With visions of a tasty lunch dancing in our thoughts, the groups switched and those of us who arrived by boat took up a bike for the trip back. We meandered along roads flanked by bucolic fields and down tree-covered lanes, eventually arriving back at our starting point to be greeted by an incredible spread courtesy of Johnson and the Patuxent River Park staff.
Over lunch, we and our park and recreation colleagues reminisced about the day and marveled at how lucky we all were to have such a gorgeous park so close to home. Certainly everyone’s appreciation of NRPA’s three pillars — Conservation, Health and Wellness and Social Equity — was heightened by the experience, as we considered all this natural area had to offer in terms of environmental stewardship, encouraging a healthy, active lifestyle, and providing essential educational opportunities to the community.
Samantha Bartram is the Associate Editor of Parks & Recreation Magazine.