Chesapeake Bay Program

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A study in linear perspective on the Nanticoke River this morning at Cherry Beach Park in Sharptown, Md. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) #chesapeakebay #nanticoke #sunrise #bluemind #outdoors #md #easternshore (at Cherry Park)

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Gulls perch near shore in Solomons, Md., on Oct. 19, 2016. Warm, summer-like weather may have welcomed sunset spectators yesterday, but fall weather is returning this weekend. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) #birds #md #outdoors #nature #sunset #sea #chesapeake #chesapeakebay (at Solomons, Maryland)

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Today's sun sets over the #Patuxent River in Solomons, Md. #chesapeakebay #sunset #md #outdoors (at Solomons, Maryland)

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Reels set for striped bass at the mouth of the Choptank River with Captain Pete Ide on his boat, the Pelican, out of Chesapeake Beach, Md. No bites yet this morning. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) #chesapeake #chesapeakebay #outdoors #md #stripedbass #fishing

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A 40-foot observation tower leads to this view of Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary in Upper Marlboro, Md., seen on Sept. 25. The sanctuary is a winter home to thousands of Canada geese, one of the largest concentrations in the #ChesapeakeBay region. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) #nature #wildlife #outdoors #hikes #md #trails #findyourpark #findyourchesapeake #chesapeake (at Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary)

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Fungi grow on a fallen log at Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg, Md., on Oct. 9, 2016. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) #orange #findyourchesapeake #findyourpark #md #nature #outdoors #chesapeakebay (at Seneca Creek State Park)

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Staff from @allianceforthebay and others participate in a tree identification lesson at the 2016 Chesapeake Watershed Forum earlier this month. Over 2,700 types of native plants inhabit the #ChesapeakeBay watershed. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) #chesforum #nativeplants #chesapeake #nature #outdoors (at National Conservation Training Center)

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A polyphemus moth caterpillar crawls through the forest in Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg, Md., on Oct. 9, 2016. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) #nature #caterpillar #outdoors #forest #findyourchesapeake #findyourpark #chesapeakebay #md #senecacreek (at Seneca Creek State Park)

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A big push of migrating #monarch butterflies stops at Poplar Island, Md., to feed on groundsel trees and other blooming plants on Oct. 6, 2016. @usfws was out doing a survey of the far-traveling insect this morning. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) #Chesapeake #chesapeakebay #nativeplants #butterflies #nature #outdoors

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Tom Wolf, Governor of Pennsylvania, speaks with Gina McCarthy, Environmental Protection Agency (@epagov) Administrator before the Chesapeake Executive Council Meeting on Oct. 4, 2016 at Blandy Experimental Farm in Boyce, Va. It was announced that Pennsylvania will have $28 million in the next year to combat pollution from the commonwealth's agriculture industry, with $12.7 million from @usdagov, $4 million from @epagov, and $11.8 shifted from within the Pennsylvania budget to support pollution-fighting conservation practices for farmers. (Photo by Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson/Chesapeake Bay Program) #Chesapeake #2016ecmeeting #chesapeakebay #pa (at Blandy Experimental Farm)

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It's a rainy morning in a lot of places across the #Chesapeake watershed, including Shepherdstown, W.Va., at the 2016 Chesapeake Watershed Forum hosted by @allianceforthebay. (Video by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) #chesforum (at National Conservation Training Center)

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Happy Birthday, @nationalparkservice! Thank you for inspiring generations to enjoy their outdoors, and for protecting them for generations to come. #nps100 #findyourpark #shenandoah #oldrag (at Shenandoah National Park)

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We spotted a couple #monarch caterpillars on Poplar Island yesterday. The growing monarch larva goes through five instars, or stages, between shedding its skin before forming a chrysalis and turning into the distinctive orange and black butterfly. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) #poplarisland #fws #nature #wildlife #butterfly #milkweed #nativeplants #chesapeakebay (at On Poplar Island, Md.)

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Diamondback terrapin hatchlings collected from nests on Poplar Island await transport to the mainland today. The reptiles will be raised in area schools for release next year. In captivity the reptiles will grow faster than in the wild, giving them a head start and a better chance of survival. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) #poplarisland #fws #chesapeakebay #science #wildlife #nature #diamondbackterrapin #terrapin #reptiles (at Chesapeake Bay, Poplar Island)

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The seed fiend, the American goldfinch, feeds on a solely vegetarian diet. This one was caught at the bird observatory at @chesterriverfieldresearch in May. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) #birds #chesapeakebay #nature #wildlife #science #chesterriver (at Foreman Branch)

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Here is one last look this week at Emmons Pond in Oneonta, N.Y., as the sunset turns to dusk and the beavers come out of their lodge. As a keystone species, beavers can have far reaching impacts on the ecosystem when they alter the flow of #water, and Emmons Pond is no exception. #nature #wildlife #ny #oneonta #natureconservancy #chesapeake #timelapse (at Emmons Pond)

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Dead trees line Emmons Pond in Oneonta, N.Y. Beaver activity years ago raised the water level. #ny #chesapeakebay #susquehanna #natureconservancy #nature (at Emmons Pond)