Montgomery Parks staff have the rare pleasure of creating a major new park. RHCP is rich in wildlife, waterways, and history.
also my father-in-law.) The M-NCPPC memorandum on naming the park after him cited his“ passion for parks, natural and cultural resources stewardship, outdoor recreation, and education.” Royce has written for PLENTY magazine a few times; in the Spring Sowing issue of 2020 he wrote that the Agricultural Reserve“ is an intentional garden, guarded by law, rooted in history, a private place that serves a public purpose.” Furthermore, he wrote, it is“ a moral recognition of humanity’ s inseparable connection with the earth.” Ferguson recently interviewed Royce for an oral history project, and the park will have an interpretive sign connected to audio clips in which he talks about the history of the Agricultural Reserve and conservation efforts in Montgomery County.
FUTURE PLANS
In October 2024, Royce and his son and I met with park staff who are experts in planning, archaeology, water resources, trail building, and other research and infrastructure as they started building access to the park. They all were and still are so excited to use their complementary skills and knowledge to turn this large, diverse, historically significant site into a park that everyone can enjoy and learn from.( People who work in parks seem to really love their jobs.)
The park is still in its early stages. The Montgomery Parks Foundation is raising funds for interpretive signs, an outdoor classroom, an interactive app to guide and teach visitors as they explore the park, educational programming, and ongoing archaeological and ecological research.“ There are lots of great opportunities to connect the community with education and stewardship of this park,” says Katie Rictor, executive director of the Foundation.
Some of the research into the streams, soils, wildlife, plant life, and long-term health of the park might be conducted by students. The Global Ecology Program at Poolesville High, which is just down the road from the new park, is a magnet program that emphasizes the connections between social sciences, life sciences, and physical sciences. The students do research and stewardship projects each year, and as part of their government studies, they learn about how to protect land for conservation and the politics of parks.“ I would love to see us be able to do some longer-term biodiversity studies,” says Erin Binns, the head of house for global ecology. Rictor says the Foundation is hoping to raise stipends for faculty and students to develop research projects, and they’ re exploring a summer internship program for students to work with naturalists. The park is a rare outdoor laboratory for understanding the natural world as well as human culture and history.“ It’ s national-level history in their local backyard,” says Michaud.
The ongoing research by expert volunteers, park staffers, and possibly students will help the parks department monitor the site and make informed decisions about the future of this park and others in the county. There are plenty of ways for the public to help as well. Volunteers will be welcome to help remove invasive species and participate in future archaeology projects and plant and wildlife surveys.
A dedication ceremony for the Royce Hanson Conservation Park at Broad Run is scheduled for November 1, 2025 at the main entrance to the park, at 21820 Club Hollow Road.
Laura Helmuth is a freelance editor, writer, and consultant specializing in science communication. She is a former editor for Scientific American, the Washington Post, National Geographic, Slate, Smithsonian, and Science. She is a frequent visitor to Montgomery County parks as a hiker, biker, and birdwatcher. plenty I autumn harvest 2025 7