August 2026 Issue

The Friends

Inside Scoop

“August is the slow, gentle month that stretches out the longest across the span of a year. It yawns and lingers on with the light in its palms." Victoria Erickson

President’s Message

Quiet Waters Park welcomes August with wide-open days and live music every Saturday evening on the lawn. The Black-eyed Suzies opened our summer series on July 25th, leaving six wonderful concerts to go. From patriotic marches to classical and jazz, there is something for every music lover. View the full lineup below, set out your lawn chairs, and enjoy the show!

Visitors to the Park will notice construction machinery, equipment trailers, and temporarily blocked pathways in and around the Visitor Center. Essential renovations are underway to modernize the buildings, especially the 30-year-old infrastructure--including water, electrical, and HVAC systems. This work is being undertaken by Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks. While construction timelines can shift, work is expected to continue through the remainder of 2026 and into 2027. Unfortunately the Art Exhibits will be paused throughout the construction.

Other park amenities will not be affected by this construction, so plan to enjoy the playgrounds, walking trails, the South River Overlook, wide open lawns, and the Reading and Butterfly Garden – all of which remind us of the soothing quality of natural beauty during construction!

As a volunteer organization we work for you to help make Quiet Waters Park the best it can be to meet the community's needs. We have prepared a survey you will find below that we hope you will participate in.

🎶 Summer Concert Season continues!

August 1st: J. Castro
August 8th: Clones of Funk
August 15th: The Kelly Bell Band
August 22nd: Young Cats and Old Souls: Generations of Jazz in the Park
August 29th: Naval Academy Blues & Gold Band
September 6: Annapolis Symphony Orchestra

Food Trucks will be Available at all performances

🎷 A Special Debut Performance

Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 22nd! The Friends of Quiet Waters Park and the Naptown Jazz Kids are teaming up for something truly special: "Young Cats and Old Souls: Generations of Jazz in the Park." 5:30 - 7:30 PM

With this concert we are bringing together incredible local student musicians from the Naptown Jazz Kids network to share the stage with a quartet of seasoned regional jazz veterans. It’s going to be a completely immersive, cross-generational musical dialogue exploring the deep roots and vibrant future of jazz.

See you in the Park!

Warm Regards,

Kristin Pauly, President

August Photo Contest Winner

by Tom O'Brian

Through the eyes of the photographer...

My wife and I enjoy the sunsets at the South River Overlook. I took the photo because of the perspective relative to the sun setting and the colorations imparted by the sun on the flower.

Click Here To Take the Survey

CLICK HERE

Upcoming Events

Heads Up Notice

Night Hike August 12th

Join a Quiet Waters Park Ranger to walk the trails, listen for night sounds, and experience the wonders of the night sky. Learn from DarkSky MD what you can do to help bring back the dark. The second hike of our summer "Night Hikes" is Wednesday, August 12 @ 7:45pm - a new moon means it is much darker! Red light flashlights will be provided. Limit of 20 people; $5 donation requested to benefit the Friends of Quiet Waters Park. Sign up using the below link or the QR Code,

Park Highlights

HISTORY CORNER

Quiet Waters Park is a great place to see eastern bluebirds where you’ll find them all year long. Bluebirds were abundant throughout Eastern North America until the early 1900’s when their populations began declining. Bluebirds always nest in cavities such as abandoned woodpecker holes or cavities that naturally form in tree trunks. Forest clearing and the introduction of foreign invasive bird species caused declines in available nesting sites. Starlings and house sparrows native to Europe are beloved in their native lands and are a part of natural ecosystems there. In North America, however, they aggressively took over the scarce, suitable nest sites needed by our native birds.

Bluebird populations declined by 90% by the 1970’s. In 1978 the Northern

Bluebird Society formed out of concern for the declining populations, advocating for the installation of nest boxes across eastern North America designed specifically for bluebirds. Since then, thousands of bluebird nest boxes have been deployed. Bluebirds have now recovered and their population are currently stable.

For more than 10 years volunteers have maintained and monitored 20 bluebird nesting boxes here in the park. The boxes are shoe box sized made of wood with a small entrance hole and mounted on a wood fence post about 4’-5’ off the ground. A large metal cone shaped baffle on the post below the box keeps predators like snakes and raccoons from climbing in. Boxes are monitored weekly during the April to September nesting season. So far this season well over half the boxes have been/are being used including one Carolina Wren and one Carolina Chickadee family who are cavity nesters too. A majority of the boxes used were used multiple times so far.

Bluebirds typically build nexts from pine needles and lay about 5 eggs.

Female and male

Eastern Bluebirds.

Male Eastern Bluebirds,

male and recent fledglings.

Box #15 is showing its age but still a popular nesting site for bluebirds. Note male bluebird flying in on the upper right.

If you are interested in learning more about all the park's birds, consider joining the monthly morning bird walks on the 3rd Sunday from September through May sponsored by the Anne Arundel Bird Club - Maryland Ornithological Society.

And if you are interested in building (or buying), installing and monitoring your own bluebird nesting box, check out the link below.

Information About Anne Arundel Bird Club

How to Build A Birdbox

August

Bird Bulletin

Courtesy of Kate Neall, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Gambrills

• Are you ready for the Goldfinch Frenzy?

American Goldfinches finish nesting late this

month, so keeping a finch feeder full of their favorite foods (thistle seed/Nyjer and sunflower chips) will keep them happy and visiting you often! Keeping your seed fresh and dry is essential – try not to serve seed older than a month to ensure freshness and be sure to serve it in a clean feeder.

Bird Food Storage Tips:

Always store your bird seed in a cool and dry location - outside of your home in a pest-proof container, if possible.
Never mix old seed with new seed.
During periods of warm weather, it's best to store only the amount of seed that your birds can consume over a two-week period.

• Keep those hummingbird feeders full!

The second brood of hummingbirds will begin to appear at feeders early-to mid-month. You won’t want to miss out on the newly fledged babies!

During the hot and humid summer days, there is a higher risk of mold/mildew and nectar spoilage, so it is important that you change nectar regularly and keep those feeders clean and full of fresh nectar!

Park Activities

Visit Eastern Watersports located in the park for all your on-the-water sports -- kayak, canoe, paddle board and Hobie Cat sailing rentals provider! Eastern Watersports brings a long history of waterfront expertise from their three other locations, and they are eager to become an active part of our park community.

Exciting Summer Events

Running through the end of summer, look out for a variety of special on-the-water events, including:

Sunset & Sunrise Paddles
Pups & Pets on the Water
Complimentary Quiet Cleanup Hours (a great way to help keep our waters beautiful!)

Where to Find Them & Special Perks

Location: Simply follow the parking signs to the Blue Heron Lot and take an easy stroll down to their rental hut.
Concert Series Giveaway: Be sure to attend the upcoming park concert series! Eastern Watersports is generously donating a "A Day on the Waters" prize to one lucky winner at every concert sponsored by the Friends.

To see their full schedule of Eastern Watersports offerings or to book a rental, click on the link below.

Click Here for Eastern Watersports

2026 FQWP Photo Contest

We’re excited to welcome entries for the 12th Annual Friends of Quiet Waters Park Photo Contest. Share your best images of Quiet Waters Park—nature scenes, wildlife, water views, sculptures, seasonal landscapes, and park events. PLEASE NOTE THAT OCTOBER 31 IS THE CUTOFF DATE FOR SUBMITTING YOUR ENTRIES!

Submit Photo Contest Entries

Nature Center Sundays

Join the park ranger every Sunday from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm for Nature Center Sundays, a special opportunity to immerse yourself in the beauty of the outdoors.

2nd Floor Visitors Center

Infant/Toddler Hike

Join Ranger Liz every Tuesday for a fun summer hike! The location changes each week, so ask the gate attendant where we are.

Email Ranger Liz With Questions

Support the Friends

Individual annual memberships help us fund projects & events in the Park.

Become a member today!

Click to Join

Not ready for a membership, but would still like to donate?

Click below to donate today!

Click to Donate

Honor Your Loved One

While Helping Your Favorite Park!

Next time you are in the Visitors Center, visit the Memorial Tribute Tree in the entrance foyer installed by the Friends of Quiet Waters Park and park staff. The tree offers those wishing to honor loved ones an opportunity to purchase gold, silver, and copper leaves and special features such as acorns or mini trees. These will be custom engraved with your personal messages. The engraved feature will be a perpetual tribute to your loved one and proceeds benefit the park.

Click here for more information