Selinger Marsh lies in the rain shadow of the Appalachian Mountains — this area receives the least rainfall in Maryland. Springs on the surrounding slopes, however, provide the water for the Marsh, making it an unusual wetland in a otherwise very dry region.
Please park carefully on the roadside and find a deer track or opening in the forest to orienteer yourself uphill towards this cache. Wear long pants and boots, because poison ivy is very present in this forest. Respect the preserve and keep it as untouched as possible by not removing any plants, animals or rocks.
This preserve has a hunting program for white-tailed deer to keep the population healthy and in balance with the environment. While enjoying Maryland's great outdoors during hunting season, remain mindful of hunters and wear orange for your safety. For more information, visit the Department of Natural Resources web site.
What to See at the Preserve:
Plants:
-
State-rare fringe-tipped gentian
-
Arrowhead, monkey-flower, cardinal flower, New England aster, great blue lobelia, water plantain, blue flag, silky dogwood, alder, and elderberry
Animals:
Keep in mind the preserve guidelines when visiting a Nature Conservancy Preserve:
To protect the health of the preserve for generations to come, and to ensure the safety of all visitors, the following activities are not allowed:
- Picking flowers, mushrooms, etc.; removing rocks or other parts of the landscape.
- Smoking.
- Camping, fires or cookouts.
- Driving motorized vehicles, including ATV’s, except on designated access roads.
- Biking.
- Fishing, trapping, or hunting, except as otherwise posted.
- Bringing dogs onto the preserve.
- Horseback riding.
- Feeding wildlife.
- Releasing animals or introducing plants.
- Disposing of trash or other waste, including biodegradable materials.
In addition, in order to minimize the impact visitors have on the preserve, please:
- Use trails.
- Avoid walking in wet, boggy areas.
- Inspect pant legs and shoes to remove seeds before entering and when leaving the preserve. Failure to do so could introduce unwanted weeds to new locations.
- If you flush a ground nesting bird - stop and avoid walking near the nest area.
- Observe all posted signs.
- Please do not remove stakes, signs, flagging, tape or other objects - they might be part of a research project.
- Please do not trespass on private property adjacent to the preserve.
Thank you for being respectful of the preserve and the geocache, and have fun exploring this preserve!