School Field Trip Transportation Grants sponsored by the Friends of Oregon RidgeCLICK HERE ►
Register for our Naturalist-Led Hikes – Me and My Pup on the Ridge or Senior StrollCLICK HERE ►
Learn about Volunteer Opportunities – Stewardship Work DaysCLICK HERE ►
About the Friends of Oregon Ridge and the Oregon Ridge Nature Center Council, Inc.
Formed in 1982, the Oregon Ridge Nature Center Council, Inc. is the private, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) membership-based organization that sponsors and promotes nature-based events, programs and projects, and champions stewardship at Oregon Ridge Nature Center and Park. In 2025, we adopted the name Friends of Oregon Ridge to better reflect our longstanding dedication to the park we love.
The Bylaws of the Oregon Ridge Nature Center Council, Inc. are available for download. CLICK HERE ►
The 2025 BCRP and ORNCC Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is available for download. CLICK HERE ►
We’d like to invite you to become a member of the Friends of Oregon Ridge.
AS A MEMBER OF THE FRIENDS OF OREGON RIDGE, YOU WILL:
- Receive your choice of a hard copy (U.S. Mail) or digital version of the Friends quarterly Trailblazer Newsletter which includes a program calendar.
- Members can now enjoy reciprocal benefits at over 150 Nature Centers nationwide. https://natctr.org/membership/reciprocal-program
- Take pride in knowing that your membership fees are used to enhance the experience for everyone who visits the Park, including:
- Displays, exhibits and improvements both inside and outside the Nature Center building.
- This Friends of Oregon Ridge website.
- Garden and trail maintenance equipment and supplies.
- Seasonal Events and the Pancake Breakfast.
- The Trailblazer Newsletter, and Online Membership and Registration Management Software.
- The Friends of Oregon Ridge College Scholarship program for students pursuing careers in the environmental sciences.
Checks should be made payable to Friends of Oregon Ridge and mailed to Friends of Oregon Ridge c/o Oregon Ridge Nature Center, 13555 Beaver Dam Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030.
Please Note: Previously, priority registration and discounts were made available to council members for all programs taking place at Oregon Ridge Nature Center and Park. However, due to the new Baltimore County Recreation and Park Reimagine Initiative, those benefits are no longer available for BCRP staff-run programs. The priority and discount benefits are still available for Friends of Oregon Ridge Members when registering for a Friends of Oregon Ridge sponsored program that is processed via the Wild Apricot Online Registration Site. (Speaker Series, Oregon Ridge Dulcimers, weekday Hiking Programs and more.) You can expect to see many more program offerings from the Friends of Oregon Ridge as we grow into our new role to Protect, Restore, Enhance and Educate at Oregon Ridge Park.
We encourage you to donate to the Friends of Oregon Ridge in any amount you can afford, even if you are not a member. Your donations will be used to support our mission here at Oregon Ridge Nature Center and Park.
All fees and donations collected by the Friends of Oregon Ridge remain at Oregon Ridge Nature Center and Park. Registration fees for BCRP Staff-run programs via the Baltimore County Recreation and Parks CivicRec website do not stay at Oregon Ridge Nature Center and Park; they are directed to a general Recreation and Parks fund for all of Baltimore County.
To donate online use the link below to go to our secure site or you can mail a check payable to Friends of Oregon Ridge to the Friends of Oregon Ridge c/o Oregon Ridge Nature Center, 13555 Beaver Dam Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030.
FRIENDS OF OREGON RIDGE MEETINGS
All Members are encouraged to attend the Friends of Oregon Ridge Annual Meeting and Celebration on the first Tuesday in June.
The Friends of Oregon Ridge Executive Board meets at 7:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month, except July and August.
FRIENDS OF OREGON RIDGE EXECUTIVE BOARD
Council Officers
- Winny Tan, President
- Roscoe Possidente, Vice President
- Karen Jackson, Secretary
- Gary Anderson, Treasurer
Directors at Large
- Sindhu Moon
- Brian Nelson
- Mike Gillispie
- Cathy Litofsky
Standing Committee Chairs
- Budget and Audit – Mark Gingerich
- Communications – Kathy Kadow
- Environmental Issues – Don Callihan
- Exhibits – Elaine Kasmer
- Fundraising – Roscoe Possidente
- Grants – Gary Anderson
- Stewardship – Don Callihan
- Membership – Debbie Bacharach
- Newsletter – Diana Andrews
- Programming – Kathy Kadow
- Public Relations – Michelle Boyle
- Scholarship – Donna Neuworth
- Speakers Series – Martha Johnston
- Volunteers – Judy Breitenbach
FRIENDS OF OREGON RIDGE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Each year the Friends of Oregon Ridge awards scholarships to college-bound, high school seniors from Baltimore County and Baltimore City. Recipients must show a high level of commitment to the health of the environment and plan to continue their studies in environmental science and nature education.
Oregon Ridge Community Garden
The Community Garden at Oregon Ridge consists of 85 10’ x 10’ plots that are rented for a season that runs from early March through mid-November. Gardeners are expected to work their plots weekly and must give 4 hours of service (over the course of the season) on projects that benefit the garden as a whole. This service is performed at Community Garden Work Days which are scheduled twice a month.
Deer Fencing along with shared garden tools and wheelbarrows are provided. Other features include a water hydrant and hose system, a parking pad specifically for Community Gardeners and compost bins.
There is always a waitlist for plots in the garden. Gardeners joining the waitlist after the start of the season are usually assigned a plot within one year, those willing to pick-up a plot mid-season are usually assigned a plot much sooner.
Beginning with the 2025 gardening season, the Community Garden will be managed by Baltimore County Recreation and Parks.
If you would like more information about the Oregon Ridge Community Garden please contact BCRP staff at OregonRidgeNatureCenter@BaltimoreCountyMD.gov.
History
An industrial village developed at the edges of the present-day meadow just to the north of what is now the Nature Center. Workers lived in tenant houses (one of which has been reconstructed along the walkway to the Nature Center) conveniently located near the ore and marble pits and furnace complex. Many of the workers were Irish immigrants or emancipated slaves. Towns such as Oregon Ridge were common in the industrial northeast United States by the mid-19th century.
Historic Photo of the Swimming Facility
SWIMMING AT OREGON RIDGE LAKE
In later years, one of the quarries became a popular swimming venue. First owned and operated by the Kurtz Family, the land was purchased by Baltimore County in 1969.
Baltimore County Recreation and Parks operated the Oregon Ridge Swimming Facility until it was closed in 2013. Since then, the Lake Area has been repurposed for Nature Center Programming, Pavilion Rentals and Picnicking.
Please Note that Swimming or Fishing at the Lake is Prohibited!
Photo of the Nature Center Building
OREGON RIDGE NATURE CENTER
Constructed in 1983, the Nature Center building houses wildlife and nature displays to delight all ages, as well as a library and auditorium for BCRP and Friends of Oregon Ridge sponsored events, programs and meetings.
The Nature Center offers a variety of exhibits explaining the history, wildlife and natural environment of the park. Inside are exhibits of the local fauna and flora and displays of our archaeological findings. Our wildlife exhibits include live snakes, turtles, fish, amphibians, honeybees and other creatures.
