About the Council

Mission Statement: The Lake Roland Nature Council is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to the stewardship of Lake Roland, a 503-acre nature park, as a public space for passive recreation and educational programs.

The Lake Roland Nature Council works in partnership, as the only approved nature council for Lake Roland (park), with the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks to maintain, preserve and protect the natural environment of the park as well as to maintain, preserve and protect the historic structures, trails and roads in Lake Roland. The responsibilities of the Lake Roland Nature Council regarding the park are within the physical boundaries of Lake Roland. Matters affecting the park that are outside the physical boundaries of the park fall within the purview of our partner, the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks. To support these initiatives and activities within Lake Roland, the Lake Roland Nature Council actively fund raises on behalf of the park for infrastructure projects, restoration projects and equipment that supports these efforts.

Lake Roland Nature Council also supports and assists the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks in the planning of recreational and educational programs and activities that take advantage of the natural and man-made attributes of Lake Roland. These include multiple trails for hiking, biking and strolling; a dog park, pavilions, and waterfront activities such as canoeing and kayaking. The park also offers opportunities to enjoy rare plant life that exists only in the serpentine barrens which the Lake Roland Nature Council diligently works on restoring and preserving.

The Board of Directors of the Lake Roland Nature Council may have up to twenty-one directors and is guided by an Executive Committee consisting of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, an Ex-Officio, and two Members-at-Large. Board members provide guidance and leadership for the committees that spearhead council priorities such as trails maintenance, recreation, environmental issues, and historic preservation.

Board members represent a number of different professional backgrounds and areas of expertise including finance, environmental, construction, forestry, public relations, marketing, international development, legal, and non-profit to name a few. This diversity ensures that Board deliberations benefit from different and varying perspectives with the common goal of improving and preserving Lake Roland.

The Board of Directors of the Nature Council meets at 6:30 pm on the third Wednesday of each month in the new Lake Roland Nature Center. Our meetings are open to the public, so please join us. Download our governing Bylaws (PDF). Our meeting minutes can be viewed here.

Lake Roland Nature Council is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

The Nature Council welcomes new members and volunteers. Download our Membership Form here (pdf).
For more information on our Committees, please click here.

Steve Bruno
Jeffrey Budnitz
Kurt Davis
Jim Flannery
Roger Gookin
Evelyn Hersperger

William Hokemeyer
Beth Hoker
Dorothea Lankford
Peter Lev
Arron Levin
Richard North

Siobhan O’Brien
Lydia Redding
Lissa Rotundo
Carlton Sexton
Gero Verheyen

President
Gero Verheyen

Treasurer
Jeffrey Budnitz

Ex-Officio
Kurt Davis