Visit CERA

CERA is located on the UMBC campus and near sites you may already be familiar with on campus.

A dense forest with tall trees, scattered fallen branches, and sunlight filtering through the canopy onto a floor of dry leaves and patches of green undergrowth.

A lush forest with a thick‑trunked central tree surrounded by dense green foliage, smaller trees, and a leaf‑covered forest floor lit by soft, filtered sunlight.

Directions to CERA

The bridge leading to the trail’s entrance is searchable on Google Maps as “The CERA Trail”. You can also use the directions listed below, with links to Google Maps, as a guide.

  1. Start at Admin Circle, also known as “Welcome Circle”, adjacent to Administration Drive Garage.
  2. Follow the sidewalk parallel to the garage and along Hilltop Circle.
  3. Turn right at the crosswalk to cross Hilltop Circle.
  4. Turn left and continue down the sidewalk along Hilltop Circle.
  5. Stay to the right to follow the sidewalk toward the wooden bridge; at the bridge you will see a sign for “Herbert Run Greenway”.
  6. Follow the bridge into Research Park (everything you pass to the right of the bridge is the smaller section of CERA).
  7. Walk through the research park and cross Research Park Drive.
  8. Walk towards Herbert Run Greenway signage and enter the pathway leading into the woods (you are now entering the larger section of CERA).
  9. Follow the path into CERA; the yellow blazes mark the Herbert Run Greenway and the white blazes mark the CERA Interpretive Trail.

CERA Map

An aerial campus map outlining the Conservation & Environmental Research Areas (CERA) with a dashed green boundary, showing labeled trails, buildings, wooded areas, ponds, athletic fields, nearby roads, and a scale bar with north arrow.
Conservation & Environmental Research Areas (CERA) is made up of two parts, a smaller section and larger section, and can be explored using walking trails.

Explore CERA Interpretive Trail

CERA Rules

Please do not disturb or remove anything from CERA. “Take only photographs; leave only footprints.”

CERA Safety

Stay on the Trail!

A forest in autumn with tall trees showing yellow and orange leaves, a narrow dirt path running through the center, and a white rectangular trail marker painted on one tree trunk above a ground covered in fallen leaves.

Blazes, or painted rectangles on trees, are used along the trails in CERA to mark the path. Yellow blazes mark the Herbert Run Greenway trail and white blazes mark the CERA Interpretive Trail.

Six illustrated tree trunks display different white‑rectangle trail blazes indicating straight ahead, right turn, left turn, trail start, trail end, and trail intersection.

Blaze placement is meant to tell you the direction the trail is taking.

For example, a single blaze means the trail continues straight, while two blazes next to each other can mean the trail turns either left or right.

Watch out for Poison Ivy!

A graphic showing a three‑leaflet green poison‑ivy leaf beside text explaining that the plant can cause an itchy rash, that all parts of it are poisonous, and that hikers can protect themselves by staying on trails, wearing long clothing, and learning to recognize the “leaves of three” pattern.

Poison ivy is a woody vine that can be found within CERA. Poison ivy can cause a skin rash that can be very itchy and painful. A common saying people use to remember how to identify poison ivy is “Leaves of three, let it be!”

The entire plant (leaves, stems, and roots) is poisonous, so you want to avoid touching any part of the poison ivy plant.

You can protect yourself by (1) staying on the trails, (2) wearing long sleeves, pants, and tall socks, and (3) knowing what poison ivy looks like so you avoid coming in contact.

Poison ivy usually looks like a woody vine that grows on trees, but it can also grow not on trees and can look pretty different depending on the age of the plant. This can make it hard to identify. Check out this picture gallery to learn how to identify poison ivy.

A small green plant with three leaflets grows among a layer of brown, yellow, and orange fallen leaves on the forest floor, standing out sharply against the autumn background.
Source: UMBC

Poison ivy has three leaves growing out of one stem that connects to a vine. The vine can grow on the ground or on other plants, like trees. The edges of leaves can be fairly smooth (like this picture), but also can be wavy, lobed, or toothed.

A close view of a tree trunk with yellow‑leaved vines climbing around it, surrounded by grass and other vegetation in a wooded area during autumn.
Source: UMD Extension

The leaf color can change depending on the season. Poison ivy leaves are usually green in the spring and summer and can turn colors like yellow or red in the fall.

A close-up of a tree trunk wrapped in thick woody vines, with a small cluster of three green leaflets—characteristic of poison ivy—emerging among them, set against a softly blurred green forest background.
Source: UMD Extension

A poison ivy vine can look different depending on the age of the plant. Older plants have thick, hairy vines. Vines also grow branches that can look like tree branches.

A patch of mixed plants growing close together, including broad green leaves, reddish young leaves, grasses, and a yellow dandelion flower in the upper right, all set in a natural outdoor setting.
Source: UMD Extension

Another way to identify poison ivy is the plant leaves can be shiny. In this photo, the shiny reddish and green leaves in the top left and bottom right is a poison ivy plant.

This information was borrowed from the University of Maryland Extension. You can use the Extension resources to learn more:

How to Identify Poison Ivy

Learn More About Poison Ivy

Be Tick Smart!

A green panel with a black silhouette of a tick beside text explaining that ticks can attach by biting and offering safety tips such as staying on trails, wearing long clothing, and checking for ticks after outdoor activity.

Ticks are small animals that like can be found on leaves or grasses and can attach themselves to your skin by biting you. You can protect yourself from ticks by (1) staying on the trails, (2) wearing long sleeves, pants, and tall socks, and (3) checking for ticks after returning from your walk.

Learn more about ticks in Maryland and how to stay safe.

CERA Pictures

Small green seedlings with slender stems and narrow leaves grow among dried leaves and soil on a sunlit forest floor, with patches of light and shadow filtering through the canopy above.

A forest in autumn with large trees displaying red, orange, and yellow leaves, a dirt path winding through them, a small wooden signpost beside the trail, and the ground covered in fallen leaves.

Close-up of bright green moss growing on a forest floor, surrounded by fallen brown, red, and pale leaves, small twigs, and natural woodland debris. The moss forms a dense patch that contrasts with the scattered autumn leaves around it.

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