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May 2021 | Land Trust eNews
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Maryland Environmental Trust Spotlight |
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Welcome Josette!
Josette W. Markline has a breadth of experience in the environmental realm from most recently working as a Compliance Associate for the Maryland Environmental Service, conducting environmental audits, to volunteering with the U.S. Peace Corps for an ecotourism group in the Dominican Republic. She also previously worked for DNR as a Park Ranger in the Maryland Park Service at Patapsco Valley and Seneca Creek State Parks.
Josette received a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Gettysburg College and a master’s degree in environmental management from University of Maryland Global Campus. She is compassionate about conservation of green spaces and dreams of a Maryland that one day has one contiguous green corridor. She is excited to begin meeting landowners and local land trusts and looks forward to developing strong relationships for the continued success of the Stewardship Program and MET’s overall mission.
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New Technology for Easement Monitoring
The Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) and Lower Shore Land Trust (LSLT) were jointly awarded a grant from the Land Trust Alliance and The Nature Conservancy-California to pilot state-of-the-art technology for monitoring land conservation easements.
This grant will allow LSLT and MET to use a new technology in support of annual conservation easement monitoring and ongoing outreach and contact with landowners. This new technique uses high-definition aerial and satellite imagery that may provide a new tool for visiting hard to reach properties over time and complete site evaluations in much less time than traditional “boots-on-the-ground” monitoring visits. Read more.
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Conservation Success on the Bush River
After nearly a decade of work, Harford Land Trust succeeded in eliminating 13 historic building lots, covering over 120 acres, on the east bank of the Bush River near Sod Run. The area is part of the last remaining “flatwoods” in Harford County. Important environmental features include vernal pools, which are seasonally flooded non-tidal wetlands, large specimen trees, and rich habitat for rare species. Read more.
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Baltimore Land Trusts Plug Away at Vision for Development Without Displacement
Sometime later this year, or early next, the South Baltimore Community Land Trust will cut the ribbon on its first project: eight new, energy-efficient housing units behind Benjamin Franklin High School, sold to people in the Curtis Bay neighborhood who earn less than 50 percent of the area median income, and kept affordable in perpetuity through community control of land. Read more.
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Across the Generations: Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Interviews Charlie Conklin
Charlie became involved in the Chesapeake Bay world by first volunteering in the early 1990s with Gunpowder Conservancy. He learned the value of the natural world and why the environment was so important. Charlie also gives credit to his wife, who worked at Johns Hopkins and got them to participate in the “certificate of environmental studies.” Read more.
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Signs of Otters? Our Secret Neighbors
(Includes video captured by ACLT trail cam!)
North American river otters are found throughout most of the United States and Canada, except for arid portions of the southwest. In our area, they are found in rivers and streams, and along the Chesapeake Bay coast and make their dens in embankments along the waterways. Read more.
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Tools, Tech and Tutorials |
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 Cornell’s eBird Tool Helps Conservation Organizations
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology eBird and Cornell LT Bird Conservation Initiative staff will present an interactive workshop demonstrating the power of eBird, an online bird checklist program, and eBird science data to support engagement with partners, landowners, and the birding community.
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 Have You Visited the Smart Growth Clearinghouse?
The Smart Growth Information Clearinghouse is a project of the Smart Growth Network and is partially funded by the U.S. EPA, Office of Community Revitalization, and managed by the Maryland Department of Planning. The project includes, webinars, blogs and other online resources.
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 New Public Mapping App for Anne Arundel County
County Executive Steuart Pittman announced the release of a new countywide mapping application, My Anne Arundel, which will allow residents to view and interact with a variety of county datasets, including capital improvement projects, planning and zoning, and transportation
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Getting Ready (Finally) to Build Local Climate Resilience
Previously Recorded (May 18) | Free
Panelists discussed the emergence of a state government resilience framework, the potential for water infrastructure investments, and how small and medium size communities can advance their resilience. Learn more.
Symposium on Advanced Legal Topics in Land Conservation
June 10-11 | Registration Fee
Distinguished faculty will deliver up-to-date information impossible to find at any other single program on timely topics in conservation law. Attendees will leave with practical tips they can put to use immediately upon return to the office. Learn more.
Climate Adaptation for Land Trusts – Short Course
June 9-30 | Registration Fee
This online short course is designed for land trusts actively working on stewardship projects in rural, suburban and urban forests, forested watersheds and wetland systems. Climate vulnerability and management information will be targeted to ecosystems in the Eastern United States. Learn more.
NatureCity Forum: Supporting Vibrant Communities Through Nature
June 16-17 | Free
Join Greater Baltimore Wilderness Coalition in a two-day dialogue to explore themes such as equitable access to green space, community engagement, green infrastructure, the health benefits of nature, and much more. Learn more.
2021 Maryland Land Conservation Conference
July 13-14 | Registration Fee
Join the Forever Maryland Foundation for the only statewide land conservation conference in Maryland (formerly hosted by Maryland Environment Trust) where the land trust community and its partners come together to connect, learn, share, and celebrate our collective work. This year's indoor/outdoor conference features keynote speakers, luncheon programs, an evening reception and an array of sessions hosted by distinguished leaders in land conservation along with preservation planning with your local government officials. Learn more.
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Black and Latinx Birders Scholarship
Deadline: June 18, 2021
Are you a Black birder or Brown birder that lives in the contiguous US and identifies as Black, African-American, and/or Latinx/e/a/o? Are you also an undergraduate student studying in STEM? Apply for the annual Black and Latinx Birders Scholarship, today!
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Mark Your Calendar: Free Fishing Days
Multiple Dates
License-free fishing days are almost here! Fish Maryland's tidal and nontidal waters without a license on June 5, June 12, and July 4. Read more about Maryland's Free Fishing Days and other free fishing opportunities on DNR's website.
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2021 Sustainable Growth Awards
Deadline: July 23, 2021
Nominate worthy people and projects today. Self-nominations are accepted! Award application and guidelines are available at the MDP's Award Nominations page. The awards promote exemplary work that represents innovation, conservation, and community impact.
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Secretary’s Message: May 2021 May in Maryland means time for boats, birds, and cicadas! May also marks the return of another beloved Maryland tradition — Park Quest.
Celebrate World Bee Day: May 20 Bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and hummingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activities.
What They Are Saying: “America the Beautiful” Initiative Leaders across the business, agriculture, hunting, fishing, and conservation communities have joined Tribal leaders in applauding the Biden-Harris Administration’s “America the Beautiful” initiative.
Governors say a ‘Billion for the Bay’ will help clean up the Chesapeake Governors from Chesapeake Bay watershed states are urging Congress to spend an additional billion dollars on Bay restoration efforts.
County Receives Grant for Westdale Stream Relocation and Restoration Project Charles County is excited to announce a partnership with the Department of Housing and Community Development for the Westdale Stream Relocation and Restoration Project.
New Wave of Streamside Forest Plantings Needed Forested buffers along waterways could go a long way toward improving local water quality, mitigating climate change and saving the Chesapeake Bay.
Create Renewable Energy but Don’t Destroy Open Space A recent article discussing environmental concerns about renewable energy highlighted the central issue around achieving carbon emission goals.
Anglers Hook Rare Sturgeon in Potomac The line had snagged the back of a shortnose sturgeon, a relic of the age of dinosaurs that is rarely seen in the Chesapeake Bay or its rivers — and not reported at all in more than a dozen years.
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Share Your News
If you would like to share relevant conservation news, success stories, announcements or events with Maryland's land trusts and conservation partners through this publication, please contact Michelle Grafton by the first of each month at michelle.grafton@maryland.gov.
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