Land Trust eNews: August 2021

Beer, Brides, Brawls and Brussel Sprouts, Part 2!

MET is please to announce the second act to the highly acclaimed 2017 Land Conservation Conference session, Beer, Brides, Brawls and Brussel Sprouts. 

The first session featured methods and approaches by various State agencies and land trusts to address the ongoing stewardship and management techniques for events and other economic opportunities that allow current and next generations to stay on their easement lands.

Save the date! MET's next Land Trust Roundtable on Tuesday, November 9 will revisit and explore this timely and increasingly important issue. Stay tuned for details.

43 Acres of Forest Near Emmorton Protected

Forty-three acres of forest at the southern end of Patterson Mill Road near Emmorton are now permanently protected. Thanks to the generosity of Edward Pitts, 87, his wife, and children, the property will always be an oasis in the heart of Harford County’s Development Envelope. The Pitts family donated a permanent conservation easement to the Harford Land Trust and the Maryland Environmental Trust in July 2021. Read more.

Major Grant Award Sets Up for Environmental Justice in Woodlawn

NeighborSpace is incredibly excited to announce that it has been awarded $61,353 in grant funding to improve Powhatan Park in Lochearn. Because maintaining and improving this park has been such an ongoing concern, this award is a major shot in the arm. For those unaware, Powhatan Park is located in a largely working-class African-American community in Lochearn (also considered Woodlawn or Gwynn Oak). The story began in 2009 when NeighborSpace purchased the site. Read more.

Annapolis’ Capt. Burtis House To Be Renovated As Part Of City Dock Revitalization Effort

Preservationists say the Capt. William H. Burtis House, just off the water next to the Annapolis City Dock is a gateway to Annapolis’ past. The small house at 69 Prince George Street is one of the last remaining 19th century watermen’s cottages in the area that used to be known as Hell’s Point. The building has been vacant for the last few years but now Preservation Maryland and the city of Annapolis want to revive it as the city prepares for a major makeover of City Dock. Read more.

AFT Helps Beginning Farmers Find Land in the BBC Documentary “Generation Farmer”

American Farmland Trust knows it can be a rough road for beginning farmers seeking to start careers in agriculture. From accessing land and capital to deciding what crops to grow, there are a lot of challenges and decisions for new farmers to make. A BBC World News documentary tackles this issue head-on and highlights some of the progress AFT has made with young farmers in New York’s Hudson Valley. Series 1, Episode 3 is titled “Generation Farmer” and covers the challenges facing new farmers around the world and the initiatives that provide them a helping hand — “future proofing farming and food production”. Read more.

New Directory from the Woodland Stewardship Education Program

Following the publication of the Woodland Health Practices Handbook and Assessment Checklist in 2020, and the Natural Area Management Services webinar series last fall and this past spring, the Woodland Stewardship Education program is providing businesses an opportunity to become listed in a new directory. This Green Services Providers directory is for businesses in Maryland that provide land care services such as controlling invasive plant species, planting and/or maintaining riparian buffers, small woodlot tree harvesting, and much more. The online directory will enable customers to search for providers based on a dozen different land care practices.

To have your business listed, please visit https://go.umd.edu/GSP-directory and complete the form found at the “Submission Form” button. Each submission will be reviewed before being included in the directory.