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Protecting Anne Arundel County's Land and Water for 30 Years!

Scenic Rivers Land Trust Newsletter 
December 2019
Who We Are • What We Do • Support Us
The Year in Review
A Roundup of Our Favorite Moments of 2019

As we head into a new year, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the year that is quickly coming to a close—2019 was a big year for Scenic Rivers! We set ambitious goals and our community of land conservation supporters came together in big ways to help us achieve them.

As we gear up for what is to come in 2020, it is a joy to share these successes from the past year. Here are our highlights from 2019:
  • We permanently protected 285 acres of ecologically valuable land in Anne Arundel County.
  • We are now a nationally accredited land trust—one of only five accredited local land trusts in Maryland. 
  • We kicked off our celebration of the 30th anniversary of our very first conservation easement with Walk for the Woods and culminated with our first-ever Conservation Celebration gala. 
  • We invested in upgraded technology, launched a completely redesigned website, and hired two new staff members.
  • And, of course, we said a fond farewell to our long-time executive director, Rick Leader. We were touched by the warmth and enthusiasm that followed when Sarah Knebel was promoted to take the helm.
We did all of this thanks to a committed community of supporters.

Reflecting on the past year reminds us how thankful we are for supporters who believe in the extraordinary power of land protection and the value of the work that we do. And, we are thankful for everyone who joins us in protecting our county’s land and water.

Cheers to 2020!

Read the full blog post, including descriptions of the properties we conserved this year, via the link below.
Read More
Monitoring Season Coming to a Close
68 Easements Visited Before the End of the Year

Our new stewardship coordinator, Lindsay Smith, along with a team of volunteer land stewards, has been very busy wrapping up our remaining stewardship visits before the end of the year. Most monitoring visits happen in the fall or toward the end of the year when leaves are off trees and visibility is best.

Scenic Rivers conducts annual monitoring visits and reporting for each of our 68 conservation easements. This is our opportunity to track what is happening on the land, ensure all activities conform to the requirements of the easement and identify potential issues before they advance.

Two recent visits took us to vastly different parts of the county to meet with landowners who have at least two things in common: love for the land and a desire to protect our natural resources.

Follow the link below to read more about those visits.
Read More
Scenic Rivers Teaming Up with Arundel Rivers Federation for a Post-Holiday Hike
Join us on Saturday, January 4, 2020, at 10 am for a hike of Bacon Ridge Natural Area

Kick off the new year and walk off those holiday treats with a Post-Holiday Hike at the beautiful Bacon Ridge Natural Area in Crownsville!

Arundel Rivers Federation and Scenic Rivers Land Trust are partnering to take you on a guided hike of this 1000+ acre public asset at the heart of our county. Staff from each organization will be on hand to point out important ecological features of the area, discuss why we work to protect and restore our county’s natural, undeveloped areas, and share how you can get involved.

The hike is open to all ages and skill levels, though please note that these are unpaved trails and the terrain can be hilly. The hike will be approximately 1-2 miles.

This event is free, but registration is required.
Register Now
PS Don't forget to save the date for our 2020 Maryland Day Weekend History Hike at Bacon Ridge on Saturday, March 21, 2020. Two hikes will be offered, one at 10 am and one at 1 pm. Registration will open at the end of January.
Sponsorship Opportunity: Walk for the Woods 2020

Scenic Rivers is pleased to offer sponsorship opportunities for the 15th annual "Walk for the Woods" scheduled for Saturday, April 25, 2020, at Bacon Ridge Natural Area in Crownsville. Scenic Rivers will again partner with Anne Arundel County’s Department of Recreation and Parks to offer a wonderful opportunity to hike and explore this beautiful wilderness just minutes from downtown Annapolis. 

Sponsorship of the Walk allows Scenic Rivers to continue to host this popular, free outdoor community event that brings over 300 residents each year into our natural world, and ensures that we can continue preserving and protecting the open lands that make Anne Arundel County a vibrant and healthy home for us all. Sponsorship support is vital to our mission of conserving natural and scenic areas within the Herring Bay and Severn, South, Patuxent, Rhode, and West River watersheds to protect the quality of air, water, and life that we all enjoy. 

The community loves this event and sponsors will receive recognition though signage, shirts, word of mouth, and programmatic information.

Learn more and sign up to sponsor online via the link below.
Sponsor Now
Thank you to these generous 2020 Walk for the Woods sponsors!

Save the Date: GreenGive 2020 to be held May 12th and 13th
Scenic Rivers Will Again Partner with Local Environmental Groups to Raise Funds for the Greener Good
 
Please mark your calendar to Give for the Greener Good during the 4th annual GreenGive on May 12th and 13th, 2020. Several Anne Arundel County environmental nonprofits will once again host this 24-hour online fundraising initiative designed to both raise funds and expand residents’ and businesses’ engagement with local environmental organizations, issues, projects, and actions.  A GreenGive Live kickoff party will be held Tuesday, May 12, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. 
 
More information and a list of GreenGive Partner Organizations can be found at www.greengive.org.

Read more and learn how your organization can participate via the link below.
Read More
Scenic Rivers' Executive Director Sarah Knebel attended the Land Trust Alliance's Chesapeake Watershed Conservation Finance Intensive Workshop this week at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The multi-day training course covered innovative and effective financing strategies for land and resource conservation, restoration, and stewardship. In the photo, she is joined by executives from other Maryland-based land conservation organizations.
In the News
  • Forever Maryland Foundation Launched. Forever Maryland has been created to undertake a bold agenda to meet the need for a nongovernmental organization with a Maryland-specific focus on land conservation. Read more in this press release from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
  • Anne Arundel, Howard take steps to preserve trees as researchers develop a map of forest loss across Maryland. Aerial images being gathered now could settle a disagreement between environmentalists and builders about whether tree cover is dwindling as new housing and shopping centers pop up around the state. Read more in this article from The Baltimore Sun.
  • Climate changes menu of tree species Watershed Stewards Academy plans for new tree planting program. The Anne Arundel Watershed Stewards Academy received $200,000 from the county in its fiscal 2020 budget to create a tree planting program. Read about how the program will account for climate change in this article from The Capital.
  • Life in the Litter. The dead leaves, dried stems and yard debris of winter sustain a host of wildlife species. Learn about the wildlife that thrives in your seemingly dormant backyard throughout the winter in this article from the National Wildlife Federation.
Ways to Give

End-of-year giving season is upon us! There are many ways to support Scenic Rivers' mission to protect the places we love, from donating a conservation easement to making a financial gift to volunteering at our annual Walk for the Woods.

Follow these links to learn how you can get involved:
Your support helps us conserve Anne Arundel County's natural and scenic lands faster—before it's too late!
Donate Today!
Thank you to these generous local sponsors for supporting the first-ever Conservation Celebration!
Who We Are • What We Do • Support Us
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Copyright © 2019 Scenic Rivers Land Trust, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
PO Box 2008, Annapolis, Maryland 21404

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