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240 Join ACT for New Year's Day Beach Walk
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The Assateague Coastal Trust paid tribute to the organization's Founders during the 31st Annual Ilia Fehrer/Judy Johnson New Year's Day Beach Walk. 240 walkers joined ACT at Assateague State Park on January 1 for an entertaining guided tour of the barrier island led by Assateague Island National Seashore Ranger Christopher Seymour. Walkers enjoyed free hot chocolate and cookies after the hike, thanks to ACT volunteers.
The first Assateague Beach Walk was held on January 1, 1970. The newly formed Committee to Preserve Assateague Island hosted the inaugural event to draw attention to Assateague's wild beauty. The committee was created by Ilia Fehrer, Judy Johnson and a few friends who had organized to rally against early plans for a park at Assateague, which included a 25-mile highway and a number of commercial enterprises. Prior to the establishment of a park on the island, Assateague was slated for development as the resort of Ocean Beach, MD. Roads had been built and lots had been sold when a series of 1962 nor'easters interrupted construction. The island was declared a National Seashore in 1965.
After the national and state parks at Assateague were established in a manner compatible with sustaining wildlife and natural barrier island processes, the Committee focused their attention on the land and water of Maryland's coastal bays. The Committee later became the Assateague Coastal Trust, which is recognized today as the oldest environmental education and advocacy organization on the Delmarva Peninsula.
"We all owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Ilia, Judy, and the Founders of the Committee to Preserve Assateague Island," said Assateague COASTKEEPER Kathy Phillips. "Without their vision and dedication, Assateague Island and the coastal bays we know and love today would be unrecognizable."
Click here to view the Beach Walk photo album on ACT's Facebook page. For more information on how you can support the work of the Assateague Coastal Trust and continue the work of Ilia Fehrer and Judy Johnson, please visit www.actforbays.org - donate.
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Monthly Report |
Even The Winter Months Are Busy!
Winter is a time to catch up on office work, follow Legislative matters and monitor for statewide or local policy changes that might adversely effect our watershed. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program of the EPA is monitored in Maryland by the MD Department of the Environment (MDE.) Coastkeeper has been compiling data for NPDES permits in our watershed and reviewing permit renewals. Environmental Site Design (ESD) is a new way of controlling and filtering stormwater runoff from development sites, improving overall water quality in our watershed. A recent ESD workshop, hosted by ACT, was such a success we intend to schedule another workshop this spring. The next workshop will be on a Saturday morning and we'll notify you by email as soon as it's scheduled. Meanwhile, you can learn more about ESD here. Food and Water Watch (FWW,) a national consumer health and environmental advocacy organization in Washington, DC, has been active on the Eastern Shore this winter raising awareness about the dangers of feeding Arsenic to industrially raised chickens. New scientific research reveals that arsenic in poultry feed poses significant risks for both human health and the environment. Researchers estimate that between 20 and 50 metric tons of arsenic is applied to Delmarva farm fields every year in poultry litter. An analysis of Delmarva tap water found higher levels of arsenic where chicken litter is spread on fields than where it is not. Reach more about this Food & Water Watch campaign here. Another interesting project just out from FWW is their mapping of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) in the United States. To see how much of our watershed's agricultural land has been converted to this type of industrialized farming, and to learn more about CAFOs, visit their CAFO Map website. The Coastkeeper recently submitted comments to MDE and EPA related to the State's Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP,) a statewide planning policy to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay's watershed and also better protect our Coastal Bays. Along with other Eastern Shore Riverkeepers, the Coastkeeper suggested the state study the implementation of a program to help farmers grow environmentally smart and marketable 'switch grass' in buffers along their crop fields which will not only help to increase vegetated buffers between crop fields and streams, but can then be sold to fuel 'switch grass' burning heat systems in poultry houses, replacing expensive propane.
ACT and the Coastkeeper also commented against 'pollution trading credits' as a means of meeting the anti-pollution goals of the WIP. |
| Harbor Seals in the Coastal Bays spring 2010. |
Before the Coastkeeper's boat was pulled for spring maintenance and some new bottom paint, a last run up Isle of Wight Bay in January resulted in a harbor seal sighting! This playful species has been visiting our Coastal Bays for the past few years.
I hope to see more in the early spring. They are fascinating to watch and a welcome addition to our wonderfully diverse watershed. |
Monthly Report |
Coast Kids Build "Bee Hotels"
Did you know there is an astonishing diversity of about 4,000 different native bee species in the U.S.? Most of these important pollinators live solitary lives, and are stingless, non-aggressive insects. Native bees, such as mason bees, leafcutter bees, and carpenter bees nest in all sorts of places, such as holes in trees and plant stems. Some bees make domed nests out of mud or plant sap, and some tunnel underground in bare soil. After the population of introduced honey bees diminished in many places due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), native bees became more important for commercial fruit growers.
The Coast Kids enjoyed building bee boxes from wood, and filling the boxes with wood pieces with holes and pieces of phragmites stems (one good use for phragmites, which is an invasive reed). Lastly, the "bee hotels" were decorated, and in the spring Coast Kids can watch bees in their backyards moving in.
A big "Thank You!" to volunteers Dana and Ric Montoya and KJ Postley for helping to prep the bee boxes! |
Saturday, Jan. 29: Coast Kids Explore the New Visitor Center at Assateague Island National Seashore (10:30 - 11:30 a.m.)
Sunday, February 27: Coast Kids Fish Printing at the Ward Museum in Salisbury (2:00 - 3:00 p.m.)
Wednesday, March 2: ACT Annual Meeting, Ocean Pines Library (5:30 p.m.)
Saturday, May 7: ACT Native Plant Sale & Festival at Golden Quarter Farm
For more information or to register for Coast Kids programs, please visit the ACT website or call the office at 410-629-1538.
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Help Support ACT's efforts to preserve the coastal watershed, protect the health of our waterways, and educate the next generation of environmental stewards.
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! |
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WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE WHILE OUR WEBSITE IS 'UNDER CONSTRUCTION.'
You've probably noticed the ACT website, ActForBays.org has been rather 'quiet' lately, and is somewhat outdated. We've been working hard in the background creating a completely new, revised website. It is very exciting and we hope to have the new website ready for prime-time viewing soon. In the meantime, these monthly electronic newsletters will keep you up to date. Thank you!
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Contact Information
ACT Office phone: 410-629-1538 mail@actforbays.org
Coast Kids phone: 410-629-1538 coastkids@actforbays.org
COASTKEEPER phone: 443-235-2014 coastkeeper@actforbays.org
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