February

2026

(Photo Credit: Robin Jenks Vanderlip, Master Gardener & Master Naturalist)

Upcoming Meetings

Steering Committee Meeting

Thursday, March 12th, 2026, 3:00 PM

2026 Events Schedule

Network Updates

A Message from the DRCN Leadership

Dear DRCN Members,

I hope this message finds you well and energized for the year ahead.

As Chair of the Delmarva Restoration and Conservation Network (DRCN), I’m pleased to share that we are actively moving forward in implementing the new organizational structure developed collaboratively through our strategic visioning process led by Due East Partners. This work reflects months of thoughtful input from across the Network and represents an important step toward strengthening DRCN’s long-term impact and sustainability.

We have already held two Steering Committee meetings in 2026 and plan to continue meeting on a monthly basis to maintain momentum and accountability. These meetings are focused and action-oriented, and new members to the Steering Committee are always welcome. If you are interested in playing a more active leadership role within DRCN, we would be glad to have you join.

To advance our priorities this year, the Steering Committee has organized into small working teams focused on three core goals:

Implementing the new structure and workflow to improve clarity, coordination, and effectiveness across the Network.

Developing a position description, organizational structure, and funding strategy for dedicated DRCN staffing to support backbone coordination.

Hosting in-person DRCN gatherings that foster relationship-building, strengthen trust, and catalyze collaborative restoration and conservation projects among partners.

In addition to these foundational efforts, we are also working to launch two to three project-focused committees that will be open to all DRCN members. These committees are intended to be action-oriented, with clearly defined and achievable goals centered around specific restoration or conservation initiatives.

We anticipate that one of the first project teams will focus on the Roots for Resilience initiative led by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, working closely with DNR to support and align partner efforts. We are hopeful that one or two additional project-focused committees will form this year based on member interest and emerging opportunities. Our in-person gatherings will be intentionally designed to help foster the development of these project teams and create space for partners to identify shared priorities and move collaborative ideas into implementation.

We are excited about this next phase for DRCN. By strengthening our internal structure while simultaneously advancing project-based collaboration, we believe the Network will be well positioned to elevate collective impact across the Delmarva Peninsula.

Thank you for your continued commitment to collaboration and conservation. I look forward to working alongside each of you as we build the next chapter of DRCN together.

Onward,

Matt Heim

Chair, Delmarva Restoration and Conservation Network

Executive Director, Lower Shore Land Trust

MDCBP Celebrates 30 Years

(MCBP's 30th Anniversary Logo created by the Salisbury University Design Agency))

MCBP is excited to announce that 2026 marks our 30th anniversary as an organization! Reflecting on our past and the achievements our Program has accomplished is something we hope to continue to celebrate over the next year. We are incredibly grateful to all our partners, volunteers, staff, and community members who have helped us reach this milestone and wanted to take this moment to say thank you. We hope you will stay in the loop as we will be hosting numerous events and programs throughout the year in celebration of turning 30! Thank you to Salisbury University's Design Agency for bringing our vision to life for our new 30th logo!

Check out our website or follow us on social media to learn all the ways you can celebrate and continue to support our organization.

MDCBP Website

LSLT is on the Air with a New Podcast

The Lower Shore Land Trust is hitting the airwaves in collaboration with Delmarva Public Media. Conservation Conversations is a brand-new radio segment and podcast that highlights environmental topics specific to the Lower Shore, hosted by AmeriCorps Program Specialist, Lauren Imhof.

There are currently two episodes of Conservation Conversations with many more on the way monthly! Click the link below to listen to the latest segment!

Conservation Conversations Podcast

Mid-Atlantic Coastal Uncrewed Aerial Systems Community

For questions or to join our group, contact:

Taryn Sudol (sudol@mdsg.umd.edu), Maryland Sea Grant Coastal Resilience Coordinator.

Funding Opportunities & RFPs

Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund

Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund Proposals: OPEN

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service FWS), is soliciting proposals through the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund (DWCF) to conserve, restore, and protect habitats on public and private land, across rural, urban, and Tribal areas, that contribute to the overall health of the Delaware River watershed—as well as benefit the quality of life and economic vitality of the communities in the Delaware River watershed. Major funding for the DWCF is provided by the FWS.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to reference NFWF’s Delaware River Watershed Business Plan and link NFWF Business Plan strategies and work in focal areas for priority species with Framework Strategic Program Areas whenever possible.

Full Proposal Due Date: Thursday, March 26th, 11:59PM (midnight)

Grant Amounts & Match: $75,000 to $1,500,000, with 1:1 non-federal match encouraged

Geographic Focus: Delaware River Watershed (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware)

Program Goals: Sustain and enhance fish and wildlife habitat | Improve and maintain water quality | Sustain and enhance water management | Improve outdoor recreational opportunities.

Proposal Lab Registration | RFP

MD Native Plant Society 2026 Research Grants

Maryland Native Plant Society's 2026 Research Grants Applications: OPEN

Each year, MNPS allocates funds for empirical, hypothesis-driven research relevant to Maryland's native plants. Projects must concern Maryland native vascular plants, bryophytes, and/or their habitats. Projects may also concern the effects of invasive non-native plants on Maryland native plants.

Following these criteria, projects in a number of different fields and disciplines may be appropriate, for example: botany, ecology, genetics, education, environmental restoration, horticulture, and silviculture.

To ensure consideration, proposals should be submitted by March 30, 2026.

Learn More

Chesapeake WILD Grants

Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense Grants Proposals: OPEN

NFWF, in partnership with FWS, is soliciting proposals through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund (CBSF) to advance voluntary actions to restore, conserve, and connect fish and wildlife habitat of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers and streams.

Full Proposal Due Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026, 12:00PM (noon)

Grant Amounts & Match: $75,000 to $500,000, match requirements vary by project type

Geographic Focus: Chesapeake Bay Watershed (New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware, Virginia)

Program Goals: Restore conserve and connect fish and wildlife habitat | Improve water quality for fish, wildlife and people | Align the power of nature to adapt to changing landscapes | Expand access to nature and outdoor recreation for all Americans | Build partnership capacity to collaborate and coordinate actions.

Proposal Lab Registration | RFP

Events, Workshops and Conferences

Quail Forever's Annual Banquet

Please join us on Saturday, February 28, from 3pm - 6:30pm, for Quail Forever's annual banquet to support bobwhite habitat conservation work and network with folks passionate about bobwhite conservation.

Deadline to sign up is Sunday, February 15!

The banquet includes a catered meal with beer, wine & soft drinks. Raffles, games, and auctions with guns, hunts, fishing trips, and other sporting merchandise prizes.

All proceeds support habitat projects and conservation programs.

Native Landscaping in your Backyard

Join Interfaith Partners of the Chesapeake, Lower Shore Land Trust, and Wicomico Master Gardeners for a free presentation on how turning lawn into native pollinator habitat can make a big impact. Learn the basics of native vs. non-native plants, the pollinators they support, and local programs that can help you get started.

February 17th, 5:30 PM
Virtual: ZOOM

Unlocking the Secrets of Mature Bucks with a Thermal Drone

Join us on February 18, 2026, at Noon for this month’s installment of the Land and Wildlife Speaker Series featuring Derrick Dixon from Whitetail Research. This month’s webinar topic will be Unlocking the Secrets of Mature Bucks with a Thermal Drone.

To sign up for this and following months' webinars in our monthly Land & Wildlife Speaker Series, join the mailing list.

Subscribe to Mailing List to Register

Sip of Science Series: Winter Waterfowl Birding Experience

Birds are in the air — every sight and every sound!

Assateague Coastal Trust has an exciting, guided bird walk coming up next Saturday, February 21st from 8:00–11:00 AM. The walk will take place on the beautiful Jenkins property at Newport Farms in Berlin — a wonderful setting for winter birding and learning more about our local waterfowl and habitat.

LSLT Conservation Planning Sessions

Lower Shore Land Trust is inviting landowners across our service area to help shape (Wicomico, Worcester, and Somerset Counties) the future of conservation on the Lower Shore. As we update our Conservation Plan, we want to hear your perspectives on where, how, and when conservation efforts can have the greatest impact, and what matters most to you.

Join us for one of two identical sessions to share your thoughts and help guide our work for the years ahead.

Session options:

• February 19 | Snow Hill | 5–7 PM (refreshments provided)

• February 25 | Virtual | 12–2 PM

Burning for Birds: A Prescribed Fire Live Demonstration

ESLC and Tall Timbers invite you to Burning for Birds: A Prescribed Fire Live Demonstration “Learn and Burn” event. Attendees will learn about the safe and efficient use of prescribed fire as a management tool and how its use benefits grassland bird and Northern bobwhite quail habitat. Part discussion and part live demonstration, guest speakers and participants include Dan Small and Katherine Thornton of the Natural Lands Project, Sam Leaverton of the Kent Soil and Water Conservation District, and Jack Hutchison of Quail Forever and the Natural Resource Conservation Service. Lunch will be provided!

This event is generously hosted by the Lieber family of Piney Grove Estate and supported by Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative.

Date: Thursday, February 26th, 2026

Rain Date: Thursday, March 5th, 2026

Time: 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM

Location: Piney Grove Estate 7281 Wilkins Lane, Chestertown, MD 21620

(Photo Credit: US Fish and Wildlife Service. Photo of wildlife biologist Matt Whitbeck of Blackwater NWR and photographer Ron Ketter)

Duck, Duck… Goose? Know Your Waterfowl & Master the Marsh!

Join us on February 28, 2026, for an engaging evening at the Intergenerational Center in Cambridge, Maryland where science meets art. Learn how to identify waterfowl and marsh birds with wildlife biologist Matt Whitbeck of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and photographer Ron Ketter, starting with a meet-and-greet at 6:30 PM followed by the presentation and Q&A. Whether you’re new to birding or looking to sharpen your skills, you’ll walk away seeing the marsh in a whole new way.

Tickets are $30 for Friends of Blackwater NWR members and $40 for non-members (ages 21+), and all proceeds support Blackwater NWR.

Learn More & Register

Volunteer Tree Plantings

Two days of tree plantings in New Castle and Sussex Counties!

Join us this spring and start the year off right by planting trees! With support from the State’s Tree for Every Delawarean Initiative, Delaware Wild Lands will be planting almost 3,000 trees at 6 sites in New Castle County (March 6th and 7th) and the Great Cypress Swamp in Sussex County (March 7th). From the coastal marshes in the north to the majestic stands of baldcypress trees in the south, help us protect and strengthen Delaware’s natural heritage. Register now and stay tuned to DWL’s social media for more details.

Contact Kim Staska (302-378-2736 | info@dewildlands.org) for Questions.

Blackwater NWR Annual Eagle Festival

Blackwater NWR Annual Eagle Festival at the refuge Visitor Center. Experience live eagle & other birds of prey programs, kid’s programs & activities, Eagle Prowls & Wildlife Drive tours, nature and conservation exhibits, and food all day!

March 14, 2026, 9 AM - 4 PM
No fee for Wildlife Drive!

Learn More | 410-228-2677

19th Annual Oyster Roast Dinner

Save the date, April 18, 2026, for the 19th Annual Oyster Roast Dinner. Indulge on oysters, clams, dinner, full bar including Chatham wine, and dessert while enjoying a VES Land Trust held conservation easement. Proceeds benefit the Virginia Eastern Shore Land Trust and its land preservation mission on the Eastern Shore.

Get Tickets

Jobs & Internships

Delaware

Delaware Sea Grant Workforce Development Coordinator - University of Delaware (Newark, DE/Hybrid)

Development Coordinator - Delaware Center for the Inland Bays (Rehobeth, DE)

Hydrologist II - Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources (Dover, DE)

Maryland

Executive Director - MD Coastal Bays Program (Berlin, MD)

Organizational Intern - Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (Easton, MD)

Senior Coastal Restoration Project Manager - The National Audubon Society (Remote)

Wetland Wildlife Restoration Specialist - Dept. Natural Resources (Queen Anne, MD)

Wholesale Native Plant Sales Account Manager - Unity Churchill Nursery (Churchill, MD)

Virginia

Seagrass Monitoring Coordinator - The Nature Conservancy (Richmond, VA)

Temporary Horticulture Specialist II - Alexandria City Govt. (Alexandria, VA)

Virginia Land Preservation Project Manager - American Battlefield Trust (Richmond, VA)