A web tagged wood duck hen recently captured from a nest box on Delaware Wild Land's Augustine Creek Complex. This hen was originally hatched out of a nest box on Augustine Creek in 2022 and has returned to the same area to raise her own ducklings. (Photo Credit: Hannah Small, DWL) | | |
Upcoming Meetings
Steering Committee Meeting
Thursday, July 9th, 2026, 3:00 PM
DRCN Annual Meeting
TBD, Salisbury University
2026 Events Schedule
| | NEW NE Regional Terrapin Watch | |
Have you found a terrapin: By the side of the road? On your backyard? On your campground? When kayaking/boating? AND thought…to whom or how should I report it?- If the answer is YES!, we have a solution for you.
The NEW NE Regional Terrapin Watch! This short survey will provide us with key information about the distribution, number, activity, and conditions of terrapins throughout our Northeast region.
Traveling throughout the Northeast region?- No problem! Use the app from Virginia to Massachusetts.
For questions or more information please contact the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays' staff at volunteer@inlandbays.org
| | | Students Support MD Eastern Shore Canopy Growth | |
The Maryland Forest Service helped plant trees on school grounds for Earth Day at Pocomoke Elementary School and Snow Hill Middle School. (Photo Credit: Saudi Evansky and Becky Shipe.)
As the Urban Forester for the Eastern Shore, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing our local youth connect with the land. To celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day, I joined forces with students from Pocomoke Elementary and Snow Hill Middle School to get some native roots in the ground.
With trees and technical support from the Maryland Forest Service, we planted a diverse mix of native species, including Flowering Dogwood, Persimmon, Serviceberry, Redbud, and Beach Plum. We also added edible habitat with Blueberry and Elderberry shrubs. The energy from the students was top-notch, and the support from the schools made the day a total success. I’m already looking forward to heading back next year to keep growing our local canopy!
If anyone is looking for free trees in public spaces, reach out to Greg Geesman at gregory.geesaman@maryland.gov
| MD Sea Grant Marshes, Swamps, & Wetlands Survey | |
Have you noticed marshes, swamps, or other wetlands expanding onto your property or nearby?
Maryland Sea Grant is looking for residents to share their experiences. Your input will help us better understand what’s happening in your community and develop helpful resources for managing wetlands.
- Take our 5–10 minute survey to get started!
Survey
| | | Funding Opportunities & RFPs | | MD DNR: Greenspace Equity Program Appraisal Grant | |
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is now accepting applications for the Fiscal Year 2027 Greenspace Equity Program Appraisal Grant round.
This grant round is specifically to provide funds for obtaining independent appraisals in advance of the eligible applicant’s submission of an acquisition application for the FY 2028 Greenspace Equity Program Grant Application. The property proposed for acquisition must meet the general requirements of the Greenspace Equity Program. This is a competitive grant program. Applicants may request funding to cover costs for up to two independent appraisals. Applicants selected and approved for appraisal funding must procure and complete the independent appraisals in time to submit an application for the acquisition of the subject property in the upcoming FY 2028 Greenspace Equity Program Grant round, which will be made available shortly.
Learn More
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Chesapeake Bay Trust: Capacity Building Intiative | |
The Capacity Building Grant Program is an annual program of the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network. It supports nonprofit organizations and local governments working at the intersection of natural resource protection and community well‑being across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Capacity building refers to work that strengthens how organizations function. When organizations are healthy, they are better equipped to sustain their missions and contribute meaningfully to environmental and community outcomes. Awards may strengthen an applicant’s internal capacity or, for Movement Building and Local Government applicants, support efforts that extend knowledge, tools, or infrastructure beyond the applicant organization.
- Deadline: July 15th, 2026
Learn More
| | | Events, Workshops and Conferences | | |
Maryland Naturalist Volunteer Training, Program & Certification on the Lower Eastern Shore
Have you ever had an interest in learning about nature and our natural world? Maryland Master Naturalist (MdMN) participants will obtain the skills of a naturalist, learn the importance of the environment and being better stewards of our planet, and learn how they can share information with the public. With so many topics of nature to learn about, this program will target the Lower Eastern Shore area of Maryland.
More Info
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Art in the Park
Ever cared to create art outdoors? Join our park rangers at picnic shelter #2 for an hour of fun, community, and colorful creations inspired by the great outdoors! This art workshop is for all ages and levels of experience.
- June 17, 5 - 6 PM
- Kiptopeke State Park, 3540 Kiptopeke Dr., Cape Charles, VA 23310.
More Info
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Crabbing 101
Interested in crabbing but not sure how to get started? Join a park naturalist to learn about the life cycle of the Atlantic blue crab, different crabbing techniques, and current Delaware rules and regulations. Then try your hand at catching those tasty crustaceans! Catch and release.
- June 24th, 10 AM
- Delaware Seashore - Fresh Pond Route 1 Parking Area
Learn More
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Forever the Forest
What's the best way to stay cool during the Eastern Shore summer? Head to the woods!
The second best way? Head to ESLC's "Forever the Forest" plein air exhibition during the largest plein air festival in the U.S., right here in Easton, Maryland.
Thanks to the generous support of Bruce Wiltse and Bill Davenport, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and Plein Air Easton (PAE) are collaborating once again for our third annual alumni invitational, "Forever the Forest," held during the 22nd Plein Air Easton Festival—the largest and most prestigious juried plein air painting competition in the country. Original studio works from PAE's best-of-the-best previous award winners will feature autumn scenes of wildlife habitat, sustainably harvested tree farms, pocket forests, campsites, and even ESLC’s own Jim and Mary B. Lynch Preserve—a 200+ acre woodland open to the public in Caroline County. Each of the forests illustrated in this competition is forever protected by ESLC in a perpetual conservation easement.
Please join us at the Tidewater Inn (101 East Dover Street) to take a break from the heat as you browse this year’s vibrant collection of new paintings, immersing yourself in the cool shady dappled woodlands of the Eastern Shore. Register for our opening reception below. Or join us for additional programming throughout the festival.
Learn More
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MCBP's 30th Anniversary Gala
Tickets for An Evening on the Estuary, MCBP's 30th Anniversary Gala, are officially on sale! Join MCBP on Thursday, September 17th from 5 - 9 PM at Assateague State Park's Boat Launch as we celebrate 30 years of conservation, restoration, and education. Tickets will sell out fast, so get them while you can! We are looking forward to sharing a night of fresh, local cuisine, great company, and fun!
- To purchase your tickets and learn more about An Evening on the Estuary event, click on the link to our 30th Anniversary Gala Homepage.
Tickets
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Party to Preserve
Held at a different iconic farm each year, Party to Preserve travels across the various counties served by Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, celebrating the unique character of each landscape along the way. This year it is held at beautiful 179-acre Dorsey Farm, set against the stunning backdrop of Leeds Creek in Talbot County.
Enjoy seasonal cocktails, a full dinner featuring the very best of Eastern Shore cuisine, toe-tapping live bluegrass music, an exciting live auction featuring one-of-a-kind experiences, and the company of friends, neighbors, and conservation champions all in celebration of ESLC’s lasting impact and leadership on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
- For more information, please contact Development Manager Sam Pugh at spugh@eslc.org or 410-227-8182.
Tickets
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"Stories of Village Life", a mural in the Indigenous Peoples of the Pocomoke Paramountcy
The Native American Mural is one of the museum’s most meaningful cultural installations. This mural invites visitors to step into the daily life, traditions, and ingenuity of the region’s earliest inhabitants.
Read More
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Delaware Takes New Approach to Improve Breeding Success for Endangered Beach-Nesting Least Terns
Least terns, a bird historically found each summer along many of Delaware’s bay and Atlantic Ocean beaches, have faltered in recent years into their current listing as a state endangered species.
Read More
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The Delmarva Restoration and Conservation Network (DRCN), formed in 2017, is a collaborative of local, state, and Federal government agencies and NGOs working with private and public landowners and local governments to identify the most important places to protect and restore, and to obtain support and funding for voluntary restoration and conservation.
The DRCN Mission is to restore and conserve Delmarva’s landscapes, waterways, and shorelines that are special to its people, fundamental to its economy, and vital for its native fish, wildlife, and plants.
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Submit to DRCN's Newsletter Form HERE
| Delmarva Restoration & Conservation Network | delmarvarcn.org | | | | |
