Taylor Swanson (Assateague Coastal Trust) & Beth Sheppard (Lower Shore Land Trust) collaborative meadow installation with Wicomico Public Libraries. (Photo Credit: Brooke Orr) | | |
Upcoming Meetings
Steering Committee Meeting
Thursday, May 14th, 2026, 3:00 PM
2026 Events Schedule
| | New Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage Website | |
Experience a cleaner, more organized website with intuitive navigation that highlights some of the places and wildlife at the heart of the work at Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage (CWH).
“Our new website is built with the same care and intention we bring to every meadow and wetland project,” said Ned Gerber, CWH president and habitat ecologist.
From video content to a map with some of our habitat restoration projects to practical articles and tips for landowners and conservation-minded friends, the site makes it easier than ever for our community to learn and engage.
The website offers improved accessibility, streamlined donation tools, new information and resources, and more. Whether you’re discovering CWH for the first time or have partnered with us for decades, the new cheswildlife.org offers a welcoming and inspiring digital home, complete with beautiful Eastern Shore imagery.
Explore the site and let us know what you think! And be sure to become a member and subscribe to our email list so we can keep you informed about our habitat projects.
Check Out the Site
| | | Fenix Youth Project & Lower Shore Land Trust Collaboration | |
Fenix Youth Project and Lower Shore Land Trust have teamed up to support local youth through hands-on environmental work. Fenix’s Next Ground Project provides environmental education to young people who are unhoused or at risk of becoming unhoused, with a strong focus on building job readiness after completing the program.
A key part of the program is in-field experience, connecting students with real-world conservation work in their communities. Lower Shore Land Trust has been helping provide that experience, working with the Next Ground cohort to build skills in caring for local landscapes like removing invasive species, planting native plants, and establishing seedlings. This hands-on work reinforces what students are learning while giving them practical experience they can carry forward.
Both organizations plan to continue this partnership, creating more opportunities for young people to gain experience, confidence, and a deeper connection to the environment.
Learn More about the Next Ground Project
| | | Funding Opportunities & RFPs | | 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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Roots for Resilience Funding Opportunity:
Forestry Outreach & Implementation Support
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Roots for Resilience: Strong Roots for a Changing Landscape, a.k.a. R4R, is a Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Initiative designed to help Maryland’s Mid and Lower Eastern Shore adapt to the challenges of climate change. Through tree planting, coastal habitat restoration, and community engagement, R4R aims to strengthen natural defenses and enhance the landscape’s ability to store carbon.
As part of R4R, the Maryland DNR Forest Service has released (open Friday, May 1, 2026) a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit applications for a non-profit organization to join the team through a Conservation Service Opportunity (CSO) Agreement. The selected partner will engage with county governments and conduct outreach to communities in Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties. They will also provide support for the R4R Forestry Goal of forest management implementation on 1,000 acres by finding, hiring, and paying contractors. The RFQ is available on our Open Solicitations webpage. The total award amount for this CSO is up to $1,040,000, over an award duration of 3 years.
Please express interest in applying and/or send questions to charly.sager@maryland.gov. An information session will be held on Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. – RSVP here to receive the link to join. The submission deadline is Monday, June 15th, 2026.
| | | Events, Workshops and Conferences | |
Flying Feathered Friends
Stretch your wings on this hike all about the birds that call Chippokes State Park their nest!
Join a Ranger led excursion along College Run Trail to the shoreline of the James River. Identify birds by behavior, characteristics and habitats. Birders of all experience levels are welcome on this 1-mile long hike. It's strongly recommended for guests to bring water bottles, hiking boots/comfortable walking shoes, walking sticks/hiking poles, and binoculars. Meet at the Chippokes Visitor Center.
- May 8, 2026. 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
More Info
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Red Knot Fest
Join Upstream Alliance and Delaware Bay partners to learn about migratory red knots and horseshoe crabs with the community of Slaughter Beach, DE, for the third annual festival. Volunteers are needed for this event.
Learn More
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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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Go Fish, Worcester
Please join MCBP and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for a day of fishing on June 6th, from 9:30am - 12:30pm at Public Landing in Snow Hill. This program is open to anglers of all ages and experiences.
Equipment rentals will be available during the entire program, and participants are welcome to bring their own gear as well. Participants will also have the opportunity to attend fishing tutorials, learn about local fish species from natural resource experts, win tackle give-aways, play casting games, and more! All elements of this program are free of cost. Come learn about the local salt marsh species and how to catch them!
Tutorials and natural resource speakers will take place from 9:30 - 10:30am. The last two hours of the program will be an open fishing session, with experienced anglers available to answer any questions or give one-on-one coaching.
- This program is part of the Engage Your Salt Marsh program series that provides opportunities to connect residents with their local salt marsh ecosystems. Please visit mdcoastalbays.org for more opportunities in this program. Go Fish Maryland brings hands-on fishing experiences to communities across the state while inspiring ethical angling, outdoor adventure, and conservation stewardship. For more information on Go Fish Maryland, please visit Fishing Events.
Please email MCBP Environmental Literacy Specialist, Andrea García at agarcia@mdcoastalbays.org for any questions.
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LSLT Pollinator Garden Tour
Salisbury’s gardens set the stage for this year’s Pollinator Garden Tour. Stroll through a collection of private pollinator gardens, meet the people who bring them to life, and watch plein air artists capture the landscapes in real time.
- June 6th, 2026 - Salisbury, MD
Tickets
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Maryland Living Landscapes Metric A Checklist of Landscape Practices for Healthy Maryland Watersheds
Every Marylander lives within a watershed and has a role to play in caring for the land, water, air, wildlife, and each other. Every action we take, every small positive change we make to improve water quality, soil health, and habitat counts in a big way. Many of the practices on the following checklist can result in cost- and time-savings, as well!
For over a quarter century, Maryland Extension’s Bay-Wise Program has led the way on improving water quality across Maryland’s residential landscapes by promoting ecologically-sound landscape and gardening practices that improve water quality, reduce pollution, cool ambient temperatures, and enhance habitat through voluntary actions. Bay-Wise Master Gardeners have certified 3,500+ landscapes in that time and maintain hundreds of demonstration sites across the state.
This checklist highlights eight essential habits that Maryland residents can adopt today to support healthy Maryland watersheds:
1.Recycle organic yard and kitchen waste on-site.
2.Capture and use precipitation where it falls.
3.Plant and conserve a wide variety of native plants.
4.Protect pollinators and beneficial insects.
5.Reduce hazards to fish & wildlife.
6.Shrink your lawn footprint.
7.Protect our waterways and shorelines.
8.Educate friends, family, and neighbors about MD Living Landscapes practices.
Small actions by individuals can add up to big improvements in air and water quality, human health, energy conservation, biodiversity, flood and drought mitigation for our communities.
If you are interested in getting your yard or green spaces Bay-Wise Certified contact Robin Jenks Vanderlip Master Gardener 703-969-4966 or email mdnaturalistpf@gmail.com
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LSLT X Delmarva Birding Weekends
Spend the day exploring the diverse birdlife of the Snow Hill area on an all-day birding adventure, led by experienced birders Jared Parks and Jim Rapp. The morning will focus on searching for songbirds in the cypress swamps, followed by a lunch break in Snow Hill. In the afternoon, the group will explore the salt marshes of Chincoteague Bay in search of shorebirds.
Learn More
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Did you know Delmarva Wood is Regionally & Globally sought after?
Southern yellow pine wood (loblolly, longleaf, shortleaf, and slash) from the Delmarva Peninsula was, and continues to be, especially sought after for its density and strength.
Read More
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Lessons from a Decade of Large-Scale Oyster Restoration
Large-scale oyster restoration was initiated in Maryland and Virginia in response to centuries of declines in the native oyster population in Chesapeake Bay. Harris Creek, Maryland was the first tributary to receive large-scale restoration in the Bay.
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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Want to be featured in next month's newsletter?
Submit to DRCN's Newsletter Form HERE
| Delmarva Restoration & Conservation Network | delmarvarcn.org | | | | |
