At the final presentations of the Fall 2011 Chesapeake Semester, Director of Digital Media Services Brian Palmer presented a slideshow of photos and video he took during the semester.
This is a rough slideshow that was shown during the final presentations of the 2011 Chesapeake Semester at Washington College. It is a glimpse into roughly 21 hours and 5300 photos taken in Peru during the 4th journey of the Chesapeake Semester. Please be on the look out for the full documentary which will premiere on campus at Washington College in late January or early February 2012.
You can also view photos of the presentations here.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Rare Birds at Chino Farms
Foreman’s Branch Bird Observatory banded and released two "rare" Ash-throated Flycatchers during the fall migration period. A husband and wife team of field ecologists (Dan Small and Maren Gimpel) banded one on November 9th and another on November 30th (pictured at left; photo credit Small and Gimpel 2011). These birds are common west of the Rockies, but they rarely show up in the fall on the East Coast. This species has been documented in Maryland less than 20 times and these are the first to be banded in the state. These individuals are only the 3rd and 4th Ash-throated Flycatchers to be banded on the whole Atlantic flyway.
Birds show up in the "wrong" places from time to time, but there is a theory about the unusually high number of Ash-throated Flycatchers being reported in the East this fall. A bird sightings database run by Cornell University (eBird.org) recently reported on the numerous sightings and proposed that the record-setting drought in Texas and the southern Great Plains had driven these birds from their usual habitats and that the strong recent southwesterly winds have propelled them further East than is normal.
Foreman’s Branch Bird Observatory, under the direction of Jim Gruber, is located at Chino Farms in Queen Anne's County. The observatory and companion field research station is part of Washington College’s Center for Environment & Society. For more information please visit Chester River Field Research Center or contact JoAnn Fairchild Wood at 410-778-7295.
Monday, November 28, 2011
America's Wildest Refuge
About the size of S. Carolina, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to caribou herds, polar bears, grizzly bears, muskox, doll sheep, wolves, wolverines, snow geese, peregrine falcons and other migratory birds. Discover this isolated and breathtaking preserve at a special screening of "America's Wildest Refuge" on Tuesday, November 29, at Washington College.
You are invited for cake and refreshments at 6:30 PM in the McLain Atrium, located in the Toll Science Building on Campus Avenue in Chestertown. The film begins at 7:00 PM in Litrenta Lecture Hall. It has a running time of 50 minutes. You may watch the trailer on youtube.com. Colby Hawkinson, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service specialist at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, will be on hand to answer questions and explore connections between the Eastern Neck and Arctic refuges. Events are sponsored by Washington College's Center for Environment & Society, the Friends of Eastern Neck Inc., and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For information contact jfairchild2@washcoll.edu or 410-778-7295.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Elm Article about Recent Cooking Demo
Elm: Schindler, Wiest Lead ‘Wild’ Demo for Locavores
In an effort to promote sustainability and expose the Washington College community to under-utilized portions of wild game, anthropology professor Bill Schindler and visiting lecturer Mark Wiest led a “Wild Charcuterie” cooking demonstration on Saturday Nov. 5.
Friday, November 4, 2011
New Chesapeake Semester photos!
View all the pictures here: Chesapeake Semester 2011
Ashley Burdette '14 takes a stroll along the beach looking for megaladon shark's teeth.
Rettie Duke '13 uses an iPad to look a little closer at the Calvert Marine Museum.
Dr. Bill Schindler shows students which mushrooms in the forest are edible.
CRA partners with Ducks Unlimited on a wetland project which enhances habitat for waterfowl, provides farmers with income for marginal lands, and increases water filtration.
Ashley Burdette '14 takes a stroll along the beach looking for megaladon shark's teeth.
Rettie Duke '13 uses an iPad to look a little closer at the Calvert Marine Museum.
Dr. Bill Schindler shows students which mushrooms in the forest are edible.
CRA partners with Ducks Unlimited on a wetland project which enhances habitat for waterfowl, provides farmers with income for marginal lands, and increases water filtration.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Hunting Events this Weekend!
November 4-5, 2011
Hunting: A Matter of Life and Death
November 4, 6:30 PM
Litrenta Lecture Hall
Dr. Marc Boglioli, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Drew University and author of the book A Matter of Life and Death: Hunting in Contemporary Vermont, will give a lecture on how contemporary hunters, women as well as men, understand their relationship to their prey. He shows how hunters' attitudes toward animals flow directly from the rural lifeways they have continued to maintain in the face of encroaching urban sensibilities. The result is a rare glimpse into a culture that experiences wild animals in a way that is at once violent, consumptive, and respectful, and that regards hunting as an enduring link to a vanishing past. Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Center for Environment & Society. Please contact tholste2@washcoll.edu or 410-810-7162 for more information.
Wild Charcuterie: Making the Most of Your Quarry
November 5, 2:00 PM
Rose O'Neill Literary House Kitchen
Hunting, butchering, and cooking wild animals is an excellent way of connecting to your local environment and gaining access to high quality and nutritious food. However, many of us keep only a relatively small percentage of the animal and in the process discard some very healthy and delicious portions. This cooking demonstration will teach you how to transform these often discarded parts into great foods that can be stored and enjoyed throughout the year. There will be a $15 fee for the registration. $5 for WC faculty/staff, WC students may attend for free. Advanced registration is recommended as space is limited. Please contact tholste2@washcoll.edu or 410-810-7162 for more information or to register. Sponsored by the Center for Environment & Society.
Recipes to be demonstrated (all recipes are subject to change):
1. Venison sausage
2. Goose confit
3. Venison and goose liver pate
4. Braised deer heart
5. Venison roast braesola (cured and air/dried meat)
The fall program on hunting will be a precursor to the second annual Locavore Lit Fest, March 29-April 1 2012, which will focus on wild foods, from plants to animals to bacteria.
Hunting: A Matter of Life and Death
November 4, 6:30 PM
Litrenta Lecture Hall
Dr. Marc Boglioli, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Drew University and author of the book A Matter of Life and Death: Hunting in Contemporary Vermont, will give a lecture on how contemporary hunters, women as well as men, understand their relationship to their prey. He shows how hunters' attitudes toward animals flow directly from the rural lifeways they have continued to maintain in the face of encroaching urban sensibilities. The result is a rare glimpse into a culture that experiences wild animals in a way that is at once violent, consumptive, and respectful, and that regards hunting as an enduring link to a vanishing past. Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Center for Environment & Society. Please contact tholste2@washcoll.edu or 410-810-7162 for more information.
Wild Charcuterie: Making the Most of Your Quarry
November 5, 2:00 PM
Rose O'Neill Literary House Kitchen
Hunting, butchering, and cooking wild animals is an excellent way of connecting to your local environment and gaining access to high quality and nutritious food. However, many of us keep only a relatively small percentage of the animal and in the process discard some very healthy and delicious portions. This cooking demonstration will teach you how to transform these often discarded parts into great foods that can be stored and enjoyed throughout the year. There will be a $15 fee for the registration. $5 for WC faculty/staff, WC students may attend for free. Advanced registration is recommended as space is limited. Please contact tholste2@washcoll.edu or 410-810-7162 for more information or to register. Sponsored by the Center for Environment & Society.
Recipes to be demonstrated (all recipes are subject to change):
1. Venison sausage
2. Goose confit
3. Venison and goose liver pate
4. Braised deer heart
5. Venison roast braesola (cured and air/dried meat)
The fall program on hunting will be a precursor to the second annual Locavore Lit Fest, March 29-April 1 2012, which will focus on wild foods, from plants to animals to bacteria.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Downrigging Weekend Lectures
October 27, 2011
The Politics of Climate Change- with Dr. Ryan Lizza
5:00 PM
Prince Theater
On Thursday, October 27, veteran magazine writer Ryan Lizza, who covers the 2012 Presidential campaign and national politics as Washington Correspondent for The New Yorker, will share his insights into how and why Congress and the White House failed to reach agreement on breakthrough energy legislation designed to be both business- and consumer-friendly.
The free public lecture, “The Politics of Climate Change,” is based largely on a major feature article Lizza published in the October 2011 issue of The New Yorker. His talk will be held at 5 p.m. in The Prince Theatre of the Garfield Center for the Arts, 210 High Street, Chestertown, MD.
October 28, 2011
Longitude - with New York Times best-selling author Dava Sobel
8:00 PM
The Prince Theatre, 210 High Street, Chestertown - FREE
The true story of a lone genius who solved the greatest scientific problem of his time. How did one man in the 18th century change the way we envision the vastness and the boundaries of our physical world? What led one self-educated man to solve a problem that Newton and Galileo could not? And how can studying the scientific leaps of the past help us envision our future? In this elegant talk, Dava Sobel weaves a powerful historical narrative to show us how Henry Harrison’s invention of the chronometer changed the way we look at the world and how it continues to shape our concept of distance and place. Sobel is one of the most influential science writers of our time. A former New York Times science reporter, she is the author of Longitude, Galileo’s Daughter -- which spent five weeks as the #1 New York Times non-fiction best-seller -- and The Planets. Co-sponsored by Sultana Projects and the Center for Environment & Society. For more information contact jfairchild2@washcoll.edu or 410-778-7295.
For a full listing of Downrigging events visit http://www.sultanaprojects.org/downrigging/index.htm.
The Politics of Climate Change- with Dr. Ryan Lizza
5:00 PM
Prince Theater
On Thursday, October 27, veteran magazine writer Ryan Lizza, who covers the 2012 Presidential campaign and national politics as Washington Correspondent for The New Yorker, will share his insights into how and why Congress and the White House failed to reach agreement on breakthrough energy legislation designed to be both business- and consumer-friendly.
The free public lecture, “The Politics of Climate Change,” is based largely on a major feature article Lizza published in the October 2011 issue of The New Yorker. His talk will be held at 5 p.m. in The Prince Theatre of the Garfield Center for the Arts, 210 High Street, Chestertown, MD.
October 28, 2011
Longitude - with New York Times best-selling author Dava Sobel
8:00 PM
The Prince Theatre, 210 High Street, Chestertown - FREE
The true story of a lone genius who solved the greatest scientific problem of his time. How did one man in the 18th century change the way we envision the vastness and the boundaries of our physical world? What led one self-educated man to solve a problem that Newton and Galileo could not? And how can studying the scientific leaps of the past help us envision our future? In this elegant talk, Dava Sobel weaves a powerful historical narrative to show us how Henry Harrison’s invention of the chronometer changed the way we look at the world and how it continues to shape our concept of distance and place. Sobel is one of the most influential science writers of our time. A former New York Times science reporter, she is the author of Longitude, Galileo’s Daughter -- which spent five weeks as the #1 New York Times non-fiction best-seller -- and The Planets. Co-sponsored by Sultana Projects and the Center for Environment & Society. For more information contact jfairchild2@washcoll.edu or 410-778-7295.
For a full listing of Downrigging events visit http://www.sultanaprojects.org/downrigging/index.htm.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Green Fire Screening
October 19, 2011
7:00 PM
Litrenta Lecture Hall
The first full-length, high-definition documentary film ever made about legendary environmentalist Aldo Leopold, Green Fire, is coming to Washington College in October. The film traces how the author of A Sand County Almanac shaped and influenced the modern environmental movement, inspiring projects all over the country that connect people and land.
In his seminal 1949 book, Leopold wrote: “We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes—something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then, and full of trigger-itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters’ paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view.”
The impact of his own gunshot from a rimrock in Arizona changed Aldo Leopold’s thinking, leading to the key insight that was the culmination of his life’s work: responsibility for the land.
Green Fire was produced in partnership between the Aldo Leopold Foundation, the Center for Humans and Nature, and the US Forest Service. The film provocatively examines Leopold’s thinking, renewing his idea of a land ethic for a population facing 21st century ecological challenges. Leopold's biographer, conservation biologist Dr. Curt Meine, serves as the film's on-screen guide.
Drawing on photographs, correspondence, manuscripts and other archival documents from the voluminous Aldo Leopold Archives as well as historical film and contemporary full-color footage on location, including landscapes that influenced Leopold, the film challenges viewers to contemplate their own relationship with the land community.
The film also features commentary and insight from some of today’s most recognized and credible scholars and conservation leaders, including: three of Aldo Leopold’s children—Nina, Carl, and Estella, Leopold scholars, noted environmental writers, scientists, humanities experts, public policy leaders, business leaders,; and leaders of non-profit groups inspired by Leopold.
Join the Center for Environment & Society, the Friends of Eastern Neck, and Chester River Field Research Center at Chino Farms for a special screening of Green Fire on Wednesday, October 19th, at 7:00 PM in Litrenta Lecture Hall at Washington College. Contact jfairchild2@washcoll.edu or 410-778-7295 for more information. .
7:00 PM
Litrenta Lecture Hall
The first full-length, high-definition documentary film ever made about legendary environmentalist Aldo Leopold, Green Fire, is coming to Washington College in October. The film traces how the author of A Sand County Almanac shaped and influenced the modern environmental movement, inspiring projects all over the country that connect people and land.
In his seminal 1949 book, Leopold wrote: “We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes—something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then, and full of trigger-itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters’ paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view.”
The impact of his own gunshot from a rimrock in Arizona changed Aldo Leopold’s thinking, leading to the key insight that was the culmination of his life’s work: responsibility for the land.
Green Fire was produced in partnership between the Aldo Leopold Foundation, the Center for Humans and Nature, and the US Forest Service. The film provocatively examines Leopold’s thinking, renewing his idea of a land ethic for a population facing 21st century ecological challenges. Leopold's biographer, conservation biologist Dr. Curt Meine, serves as the film's on-screen guide.
Drawing on photographs, correspondence, manuscripts and other archival documents from the voluminous Aldo Leopold Archives as well as historical film and contemporary full-color footage on location, including landscapes that influenced Leopold, the film challenges viewers to contemplate their own relationship with the land community.
The film also features commentary and insight from some of today’s most recognized and credible scholars and conservation leaders, including: three of Aldo Leopold’s children—Nina, Carl, and Estella, Leopold scholars, noted environmental writers, scientists, humanities experts, public policy leaders, business leaders,; and leaders of non-profit groups inspired by Leopold.
Join the Center for Environment & Society, the Friends of Eastern Neck, and Chester River Field Research Center at Chino Farms for a special screening of Green Fire on Wednesday, October 19th, at 7:00 PM in Litrenta Lecture Hall at Washington College. Contact jfairchild2@washcoll.edu or 410-778-7295 for more information. .
Monday, September 26, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Waterfront Festival this Saturday
12:00-5:00 PM along the Chester River
Historic Chestertown, Maryland's Eastern Shore
River cruises aboard the 46-foot RV Callinectes, sailing, kayaking, colorful cardboard boats, pony rides, good food, family fun, Scales & Tales, Fishmobile, Touch Tank, prehistoric fishing techniques and artifacts, watershed ecology exhibits, and live bluegrass music all afternoon. River cruises and activities in Wilmer Park are FREE and open to the public. The rain date is October 2nd at 1:00 PM.
* 12:00 - 2:30 PM - Chester River cruises, sailing and kayaking from the College dock
* 1:00 PM - Pony rides
* 2:45 PM - Parade of cardboard boats
* 3:00 PM - Cardboard boat races
* 3:30 PM - Tug o'war tournament
* 4:00 PM - Awards and Prizes
Fifth Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta
3:00 PM
Wilmer Park
Have you ever sailed on schooner Sultana, kayaked around Eastern Neck, raced with the rowing club or toodled up the Chester River on a powerboat? Now it's time to captain your own cardboard vessel.
Register your team, design a boat, follow the rules and guidelines, then paddle your seaworthy craft into maritime history at the 5th annual Cardboard Boat Regatta on September 24th. Take home hundreds of dollars in prizes or just aim for the Titanic or People's Choice award. Any way you sink or float, it's great fun on the Chester River. Hurry, deadline for registration is September 23, 2011. Go to http://ces.washcoll.edu/news/waterfrontfestival/cardboardboattips.php for boat-building tips or email jfairchild2@washcoll.edu to register.
All cardboard boats go on display at 12 noon on race day. Captains and crew meet at 2:30 PM, the popular boat parade begins at 2:45 PM, and the race starts at 3:00 PM sharp along the Pavilion in Chestertown's Wilmer Park. The regatta is open to businesses, schools, youth groups, groups of friends, and non-profit entities desiring to build a boat and team spirit. Participants must be at least 12 years of age and a resident of Kent or Queen Anne's County Maryland. In case of foul weather, the race will be postponed to October 2nd at 1:00 PM.
The cardboard boat race is a signature event of the Chestertown Waterfront Festival that runs from 12:00-5:00 PM on September 24, 2011. Activities include cruises aboard the 46-foot Callinectes, sailing, kayaking and canoeing on the Chester River, good food, family fun, exhibits on watershed ecology, pony rides, songs by Rebecca Pitre and bluegrass by Chester River Runoff in Wilmer Park. Events are organized by the Center for Environment & Society at Washington College, with sponsorship by Chesapeake Bank and Trust and the Van Dyke Family Foundation. The Festival is free and open to the public. In case of foul weather, park activities will be cancelled. For information contact 410-778-7295.
Historic Chestertown, Maryland's Eastern Shore
River cruises aboard the 46-foot RV Callinectes, sailing, kayaking, colorful cardboard boats, pony rides, good food, family fun, Scales & Tales, Fishmobile, Touch Tank, prehistoric fishing techniques and artifacts, watershed ecology exhibits, and live bluegrass music all afternoon. River cruises and activities in Wilmer Park are FREE and open to the public. The rain date is October 2nd at 1:00 PM.
* 12:00 - 2:30 PM - Chester River cruises, sailing and kayaking from the College dock
* 1:00 PM - Pony rides
* 2:45 PM - Parade of cardboard boats
* 3:00 PM - Cardboard boat races
* 3:30 PM - Tug o'war tournament
* 4:00 PM - Awards and Prizes
Fifth Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta
3:00 PM
Wilmer Park
Have you ever sailed on schooner Sultana, kayaked around Eastern Neck, raced with the rowing club or toodled up the Chester River on a powerboat? Now it's time to captain your own cardboard vessel.
Register your team, design a boat, follow the rules and guidelines, then paddle your seaworthy craft into maritime history at the 5th annual Cardboard Boat Regatta on September 24th. Take home hundreds of dollars in prizes or just aim for the Titanic or People's Choice award. Any way you sink or float, it's great fun on the Chester River. Hurry, deadline for registration is September 23, 2011. Go to http://ces.washcoll.edu/news/waterfrontfestival/cardboardboattips.php for boat-building tips or email jfairchild2@washcoll.edu to register.
All cardboard boats go on display at 12 noon on race day. Captains and crew meet at 2:30 PM, the popular boat parade begins at 2:45 PM, and the race starts at 3:00 PM sharp along the Pavilion in Chestertown's Wilmer Park. The regatta is open to businesses, schools, youth groups, groups of friends, and non-profit entities desiring to build a boat and team spirit. Participants must be at least 12 years of age and a resident of Kent or Queen Anne's County Maryland. In case of foul weather, the race will be postponed to October 2nd at 1:00 PM.
The cardboard boat race is a signature event of the Chestertown Waterfront Festival that runs from 12:00-5:00 PM on September 24, 2011. Activities include cruises aboard the 46-foot Callinectes, sailing, kayaking and canoeing on the Chester River, good food, family fun, exhibits on watershed ecology, pony rides, songs by Rebecca Pitre and bluegrass by Chester River Runoff in Wilmer Park. Events are organized by the Center for Environment & Society at Washington College, with sponsorship by Chesapeake Bank and Trust and the Van Dyke Family Foundation. The Festival is free and open to the public. In case of foul weather, park activities will be cancelled. For information contact 410-778-7295.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Dr. John Seidel in Chestertown Spy Futures Study
View the great video of Dr. John Seidel, Director of CES, courtesy of the Chestertown Spy.
Climate Action Coordinator Briggs Cunningham in Kent County News
Support generated for 'aggregate' metering, Seen as a boon for alternative energy programs
By CRAIG O'DONNELL
codonnell@thekentcountynews.com
Published: Thursday, June 30, 2011 4:36 PM CDT
CHESTERTOWN — There could be an aggregate meter in your future.
To be precise, “aggregate” metering is when electrical use by some institution or group, no matter how many physical wires to separate electric meters there are, all goes into one big bucket for billing purposes.
At the moment that can’t be done in Maryland. Briggs Cunningham said last week that aggregate metering is important for solar power on farms, by businesses and by local governments, especially in rural areas.
Businesses and governments and other institutions with multiple locations have many meters. Some buildings use a lot of juice and some use a little.
Cunningham, Climate Action Coordinator at the Washington College Center for Environment & Society, said the current Maryland regulations limit how much solar electrical energy an installation can generate to, roughly, the amount used at a particular electric meter plus a little.
The Maryland Public Service Commission, which controls electric utilities, is taking comments on a decision it plans to make in the near future on whether to allow aggregate metering. The state’s net metering regulations allow generating power for on-site use and selling excess power back to the electric company. But as they stand, they force users to have a separate wind, solar or other alternative energy installation for each meter.
One piece of the puzzle is in place: Gov. Martin O’Malley signed a law in May 2011 which requires power companies to buy back excess power at the retail rate, not the wholesale rate.
With it, for example, one large group of solar panels at the Chestertown wastewater plant could be designed to generate enough power to offset the use by town hall, the water plant, and at the wastewater operation.
Without it, Chestertown would have to install and operate three or more separate systems.
One large set of solar panels somewhere in the county on school property could be designed to offset the electricity consumption of multiple school buildings.
Without it, the school board would have to fund solar panels for every individual school and office building.
It is not limited to solar. Any alternative source is eligible. A farmer could build and operate a system burning switchgrass, providing enough power for multiple buildings. Under the proposal, “One account would incorporate all meters, and any power generated onsite would be credited to the overall account,” Cunningham said.
Chestertown attorney Phil Hoon said he represents Dr. Henry Sears, who wants to install solar power for his agricultural operations. He said Tuesday the places where power is used, such as irrigation pivots, are widely scattered, and aggregate metering “makes or breaks the transaction.”
Hoon sent a letter favoring the policy to the Public Service Commission. “I’m in favor of it, both professionally and very much so personally,” he said Tuesday. “It’s what seems right for our society and culture and communities.”
The college is particularly interested in whether solar generation at 215 Washington Ave. can be designed to supply green power to more than just that one building, Cunningham said.
It allows small entities to achieve some economies of scale. A village, such as Kennedyville, could form a nonprofit coop. The residential meters for all members would be combined in one account. An array of solar panels at a suitable location would provide juice to households, instead of having solar panels set up, house by house.
Cunningham added, “The county is interested. They have facilities spread out all over the place. The schools are interested – their attorney is researching it for the board of ed.”
On the other side are the power companies. “They don’t want other people generating their own power,” said Cunningham. “One of their arguments is that they’re concerned about the stability of the power system, figuring out how much to generate” if there are many small providers of solar power.
Delaware’s PSC is also considering aggregate net metering rules.
The Interstate Renewable Energy Council notes the Delaware regulation includes: “If a customer has multiple meters under the same account or different accounts, regardless of the physical location and rate class, the customer may aggregate meters for the purpose of net metering regardless of which individual meter receives energy from a distributed generation facility, provided the system does not exceed 110% of the customer’s aggregate electrical consumption of the individual meters or accounts that the customer is entitled to aggregate.”
“As a resident of Kent County, I’ll say it would be a good thing,” Cunningham said.
According to college spokeswoman Kay Macintosh, the college has not offered its comments to the PSC and has taken no position yet.
The Public Service Commission is still taking public comments for and against aggregate net metering.
To see the PSC web page with comments which have already been submitted, type the words “Maryland PSC meter aggregation admin docket results” into Google.
Letters should reference “Admin Docket FM41” and should be addressed to Terry Romine, Maryland Public Service Commission, 6 St. Paul St. 16th Floor, Baltimore MD 21202.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
MGO Program in Kent County News
On June 14, Michael Hardesty, Chesapeake Semester Program Coordinator, led an oyster planting on Lankford Creek. With the partnership of DNR's Maryland Grows Oyster (MGO) program, growers on the Chester River raise oysters from spat in cages on their docks, which are then released on protected oyster bars. Read the full article here, and find out more about CES's involvement with MGO on our oyster page.
New Chesapeake Semester Video!
Chesapeake Semester students hit the road for Journey 1, "Discovering a Sense of Place," which included a ten-day 842 mile trip circumnavigating the Bay. Students departed from Chestertown and traveled down the Delmarva and up the Western Shore of Maryland stopping at historic landmarks like Jamestowne, Colonial Williamsburg, Shirley Plantation, Historic St. Mary's City, our state capital Annapolis, Havre de Grace, and Port Deposit. Nearing the end of the journey Chesapeake Semester students, Washington College faculty and SEA members enjoyed a sunset sail on the skipjack Martha Lewis out on the Susquehanna Flats.
Climate Action Coordinator Briggs Cunningham in the Kent County News
At their Tuesday evening meeting, Briggs Cunningham of the Center for Environment & Society delivered an audit of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions during the period July 2009 to June 2010.
He said Easton's Town Creek Foundation supported it. It follows reports done for Chestertown and Betterton.
He examined electricity use by county government and schools, county fuel use and estimated gas burned by commuting county employees.
The annual electric bill was $1,009,922, and $847,600 was spent on fuel for cars, trucks and heating. He estimated 239 employees used 42,987 gallons of gas going back and forth to work. The report's suggestions focused on conservation: a no-idling vehicle policy; buying only Energy Star products; turning off computers, lights and HVAC when leaving for the day; and a summer four-day work week to cut energy use for summertime cooling.
"How would you feel about a four-day week in the summer?" Rasin asked Planning Director Gail Owings. "I think people would be pretty happy with that," she said. As long as weekenders knew the office would be closed on Friday or Monday so they could plan accordingly, it would seem to be fine, she said.
Choptank Electric bills for the public works complex, community center and park; Worton's schools and wastewater plant sprayfield; Nicholson landfill; and "Galena transfer." Two Worton Park meters have not used electricity in years but Choptank has billed $948 and $228 each in minimum annual charges.
Rasin noted Choptank's rates seem to be much higher. Cunningham said they might be negotiable, or solar power could be installed to serve the parks, community center and schools. Any excess would be sold back to the supplier.
Craig O'Donnell, Kent County News. Used by permission.
June 16 2011
He said Easton's Town Creek Foundation supported it. It follows reports done for Chestertown and Betterton.
He examined electricity use by county government and schools, county fuel use and estimated gas burned by commuting county employees.
The annual electric bill was $1,009,922, and $847,600 was spent on fuel for cars, trucks and heating. He estimated 239 employees used 42,987 gallons of gas going back and forth to work. The report's suggestions focused on conservation: a no-idling vehicle policy; buying only Energy Star products; turning off computers, lights and HVAC when leaving for the day; and a summer four-day work week to cut energy use for summertime cooling.
"How would you feel about a four-day week in the summer?" Rasin asked Planning Director Gail Owings. "I think people would be pretty happy with that," she said. As long as weekenders knew the office would be closed on Friday or Monday so they could plan accordingly, it would seem to be fine, she said.
Choptank Electric bills for the public works complex, community center and park; Worton's schools and wastewater plant sprayfield; Nicholson landfill; and "Galena transfer." Two Worton Park meters have not used electricity in years but Choptank has billed $948 and $228 each in minimum annual charges.
Rasin noted Choptank's rates seem to be much higher. Cunningham said they might be negotiable, or solar power could be installed to serve the parks, community center and schools. Any excess would be sold back to the supplier.
Craig O'Donnell, Kent County News. Used by permission.
June 16 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Chesapeake Semester Featured on Nautica Blog "Ocean 2 Ocean"
In the Fall of 2010 Nautica visited Chestertown to capture the story of local artist and activist Marc Castelli. CES’s Chesapeake Semester had the opportunity to work with Castelli through the premier of his exhibit, "The Art of the Waterman—Simison Collection" in our very own Kohl Gallery. See photos from the event here.
See the video of Chesapeake Semester Students featured on Nautica’s "Ocean 2 Ocean’s" blog.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Clean up at Eastern Neck Island
The Center for Environment & Society partnered with the Friends of Eastern Neck to conduct a shoreline cleanup on April 30, 2011. Members of the community banded together to remove trash from the marshy edges of Eastern Neck Island, creating a better environment for wildlife and improving the appearance of the shoreline. View pictures of the event here.
Monday, April 25, 2011
CES in Rock Hall Wave
Rock Hall Wave: Big Plant Planned by Swan Creek Oyster Growers
Recently, Oyster growers from the Chester, Corsica, and Swan Creek tributaries gathered for a picnic to meet each other and share experiences. The picnic was held Sunday the 10th at the Leila Hynson Pavilion in Wilmer Park, Chestertown, MD and hosted by the Center for Environment & Society (CES) at Washington College. Mike Hardesty, CES Program Manager and the Marylanders Grow Oysters Coordinator for the Chester River, organized the event to bring growers together and plan the most favorable placement of oysters on a local sanctuary.
Recently, Oyster growers from the Chester, Corsica, and Swan Creek tributaries gathered for a picnic to meet each other and share experiences. The picnic was held Sunday the 10th at the Leila Hynson Pavilion in Wilmer Park, Chestertown, MD and hosted by the Center for Environment & Society (CES) at Washington College. Mike Hardesty, CES Program Manager and the Marylanders Grow Oysters Coordinator for the Chester River, organized the event to bring growers together and plan the most favorable placement of oysters on a local sanctuary.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Washington College Announces Its Acquisition Of Chester River Field Research Center
The research station at Chino Farms in Queen Anne's County will offer hands-on research opportunities in habitat management and sustainability.
CHESTERTOWN, MD, April 22, 2011— Washington College today announced that it has acquired the Chester River Field Research Center (CRFRC), the nonprofit corporation that leads and facilitates scientific research and environmental studies at Chino Farms in Queen Anne's County.
The CRFRC was founded in 1999 by conservationist Henry F. Sears, a retired surgeon and the owner of Chino Farms, a 5,000-acre property on the Chester River. Under an agreement reached with the board of directors of the CRFRC, and with financial support from anonymous donors, the College's Center for Environment & Society will take over all operations of the Research Center, coordinating the study projects underway there. The College acquires no Chino Farms land in the agreement.
The research center's two full-time field biologists, Dan Small and Maren Gimpel, will join the staff of the Center for Environment & Society (CES). Founding scientific director Douglas E. Gill, a professor emeritus of biology at University of Maryland, will serve as a consultant. And Jim Gruber, a retired Natural Resources officer who volunteers his time and expertise as the director of the bird-banding operation at Chino Farms, will become an Associate of CES.
Sears sees the transfer of operations to the College as the next step in the growth and stability of the CRFRC. "This gives the investigations part of the Research Center a broader base, a broader scope, and longer legs," he says. "And it provides institutional longevity— a future beyond the lives of the current participants."
He says he has been following the growth of the College's Center for Environment & Society over the past few years. "I appreciate the interest and enthusiasm the CES staff has shown for the kinds of conservation and farming techniques we've been exploring at Chino Farms," he says. "And I couldn't be more excited about the commitment Washington College has shown for maintaining the community's rural and agricultural heritage."
"This is exciting news for all of us at Washington College," says President Mitchell B. Reiss. "We expect this acquisition to bring a quantum boost to the environmental field work our faculty and students can conduct. We are grateful to Dr. Sears and the CRFRC board for the trust they have shown in our Center for Environment & Society and its ability to maintain and expand the research on farm practices, habitat restoration and wildlife happening at Chino Farms."
The CRFRC is best known for its work in grassland restoration and migratory bird banding— it has successfully restored 246 acres of Atlantic prairie grasses, creating one of the very few large-scale coastal grasslands on the Eastern Seaboard, and has banded more than 150,000 new birds at its Foreman's Branch Bird Observatory.
Washington College has been involved in a limited way in programs at Chino Farms over the past several years. A handful of students have worked at the bird banding station as part of their paid internships with CES, and professor Leslie Sherman has conducted research on soil chemistry there. The acquisition of the CRFRC facilities will enable those who work in environmental studies to think and dream big when it comes to grant-funded research and environmental study.
"This opens up unparalleled hands-on field opportunities to our own students and faculty, and to scientists and educators from other schools and organizations as well as state and federal agencies," says John Seidel, the director of the Center for Environment & Society. "We can expand research projects into the other rich habitat areas at Chino Farms, including forest habitat, wetlands and seasonal wetlands, and farmland. We'll be the portal to this wonderful resource and all its rich habitat areas."
All 5,000 acres of Chino Farms are protected under conservation easements, making it one of the largest easements in Maryland history. Three thousand of those acres are farmed commercially by Evan Miles of Bluestem Farms, who uses a mixture of precision agriculture and organic methods.
Other subjects now under study through the CRFRC include wild turkeys, songbird communications, bobwhite quail, breeding birds in managed grasslands, and nutrient recycling in soil.
Gill, who led the grasslands restoration, is glad to see Washington College take on the work of the research center he and Harry Sears created 12 years ago. "It has been a somewhat private affair led by Dr. Sears' vision and my expertise as an ecologist," he says. "It makes sense to have a top-quality academic institution like Washington College, so close to the research station, take it on and make it available for teaching and research. It's what I always envisioned should happen. And John Seidel at CES will provide superb leadership."
Washington College senior Rachel Field, an Environmental Studies major from West Chester, Pa., knows first-hand the kinds of opportunities the CRFRC can bring to students. As a CES intern at Chino Farms, she has spent two summers and much of the spring semester mapping Grasshopper Sparrow territories, banding birds at the Foreman's Branch Bird Observatory banding lab, and studying mate selection in Blue Grosbeaks. "As a scientist, this experience has been invaluable," she says. "I have gained practical experience in conducting field experiments, designing experiments, completing bird surveys, and banding migratory birds. And, as an individual, my time at the Chester River Field Research Center has helped me to become more confident and independent."
For more information, please visit http://ces.washcoll.edu/ and http://www.chesterriverfieldresearchcenter.org/
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Annual Earth Day Festival
April 23, 2011
Earth Day Festival & Farmers Market
8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Fountain Park & Memorial Row
Chestertown
Spring flowers, local artisans, live music, tasty baked goods, fresh eggs, meats and produce will highlight the Farmers Market in Fountain Park. Across the street Memorial Row will transform into a dog- and pedestrian-only "street fair," with Rose Green's fried fish and funnel cake wafting through the air, the local Elks lodge selling hamburgers, hotdogs and french fries, eco-friendly exhibitors, green merchants, and free services for paper shredding and recycling drop-offs (household batteries, cell-phones, CFL bulbs and fluorescent tubes). Everyone joins together in support of a healthy environment that includes "clean air, land and water," says Mayor Margo Bailey.
According to Andy Goddard, one of the event organizers, center stage will feature Ford "open mic" Schumann and friends, a duet by Jay and Lisa Yerkes, and musicians Bob and Pamela Ortiz among others. "Open air concerts and festivals are a lot of fun," says Goddard, because they encourage a community to come out and meet their neighbors. Mayor Bailey notes the positive impact on our local economy. She credits volunteers Jon Hanley, JoAnn Fairchild and Ms. Goddard for orchestrating the festival and other events that bring the community together while attracting visitors and tourists. "But by far the biggest draw is the Farmers Market," says Bailey, and we have Owen McCoy and all our local growers to thank for that.
The Humane Society reminds folks that Mutt Strut registration begins in Fountain Park at 8:30 AM, with the dog walk starting at 10:00 AM and ending at Wilmer Park. Registration for the walk is $10. All other events and activities in the Town's parks are free and open to the public. For festival information contact (410) 778-7295 and for Mutt Strut contact (410) 778-3648. The Earth Day Festival & Mutt Strut is a collaborative event sponsored by the Town of Chestertown, the Kent County Humane Society, and the Center for Environment & Society at Washington College. Read about last year's event here.
* 7:00 AM - vendors and exhibitors set up on Memorial Row
* 8:00 AM - Farmers Market opens in Fountain Park
* 8:30 AM - Mutt Strut registration in Fountain Park
* 9:30 AM - live music begins
* 10:00 AM - dog parade begins in Fountain Park and winds through Wilmer Park
* 1:00 PM - festival ends on a happy note
Earth Day Festival & Farmers Market
8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Fountain Park & Memorial Row
Chestertown
Spring flowers, local artisans, live music, tasty baked goods, fresh eggs, meats and produce will highlight the Farmers Market in Fountain Park. Across the street Memorial Row will transform into a dog- and pedestrian-only "street fair," with Rose Green's fried fish and funnel cake wafting through the air, the local Elks lodge selling hamburgers, hotdogs and french fries, eco-friendly exhibitors, green merchants, and free services for paper shredding and recycling drop-offs (household batteries, cell-phones, CFL bulbs and fluorescent tubes). Everyone joins together in support of a healthy environment that includes "clean air, land and water," says Mayor Margo Bailey.
According to Andy Goddard, one of the event organizers, center stage will feature Ford "open mic" Schumann and friends, a duet by Jay and Lisa Yerkes, and musicians Bob and Pamela Ortiz among others. "Open air concerts and festivals are a lot of fun," says Goddard, because they encourage a community to come out and meet their neighbors. Mayor Bailey notes the positive impact on our local economy. She credits volunteers Jon Hanley, JoAnn Fairchild and Ms. Goddard for orchestrating the festival and other events that bring the community together while attracting visitors and tourists. "But by far the biggest draw is the Farmers Market," says Bailey, and we have Owen McCoy and all our local growers to thank for that.
The Humane Society reminds folks that Mutt Strut registration begins in Fountain Park at 8:30 AM, with the dog walk starting at 10:00 AM and ending at Wilmer Park. Registration for the walk is $10. All other events and activities in the Town's parks are free and open to the public. For festival information contact (410) 778-7295 and for Mutt Strut contact (410) 778-3648. The Earth Day Festival & Mutt Strut is a collaborative event sponsored by the Town of Chestertown, the Kent County Humane Society, and the Center for Environment & Society at Washington College. Read about last year's event here.
* 7:00 AM - vendors and exhibitors set up on Memorial Row
* 8:00 AM - Farmers Market opens in Fountain Park
* 8:30 AM - Mutt Strut registration in Fountain Park
* 9:30 AM - live music begins
* 10:00 AM - dog parade begins in Fountain Park and winds through Wilmer Park
* 1:00 PM - festival ends on a happy note
Go Green on 213
April 21, 2011
Come celebrate Earth Day on campus by showing the creative side of recycling! Put those cans from the weekend to good use or get a jump-start on building a boat for cardboard boat race. Find a team and build whatever you want out of recyclable materials. The teams with the best structures or sculptures will win. Judging takes place from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM on Thursday, April 21st, on the Hodson Commons outside the main entrance to the Dining Hall.
The rules for the "Go Green on 213" recycling sculpture contest are as follows:
1. Teams are not required to be present for the judging; however it is their responsibility to get the sculpture to and from the event.
2. Teams should have their names and name of the sculpture/structure presented with their entry.
3. Water soluble glues and paints only are allowed (no hot glue).
4. The sculptures must be set up by 11:30 AM on the day of the judging. It is the team's responsibility to plan accordingly.
5. Recyclable materials will not be given to the participants. It is the team's responsibility to collect their own materials for their structure.
6. Teams may win more than one category.
The JUDGES (Andrew Antonio, JoAnn Fairchild, Dr. Karl Kehm, and Ricky Sears) will award prizes in the following categories:
* Best cardboard structure
* Best can structure
* Best bottle structure
* People’s choice
* Most creative
* "OMG" (overall most green!) – it is reusable, helpful to others, and environmentally friendly.
PRIZES include I-tunes gift cards, a free pizza, coupons to Java George, and coupons to the Farmers Market on campus that day.
Dining Services is hosting a Farmers Market on the Commons starting at 11:00 AM. Vendors include Redman Farms, Eve’s Cheese and St. Brigid’s Farm among other local producers. According to Donna Dhue Wilkins, the College’s food service director, “organic beef tips and fresh salad greens will surely highlight the lunch menu that day.”
For information on the RECYCLING SCULPTURE CONTEST contact Elle O'Brien at eobrien3@washcoll.edu or (410) 778-7295. “You can build any structure or create sculpture made out of recycled cans, bottles, or cardboard,” she says. O’Brien, who is an intern with the College's Center for Environment & Society, says the contest winners will be invited to display their structures at the Mutt Strut & Earth Day Festival in downtown Chestertown on Saturday, April 23, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Come celebrate Earth Day on campus by showing the creative side of recycling! Put those cans from the weekend to good use or get a jump-start on building a boat for cardboard boat race. Find a team and build whatever you want out of recyclable materials. The teams with the best structures or sculptures will win. Judging takes place from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM on Thursday, April 21st, on the Hodson Commons outside the main entrance to the Dining Hall.
The rules for the "Go Green on 213" recycling sculpture contest are as follows:
1. Teams are not required to be present for the judging; however it is their responsibility to get the sculpture to and from the event.
2. Teams should have their names and name of the sculpture/structure presented with their entry.
3. Water soluble glues and paints only are allowed (no hot glue).
4. The sculptures must be set up by 11:30 AM on the day of the judging. It is the team's responsibility to plan accordingly.
5. Recyclable materials will not be given to the participants. It is the team's responsibility to collect their own materials for their structure.
6. Teams may win more than one category.
The JUDGES (Andrew Antonio, JoAnn Fairchild, Dr. Karl Kehm, and Ricky Sears) will award prizes in the following categories:
* Best cardboard structure
* Best can structure
* Best bottle structure
* People’s choice
* Most creative
* "OMG" (overall most green!) – it is reusable, helpful to others, and environmentally friendly.
PRIZES include I-tunes gift cards, a free pizza, coupons to Java George, and coupons to the Farmers Market on campus that day.
Dining Services is hosting a Farmers Market on the Commons starting at 11:00 AM. Vendors include Redman Farms, Eve’s Cheese and St. Brigid’s Farm among other local producers. According to Donna Dhue Wilkins, the College’s food service director, “organic beef tips and fresh salad greens will surely highlight the lunch menu that day.”
For information on the RECYCLING SCULPTURE CONTEST contact Elle O'Brien at eobrien3@washcoll.edu or (410) 778-7295. “You can build any structure or create sculpture made out of recycled cans, bottles, or cardboard,” she says. O’Brien, who is an intern with the College's Center for Environment & Society, says the contest winners will be invited to display their structures at the Mutt Strut & Earth Day Festival in downtown Chestertown on Saturday, April 23, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
CES Hosts First Annual Oyster Growers Picnic
The Center for Environment & Society (CES), hosted the first annual “Picnic at the Pavilion” for local waterfront property owners participating in Governor O’Malley’s “Marylanders Grow Oysters” program. The event, held Sunday, April 10 at the Leila Hanson Pavilion in Wilmer Park, Chestertown, MD, was designed as a “meet and greet” session. CES successfully applied to the program last year, purchased oysters in September, and currently have 55 community members growing oysters in 260 cages hanging from their piers along the Chester River. Read the full article on the Chestertown Spy. For more information on the Marylanders Grow Oysters Program see http://www.oysters.maryland.gov/ or contact Mike Hardesty, Chester River MGO coordinator mhardesty2@washcoll.edu or 410 699 1940.
Monday, April 4, 2011
The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love
April 13, 2011
7:30 PM - Hotchkiss Recital Hall
Gibson Art Center
Join author Kristin Kimball in discussing her new memoir, "The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love." Kimball and her husband, Mark, farm 500 acres near Lake Champlain in northern New York. "Against all odds, I fell deeply for him, and for farming...At the end of the first growing season, we got married in the loft of our shabby red barn. We've farmed here for seven years now, and have become parents to two little girls."
The Kimballs raise almost everything they need for a year-round diet, including 50 kinds of vegetables, herbs, grains, and fruits, plus pigs, chickens, and dairy and beef cattle. They use no pesticides or herbicides, and most of the work is done with draft horses instead of tractors. The farm feeds 150 people, who come each week to pick up their share of our produce, flours, milk, meats, and eggs.
Prior to farming, Kimball worked as a freelance writer, a writing teacher, and an assistant to a literary agent. A graduate of Harvard University, she has run Essex Farm with her husband since 2003. She grew up near Rome, NY, where she didn't even have a garden as a child. Kimball says: "Farming asks a lot of a person, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. It keeps you close to the dirt and humble. I've gained many skills on the farm that I couldn't have imagined needing in the city...But the best lesson farming has taught me is the deep pleasure of commitment—to Mark, to our farm, to a small town."
The program is sponsored by The Center for Environment & Society, The Joseph H. McLain Program in Environmental Studies, The Sophie Kerr Committee, and Farm Dinners on the Shore. For more information, call 410-778-7295. The event is free and open to the public.
7:30 PM - Hotchkiss Recital Hall
Gibson Art Center
Join author Kristin Kimball in discussing her new memoir, "The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love." Kimball and her husband, Mark, farm 500 acres near Lake Champlain in northern New York. "Against all odds, I fell deeply for him, and for farming...At the end of the first growing season, we got married in the loft of our shabby red barn. We've farmed here for seven years now, and have become parents to two little girls."
The Kimballs raise almost everything they need for a year-round diet, including 50 kinds of vegetables, herbs, grains, and fruits, plus pigs, chickens, and dairy and beef cattle. They use no pesticides or herbicides, and most of the work is done with draft horses instead of tractors. The farm feeds 150 people, who come each week to pick up their share of our produce, flours, milk, meats, and eggs.
Prior to farming, Kimball worked as a freelance writer, a writing teacher, and an assistant to a literary agent. A graduate of Harvard University, she has run Essex Farm with her husband since 2003. She grew up near Rome, NY, where she didn't even have a garden as a child. Kimball says: "Farming asks a lot of a person, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. It keeps you close to the dirt and humble. I've gained many skills on the farm that I couldn't have imagined needing in the city...But the best lesson farming has taught me is the deep pleasure of commitment—to Mark, to our farm, to a small town."
The program is sponsored by The Center for Environment & Society, The Joseph H. McLain Program in Environmental Studies, The Sophie Kerr Committee, and Farm Dinners on the Shore. For more information, call 410-778-7295. The event is free and open to the public.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Video: Sustainability at Washington College
CES Intern Amanda Anastasia '13 has produced a video about sustainability at Washington College. Check it out!
Locavore Lit Fest is Huge Success
The first ever Locavore Lit Fest took place in Chestertown March 25 and 26. There was a great turnout, and festival goers were able to hear from and interact with authors who spoke on food related subjects from the environmental impacts of agriculture to the native wild foods of the Eastern Shore, with a dose of humor and the simple joys of eating thrown in for good measure! The WC Dining Hall had local food specials at lunch on Friday to kick off the weekend, and several local authors, including CES' own Program Manager, Tara Holste '07, and Assistant Director of Admissions Aundra Weissert '08, spoke on their inspiration to begin writing about local foods.
Click here for the press release and schedule of the event, and here to view more pictures!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Nature Photography Workshop at ENNWR
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
4:45 PM to 7:45 PM
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge
1730 Eastern Neck Road, Rock Hall MD 21661
Brian Palmer, manager of the Multimedia Production Center at Washington College, will teach a Nature Photography Workshop at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge on March 30, 2011, from 4:45 PM until sunset. The class will explore camera techniques, lighting, digital darkroom technology and post-production applicable to wildlife, landscape and macro photography.
This event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Space is limited to 18 people. Refreshments provided during the 90-minute classroom period at the Visitor Center. Immediately following, participants head outdoors for hands-on practice. Bring your own camera, snack and water. Presented by the Friends of Eastern Neck and Washington College's Center for Environment & Society. Contact jfairchild2@washcoll.edu or (410) 778-7295.
4:45 PM to 7:45 PM
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge
1730 Eastern Neck Road, Rock Hall MD 21661
Brian Palmer, manager of the Multimedia Production Center at Washington College, will teach a Nature Photography Workshop at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge on March 30, 2011, from 4:45 PM until sunset. The class will explore camera techniques, lighting, digital darkroom technology and post-production applicable to wildlife, landscape and macro photography.
This event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Space is limited to 18 people. Refreshments provided during the 90-minute classroom period at the Visitor Center. Immediately following, participants head outdoors for hands-on practice. Bring your own camera, snack and water. Presented by the Friends of Eastern Neck and Washington College's Center for Environment & Society. Contact jfairchild2@washcoll.edu or (410) 778-7295.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The History of Immigration and Migrants in the U.S.
February 15, 2011
7:00 PM - Litrenta Lecture Hall
Toll Science Center
The Women's League of Kent County, Maryland will present a lecture by Dr. Charlotte Staelin, A Nation of Immigrants, on Tuesday, February 15th, at 7:00 PM in the Toll Science Center, Litrenta Lecture Hall, at Washington College. This presentation chronicles the history of immigration and migrant workers in the United States.
Among her many accomplishments, Dr. Staelin is a local historian, owner of Colchester Farm CSA, dedicated steward of the land and water, an advocate for environmental conservation and preservation, and a dedicated community activist, mediator and volunteer.
This program is co-sponsored by the Center for Environment & Society and the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at Washington College. It is free and open to the public. For more information, contact 410-778-7295.
7:00 PM - Litrenta Lecture Hall
Toll Science Center
The Women's League of Kent County, Maryland will present a lecture by Dr. Charlotte Staelin, A Nation of Immigrants, on Tuesday, February 15th, at 7:00 PM in the Toll Science Center, Litrenta Lecture Hall, at Washington College. This presentation chronicles the history of immigration and migrant workers in the United States.
Among her many accomplishments, Dr. Staelin is a local historian, owner of Colchester Farm CSA, dedicated steward of the land and water, an advocate for environmental conservation and preservation, and a dedicated community activist, mediator and volunteer.
This program is co-sponsored by the Center for Environment & Society and the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at Washington College. It is free and open to the public. For more information, contact 410-778-7295.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love- POSTPONED
Rescheduled for April 13 at 7:30 PM!
Hotchkiss Recital Hall
Gibson Art Center
Join author Kristin Kimball in discussing her new memoir, "The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love." Kimball and her husband, Mark, farm 500 acres near Lake Champlain in northern New York. "Against all odds, I fell deeply for him, and for farming...At the end of the first growing season, we got married in the loft of our shabby red barn. We've farmed here for seven years now, and have become parents to two little girls."
The Kimballs raise almost everything they need for a year-round diet, including 50 kinds of vegetables, herbs, grains, and fruits, plus pigs, chickens, and dairy and beef cattle. They use no pesticides or herbicides, and most of the work is done with draft horses instead of tractors. The farm feeds 150 people, who come each week to pick up their share of our produce, flours, milk, meats, and eggs.
Prior to farming, Kimball worked as a freelance writer, a writing teacher, and an assistant to a literary agent. A graduate of Harvard University, she has run Essex Farm with her husband since 2003. She grew up near Rome, NY, where she didn't even have a garden as a child. Kimball says: "Farming asks a lot of a person, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. It keeps you close to the dirt and humble. I've gained many skills on the farm that I couldn't have imagined needing in the city...But the best lesson farming has taught me is the deep pleasure of commitment—to Mark, to our farm, to a small town."
The program is sponsored by The Center for Environment & Society, The Joseph H. McLain Program in Environmental Studies, The Sophie Kerr Committee, and Farm Dinners on the Shore. For more information, call 410-778-7295. The event is free and open to the public.
Hotchkiss Recital Hall
Gibson Art Center
Join author Kristin Kimball in discussing her new memoir, "The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love." Kimball and her husband, Mark, farm 500 acres near Lake Champlain in northern New York. "Against all odds, I fell deeply for him, and for farming...At the end of the first growing season, we got married in the loft of our shabby red barn. We've farmed here for seven years now, and have become parents to two little girls."
The Kimballs raise almost everything they need for a year-round diet, including 50 kinds of vegetables, herbs, grains, and fruits, plus pigs, chickens, and dairy and beef cattle. They use no pesticides or herbicides, and most of the work is done with draft horses instead of tractors. The farm feeds 150 people, who come each week to pick up their share of our produce, flours, milk, meats, and eggs.
Prior to farming, Kimball worked as a freelance writer, a writing teacher, and an assistant to a literary agent. A graduate of Harvard University, she has run Essex Farm with her husband since 2003. She grew up near Rome, NY, where she didn't even have a garden as a child. Kimball says: "Farming asks a lot of a person, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. It keeps you close to the dirt and humble. I've gained many skills on the farm that I couldn't have imagined needing in the city...But the best lesson farming has taught me is the deep pleasure of commitment—to Mark, to our farm, to a small town."
The program is sponsored by The Center for Environment & Society, The Joseph H. McLain Program in Environmental Studies, The Sophie Kerr Committee, and Farm Dinners on the Shore. For more information, call 410-778-7295. The event is free and open to the public.
Monday, January 31, 2011
The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love
6:00 PM - Hotchkiss Recital Hall
Gibson Art Center
Join author Kristin Kimball in discussing her new memoir, "The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love." Kimball and her husband, Mark, farm 500 acres near Lake Champlain in northern New York. "Against all odds, I fell deeply for him, and for farming...At the end of the first growing season, we got married in the loft of our shabby red barn. We've farmed here for seven years now, and have become parents to two little girls."
The Kimballs raise almost everything they need for a year-round diet, including 50 kinds of vegetables, herbs, grains, and fruits, plus pigs, chickens, and dairy and beef cattle. They use no pesticides or herbicides, and most of the work is done with draft horses instead of tractors. The farm feeds 150 people, who come each week to pick up their share of our produce, flours, milk, meats, and eggs.
Prior to farming, Kimball worked as a freelance writer, a writing teacher, and an assistant to a literary agent. A graduate of Harvard University, she has run Essex Farm with her husband since 2003. She grew up near Rome, NY, where she didn't even have a garden as a child. Kimball says: "Farming asks a lot of a person, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. It keeps you close to the dirt and humble. I've gained many skills on the farm that I couldn't have imagined needing in the city...But the best lesson farming has taught me is the deep pleasure of commitment—to Mark, to our farm, to a small town."
The program is sponsored by The Center for Environment & Society, The Joseph H. McLain Program in Environmental Studies, The Sophie Kerr Committee, and Farm Dinners on the Shore. For more information, call 410-778-7295. The event is free and open to the public.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
River is the Reason POSTPONED
The River is a Reason — a celebration of poetry, music, and art — will now take place Thursday, January 27th, at 6:00 PM in THE EGG (inside the Dining Hall). For information, call JoAnn Fairchild (410) 778-7295.
Repeat: Tonight's program in Tawes has been cancelled. Please join Meredith Hadaway and friends TOMORROW in the Egg at 6:00 PM, followed by a catered reception and book signing.
The River is a Reason: A Celebration of Poetry, Music, and Art
6:00 PM - Tawes Theatre
Gibson Art Center
Featuring Meredith Davies Hadaway reading from her new book, local musicians, and artwork by Marcy Dunn Ramsey. Reception and book signing immediately following. Presented by the Center for Environment & Society and the Sophie Kerr Committee. Contact 410-778-7295.
Repeat: Tonight's program in Tawes has been cancelled. Please join Meredith Hadaway and friends TOMORROW in the Egg at 6:00 PM, followed by a catered reception and book signing.
The River is a Reason: A Celebration of Poetry, Music, and Art
6:00 PM - Tawes Theatre
Gibson Art Center
Featuring Meredith Davies Hadaway reading from her new book, local musicians, and artwork by Marcy Dunn Ramsey. Reception and book signing immediately following. Presented by the Center for Environment & Society and the Sophie Kerr Committee. Contact 410-778-7295.
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