Lift Up Your Eyes

My name is JoAnn.  My husband and I live on the Chester River in a rickety 1880s farmhouse. We're a half mile upriver from the National Wildlife Refuge on East Neck Island.   Rivers + wildlife = good.   Peeling paint, leaky roof, naughty dogs and dusty horses = bad.  

What did you do on the summer solstice?  Just curious.  Hopefully you got outside to celebrate the onset of the season.  I organized a group paddle with the Friends of Eastern Neck.   It was BYOK (bring your own kayak).  Eight people turned out.  This was a smaller crowd than usual.  Maybe the heat — a steamy 95 degrees at 5:30 PM — had something to do with it.   We met at Bogles Wharf and tailgated a bit before pushing off.  Homemade basil pesto pasta = yum.   Sandwiches from Rock Hall Liquors and salty-sweet peanut chews = even yummier.  

As soon as we got onto the water, the temperature dropped 10 degrees.  Ahh.  Relief.   We looked up and saw three eagles touch down in a big tree.  Then a couple osprey circled and cried out.  Great blue herons fished along the shoreline while red-winged blackbirds trilled in the marsh.  Ahh.  The sights and sounds of Mother Nature.  What a good start to the summer of 2012.

The president of the Friends led the group past Shipyard Creek to Hail Cove. We checked out the oyster bars and living shoreline.  A healthy-looking fox wove in and out of the tall grasses on the beach.  He ran off when we pulled up, splashed around a bit and, and got out to look back from where we came. 

Have a great summer.  xoxo, JoAnn

JoAnn Wood is the Senior Program Manager at the Center for Environment & Society.  

This picture is from the Harvest Moon paddle in October 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.

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. .

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.

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.

Maryland Birds and Habitats, Summer 2010

The Youth Program of the Maryland Ornithological Society (YMOS) conducted a new field camp, "Maryland Birds and Bird Habitats," during summer 2010. This residential program was based at Washington College and offered in collaboration with the Center for Environment & Society on June 20-25. CES Senior Associate Wayne Bell and retired middle school science teacher George Radcliffe (Queen Anne's County Public Schools) were co-directors. Five students enrolled (grades 8-10) from Baltimore, Carroll, and Queen Anne's Counties plus three educators from the DC and Baltimore areas. We were able to tailor much of the program content to their specific interests and education needs.

Eastern Neck Open House

Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge is hosting a special Open House on Saturday, December 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The community is invited to explore Eastern Neck Island and areas of the Refuge that are normally closed to the public. “This is a great time of year to bring your binoculars and learn about local wildlife and island habitat,” says Gren Whitman, president of the Friends.

Refuge facilities include miles of hiking paths through woods and meadows, a small natural history/visitor center, ponds, beach access, wildlife and waterfowl observation decks, a watertrail with public access, a butterfly garden (pretty even in winter), a caretaker's house, relaxing picnic areas, bike racks, a small gift shop, clean restrooms and an ample visitor parking lot.

The Friends of Eastern Neck, the Center for Environment & Society at Washington College, the Kent County Bird Club, a local chapter of Ducks Unlimited, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are teaming up to offer guided walks and talks throughout the day. All the tours, talks and nature walks start at the Refuge Office. The bird walk begins at the trail head. “It’s a family-friendly schedule,” says Refuge Manager Cindy Beemiller: 10:00 AM – Tubby Cove & Boxes Point bird walk; 10:30 AM – Cedar Point nature walk; 11:00 AM – Green Tree Reservoir tour; 12:15 PM – Tundra Swan talk; 1:30 PM – Shipyard Creek nature walk; 1:45 PM – Maintenance “Nuts & Bolts” talk; 2:30 PM – Duck Impoundment & pond tour. Bookstore manager Jackie Cicconi says she’s promoting a 10% discount all day, and the visitor center will feature live music and lunch concessions at noon.

This rain or shine event is free and open to the public. ENNWR is located at 1730 Eastern Neck Road in Rock Hall. For more information, contact colby_hawkinson@fws.gov or jfairchild2@washcoll.edu. To learn more about volunteer opportunities through the Friends of Eastern Neck, Inc. visit www.fws.gov/northeast/easternneck/ or call (410) 639-7056.

Full Moon Kayaking

October 22, 2010

Six Washington College students (Dan Danko, Nicole Robinson, and 4 other member of SEA) were among 22 paddlers on a Full Moon Float at Eastern Neck Island on October 22nd. It was brisk but calm as the group launched from Bogles Wharf and headed for the Duck Inn Trail. "It was peaceful gliding through the water and watching the moon come up," said Katherine Thornton, a sophomore at Washington College who took some of these photos. The event was organized by the Center for Environment & Society, and John Wagner, head of the College's waterfront programs, provided kayaks, paddles and life vests for students. The other intrepid paddlers (including a father and son in an Old Town canoe) brought their own gear and flashlights. The next group kayaking event at ENNWR is planned for 21 June 2011 in celebration of the summer solstice.

Eastern Neck Island has approximately 15 miles of shoreline, but the fall Shoreline Cleanup concentrated on a section of garbage and debris that washed ashore during recent storms. About a dozen people, including many volunteers from the Student Environmental Alliance (Nicole, Kathy, etc), hauled 11 bags of trash from the beach up to an abandoned trail head. The litter weighed approximately 200 pounds (not including an old tire)! Kevin Hemstock took a great photo of the cleanup participants - all women - that ran in the October 28th edition of the Kent County News.

Do bats make you think of Halloween and vampires? Beyond the myth and folklore, bats are one of the most important groups of animals. U.S. Fish & Wildlife specialist Colby Hawkinson taught a class on bat ecology, called Curious Creatures of the Night, on October 31st. Nine participants learned what bats eat, where they live and how they behave. Afterwards they built bat boxes using Boy Scouts' kits provided by Washington College's Center for Environment & Society.

All the October events at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge were part of a recent advertising campaign coordinated by CES and the Friends of Eastern Neck. The ongoing goal is to raise awareness of the Wildlife Refuge and the many recreational opportunities on the island. "Hiking trails, waterfowl counts, birdwatching, kayaking, beachcombing and fishing - it's all in your backyard," says Fairchild. If you have program suggestions, or for more information, please contact jfairchild2@washcoll.edu or (410) 778-7295. "We hope to see you at the Wildlife Open House on the island on December 4th," says Ms. Fairchild.

Curious Creatures of the Night: Bats!

October 31, 2010
2:00-3:30 PM

Bats often make people think of vampires, creatures of the night, and Halloween. Beyond the myth and folklore, bats are one of the most important groups of animals. Learn what they eat, where they live and how they behave. And build your own bat box with Colby Hawkinson, Park Ranger of Visitor Services. Building materials, cookies and cider compliments of the Friends of Eastern Neck and Washington College's Center for Environment & Society. Free and open to the public. Please register in advance with jfairchild2@washcoll.edu or call (410) 778-7295 or (410) 639-7056.

Shoreline Cleanup

October 24, 2010
2:00-4:00 PM

Eastern Neck Island has approximately 15 miles of shoreline, but this two-hour cleanup will concentrate on a section of trash and debris that washed ashore during recent storms. Meet at the entrance to the island at 2:00 PM. Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, located at 1730 Eastern Neck Road, Rock Hall MD. Contact jfairchild2@washcoll.edu or (410) 778-7295.

Harvest Moon Kayak & Canoe Paddle

October 22, 2010
6:00-8:30 PM

Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge
1730 Eastern Neck Road, Rock Hall MD

Watch the sun set to the west and the full moon rise in the east during a "full moon float" at Eastern Neck Island on Friday, October 22, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Meet at 5:30 p.m. at Bogles Wharf, a public landing on Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, for gear check and instructions before heading out on the water. Previous paddling experience necessary. Bring your own canoe or kayak, life vest and flashlight.
Some would say we are "lunatics," say trip leaders Gren Whitman and JoAnn Fairchild. "But the setting sun creates an amazing canvass of contrasting and blending colors across the sky and reflecting in the river," says Whitman. "Great photo opportunities arise," adds Fairchild, and paddling by the light of the moon brings you closer to the magical sounds of ducks and geese rafting in the marsh.

Free and open to the public, this event is sponsored by the Friends of Eastern Neck and the Center for Environment & Society (CES) at Washington College. To register, or for more information, contact jfairchild2@washcoll.edu or 410-778-7295. In case of foul weather, the paddle will be cancelled. To learn more about recreational opportunities through the Friends of Eastern Neck, Inc. visit www.fws.gov/northeast/easternneck/ or call (410) 639-7056.

Shoreline Cleanup

May 1, 2010

The Center for Environment & Society (CES) at Washington College and the Friends of Eastern Neck, Inc., are organizing a shoreline clean-up at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, May 1, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. "Volunteers are needed to help pick up trash and debris that accumulate on E. Neck Island over the winter months," says project manager JoAnn Fairchild. Trash bags, gloves, sunscreen, bug spray and bottled water will be provided for all volunteers. The event is free and open to the public. Meet at the Refuge Office and Visitor Center, located at 1730 Eastern Neck Road in Rock Hall. Contact jfairchild2@washcoll.edu or call 410/778-7295.

The Center for Environment & Society works to instill a conservation ethic by connecting people to the land and water. It supports interdisciplinary research and education, exemplary stewardship of natural and cultural resources, and the integration of ecological and social values. The Friends of Eastern Neck, Inc. is a non-profit organization that supports the missions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Eastern Neck NWR through financial, advocacy, and volunteer support. To learn more about volunteer opportunities at Eastern Neck, visit www.fws.gov/northeast/easternneck/ or call (410) 639-7056.

Shoreline Cleanup

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Shoreline Cleanup at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, 12-4 p.m.