Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) has announced that its annual gala, Party to Preserve, will be held on Saturday, October 27th from 4pm to 7pm at Chateau Bu-De Vineyard & Winery, Bohemia Manor Farm. Located on the Bohemia River in Chesapeake City, the 440-acre farm is truly one of the most beautiful spots in Cecil County with simultaneous water and vineyard views. Tickets for the event can be purchased at www.eslc.org or by calling ESLC directly at 410.690.4603, ext. 0.

Chateau Bu-De Vineyard & Winery, Bohemia Manor Farm.

Keeping with tradition, the event will be held on an Eastern Shore property in one of six counties (Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot) that has also been (at least partially) preserved under a conservation easement. Of interest to history buffs, the farm is also the historic property of Bohemian explorer, merchant, and cartographer Augustine Herrman, who hundreds of years ago produced a map of the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay in exchange for permission to establish the plantation. The remains of his original structure still stands in close proximity to the winery.

ESLC will also be celebrating and educating attendees about its newest initiative during the event. A Delmarva Oasis is the Conservancy’s most comprehensive initiative in its 28-year existence with a goal of protecting 50% of the Delmarva Peninsula by 2030. The proposal, which seeks to include the support and partnership of multiple conservation-based organizations and the local governments of three states, is a beginning of a discussion about the end game for conservation.

Party to Preserve ticket sales are already underway and selling steadily. Guests will enjoy sunset views over the Bohemia River and groove to the “straight-ahead, uncompromising cocktail music” of the Van Williamson Trio. Of course, the wine will be plentiful as will the delicious, locally sourced cuisine. ESLC will have shuttle service available for guests with pickup and drop-off in Easton and Chestertown.

Event sponsorships opportunities are still available. Please contact ESLC’s Manager of Outreach & Engagement, Julia Babbitt Williams, at jbabbitt@eslc.org or 410.690.4603 x171.

Affordable, clean, renewable energy is now available on the Eastern Shore. One way to go solar is via Neighborhood Sun. The Silver Spring, MD based company will be holding an informational meeting at the Eastern Shore Conservation Center on Thursday, July 26^th from 5pm to 6pm. Food and drinks will be served as residents can learn about how community solar provides all the benefits of locally produced, affordable clean energy without any equipment to install or upfront fees.

Registration for this free event is located online at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-solar-launch-party-eastern-shore-tickets-48181938475.

Local, environmental organizations such as Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) are partnering with Neighborhood Sun to provide residents with a means to go solar without installing anything on their roof or paying upfront fees. As a benefit to ESLC and other nonprofit partners, the groups will receive a $100 donation from Neighborhood Sun for each new customer that signs up through their specific URL link.

To sign up through ESLC’s link, please visit: https://neighborhoodsun.solar/eslc/

Note: Participation is currently limited to customers of Pepco Maryland, Potomac Edison First Energy, Baltimore Gas & Electric, and Delmarva Power & Light.

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit land conservation organization committed to preserving and sustaining the vibrant communities of the Eastern Shore and the lands and waters that connect them. More at www.eslc.org.

The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) proudly invites residents of all ages to its inaugural LANDJAM event – a family-friendly gathering held on the gorgeous and permanently-preserved Leigh Family Farm in Kent County.

LANDJAM will take place on Saturday, May 19th from 1pm to 5pm (rain date: Sunday, May 20th) and will include live bluegrass music from local bands, environmentally-related educational activities and demonstrations, and an assortment of local foods, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages for sale.

“This is an opportunity for people to celebrate spring and get outdoors with family and friends and to spend some time on a privately-owned farm that they normally wouldn’t have access to,” says ESLC Communications Manager David Ferraris. “The Leigh Family is extremely generous to open their property to us. We sincerely hope that families will join us on this pristine land for an afternoon full of great music, food, and fun.”

Activities for both children and adults include guided nature walks, farm tours on tractor-pulled people movers, and birding demonstrations. Food and beverages will be provided by Dogfish Head Brewery, Sprout, Barbeque & Beyond, Lockbriar & Daughter Ice Cream, and Crow Vineyard & Winery.

Leigh Family Farm is located in Betterton, MD. The entire family may attend the event for $25 (or $10 for an individual).

Tickets may be purchased in advance at www.eslc.org/events.

The agricultural industry is known for having significant barriers to entry, namely the high cost of farmland and other capital needs, but a newly funded program is available to help bring about the next generation of farmers.

On Thursday, May 3rd, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) and the Maryland Agricultural & Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO) will be hosting a regional information session on the Next Generation Farmland Acquisition Program. This exciting state-supported program – funded for the 2nd year in a row – is designed to help qualified young and beginning farmers secure long-term access to farmland, while also effectively preserving the agricultural land from future development.

This free event is open to the public and will be held at the Talbot Free Library from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm on May 3rd. The information session will include an overview of the new “Next Gen Program”, as well as information on how ESLC and MARBIDCO could help folks secure farmland or obtain additional financial resources to help build their agricultural businesses.

“This program really is on the cutting edge – it helps to both permanently preserve important natural resources, while also assisting qualified individuals with making their way into an industry with relatively high barriers to entry,” said ESLC Policy Manager, Josh Hastings.

The Next Gen Program, administered by MARBIDCO, has an application submission deadline of July 31, 2018 and application forms should be available by May 1st. Come hear how area organizations and agricultural lenders can help the next generation make their dream of farming into a reality. For questions, please contact Josh Hastings at jhastings@eslc.org or 410-251-5268.

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit land conservation organization committed to preserving and sustaining the vibrant communities of the Eastern Shore and the lands and waters that connect them. More at www.eslc.org.

The Eastern Shore remains the third most susceptible region to the effects of sea level rise in the entire nation. With this in mind, the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy is following up their sold-out 2017 Unsinkable Shore conference with Culture, Climate, and Change: How social factors shape the climate dialogue, which will be held at Washington College on April 21, 2018 from 9am to 1pm. The event is sponsored in part by the College’s Center for Environment & Society.

“This conference promises to have participants walking away with the knowledge to speak effectively, accurately, and confidently about climate change,” says ESLC Communications Manager David Ferraris.

Attendees should anticipate an in-depth exploration of the social factors that influence opinions, beliefs, and perceptions of climate change on the Shore. Participants will gain an appreciation for how our region’s rich cultural landscape shapes the dialogue – or lack thereof – about how we respond to climate risks.

The $20 admission fee includes a continental breakfast, and for the first 70 registrants, a complimentary copy of “How Culture Shapes the Climate Change Debate” by Andrew Hoffman, a professor of business and sustainability at the University of Michigan. Registration is available online at www.eslc.org/events.

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit land conservation organization committed to preserving and sustaining the vibrant communities of the Eastern Shore and the lands and waters that connect them. More at www.eslc.org.

The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) and its project partners will host two community design charrettes, as well as a project kick-off event, to celebrate and gather community input for Cannery Park. The park, which will be located adjacent to the former Phillips Packing Co.’s last remaining building (soon to be known as The Packing House), is the culmination of a planning and funds-seeking process that has been in the works for approximately seven years.

The media kick-off event will happen at 11am on Tuesday, January 23rd at 411 Dorchester Avenue. All residents, local businesses, and members of the media are encouraged to attend to find out more about the future park, and about Parker Rodriguez – the Alexandria, VA-based landscape architecture firm that has been selected to design and create Cannery Park.

The two community design charrettes will be open to the public in an effort to capture feedback and input on the design of Cannery Park’s master plan, as well as to provide updates on Cambridge’s newest public space. The first charrette will be held from 6:30 to 7:30pm on Tuesday, January 23rd at the Cambridge Empowerment Center, located at 615 B Pine Street. The second charrette will be held at 6:30pm on Thursday, January 25th at the Public Safety Building, located at 8 Washington Street.

Along with ESLC staff, members from the City of Cambridge, Dorchester County, Cross Street Partners, and Parker Rodriguez will be in attendance during all of the week’s events. The restoration of Cambridge Creek, along with the removal of an inactive railroad line so as to create a rail trail connecting the park to downtown, will be among the first action items in the creation of the new park.

Parker Rodriguez was founded in 1996 as a full service land planning, landscape architecture, and urban design firm serving public and private clients across the U.S. The firm has a strong record of working in close collaboration with public planners, citizens, architects, and artists during its projects, which has led to landscape design that is imaginative, sensitive to the community, and authentic to place – all reasons that the firm was selected from the many who submitted proposals. The firm is also known to be deeply informed by principles of sustainability, believing that good design and ecological effectiveness are not mutually exclusive.

For more information about the media event on January 23rd, please contact ESLC’s Communication Manager David Ferraris at dferraris@eslc.org or 410.690.4603 x165. For questions regarding the community design charrettes, please contact ESLC’s Community Projects Manager Elizabeth Carter at ecarter@eslc.org or 410.690.4603 x152.

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit land conservation organization committed to preserving and sustaining the vibrant communities of the Eastern Shore and the lands and waters that connect them. More at www.eslc.org.