St. Mary's River Watershed Association
PO Box 94, St. Mary's City, MD 20686

May 6, 2008

Dear Stakeholders:

The St. Mary’s River needs your help.  The St. Mary’s River drainage area, which includes most of the Lexington Park Development District, is under significant development pressure which appears to be causing pollution of watershed streams and the main river, fragmenting natural habitats, and overwhelming the ability of the river, stream networks, and surrounding lands to provide important ecological and economic benefits.

Join American Chestnut Land Trust (ACLT) for a Mother’s Day Guided Canoe Trip, Sunday, May 11, 2008 on Parkers Creek from 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.

Reservations are required.

A $10.00 per person donation is appreciated.

Reserve your seat by calling 410-414-3400 or reserve online www.acltweb.org.

http://www.blackdiamondsmovie.com/

As part of the 2008 Patuxent River Sojourn, the movie Black Diamonds will be shown on Monday, June 23nd, at the Calvert Marine Museum auditorium at 6:45 pm.  It is open to the public.

Black Diamonds: Mountaintop Removal & The Fight For Coalfield Justice     72 minutes - (Impacts of “mountaintop removal” coal mining.)  BLACK DIAMONDS charts the escalating drama in Appalachia over the alarming increase in large mountaintop coal mines. These mammoth operations have covered 1200 miles of headwater streams with mining waste; demolished thousands of acres of hardwood forest; and flattened hundreds of Appalachian mountain peaks. 

June 19-24, 2008
The Patuxent River Sojourn is a weeklong canoeing and kayaking expedition that features educational programming, riverside camping, festive meals, live music, and much more. Novice and experienced paddlers alike enjoy a unique on-the-water experience that builds a strong environmental ethic. You may sign up for as many days as you want to paddle, from one day to the full trip!
Coordinated by Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and partners Calvert County Natural Resources Division, Patuxent Riverkeeper, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Sierra Club of Anne Arundel County, and Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary.
Sponsored by Mirant Mid-Atlantic LLC, the ERM Foundation, and Cove Point Natural Heritage Trust.
 

• Thursday, June 19: Kickoff at King’s Landing Park (Calvert County).
• Friday, June 20: Paddle to Benedict (Prince George’s County).
• Saturday, June 21: Paddle to Prison Point (Calvert County)
• Sunday, June 22: Paddle to Jefferson Patterson Park (Calvert County)
• Monday, June 23: Paddle to Calvert Marine Museum (Calvert County)
• Tuesday, June 24: Paddle to Drum Point (Calvert County)

 
Cost: $60/day adult, $30/day youth. Price includes meals, camp sites, commemorative t-shirts, daily or weeklong shuttles, safety outfitter, and interpretive education (kayak/canoe not included). Ages 8+.
For more information and registration, please visit the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay website http://www.paxsojourn.org/ or contact Kate Dowling at 410-377-6270 or kdowling@acb-online.org.

The National Building Museum recently hosted a panel discussion entitled "Whose Carbon is it Anyway?"  Harriett Tregoning of the DC Office of Planning presented the city’s green building law, launched in 2006 with the expectation that the public sector would lead the creation of sustainable buildings, only to have the private sector race ahead with 204 projects now in the permit pipeline.  These are privately-owned sites slated for LEED certification.  

At least some of DC’s buildings will soon emit less carbon, but the vehicles on our streets are a far more significant problem.   Signs are now prevalent that prohibit idling cars. Yet, half of all trips generated in the city are three miles or less; a distance someone could walk, ride or jump on mass transit if they choose to do so.  The DC Circulator attempts to wrestle America’s car clinging tendencies. Streetcars painted for the District are now being tested in Prague.  Paris’s bike-sharing program, where one can swipe a kiosk card to borrow an instant bike, is nearing implementation.  Even the selective placement of grocery stores throughout the city is a means to get people out of their cars and onto sidewalks.  At least DC has moved beyond rhetoric to actions.

"EcoTourism: Make Your Next Vacation More Meaningful", Sustainability Speaker Series

When: Wednesday, April 30, Noon-1:00pm,
Where: Symons Hall Room 0200

Ecotourism (or ecological tourism) is the environmentally-friendly alternative to your next vacation. Generally speaking, ecotourism focuses on volunteering, personal growth, and learning new ways to live on the planet, typically involving travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Responsible ecotourism includes programs that minimize the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment and enhance the cultural integrity of local people.

Website: www.sustainability.umd.edu

For more information, contact:
Mark Stewart
Office of Sustainability
+1 301 405 4633
stewartm@umd.edu
www.sustainability.umd.edu

Join River Riders for a guided kayak trip on the Patuxent River on Saturday, May 3, at Greenwell State Park. "Spring Paddle" is the first trip of the 2008 kayaking season. Departure is scheduled for 10am from the new accessible (ADA-compliant) kayak and canoe launch/floating dock.

Meet participants at the Quarter Creek Pavilion. Reservations are required - please call 301-373-9775 to make a reserve your spot.

River Riders is an accessible and inclusive kayaking program offering lessons for beginning and intermediate kayakers, rentals, guided trips, and summer camp. More information about River Rivers is available at: http://www.greenwellfoundation.org/Programs/riverriders.html

Greenwell State Park - Be a part of the Park of Possibilities The Greenwell Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization dedicated to providing universally accessible and inclusive programs, services, and facilities for all community members, with and without disabilities, in Southern Maryland.

The Patuxent Roughnecks volunteer work crew invites you to their next work trip:

Sunday, April 27
When: 9:00am

Where:
Meet at Piney Orchard Parkway Bridge over the Little Patuxent River
 
The goal of the Roughnecks is to maintain fish passage and a free flowing river for humans. The Crew works in fringe areas to remove blockages that harm the ecology of the river. This will be a continuation of the first work trip of the season on the Little Patuxent River.  During this work trip, the Roughnecks will hike or paddle (dependant on the weather) along the Little Patuxent River and remove blockages impeding the channel. Patuxent Riverkeeper will provide maps, GPS, tools, and drinking water. Please be prepared to hike or paddle and bring any additional gear as you see fit...
 
Please RSVP by noon Friday April 25, 2008 to: Lauren@paxriverkeeper.org or 301-249-8200x6

http://paxriverkeeper.org/

St. Mary’s County Residents
Get Rid of Your Old Scrap Tires Now
FREE OF CHARGE!

Up to 10 Tires Per Vehicle – One Visit Per Resident & Vehicle
Commercial Vehicles & Business Tires Prohibited

Drop them off on April 26th
Hours 8:00 am - 4:30 pm at the St. Andrews Landfill on Rt. 4
For more information contact: St. Mary’s County DPW&T - 301-863-8400

Citizen Scrap Tire Drop-Off Day is sponsored by the Maryland Department of the Environment and Maryland Environmental Service.

Nearly one quarter of St. Mary's County lies in the St. Mary's River watershed. The river receives drainage from over 100 miles of streams and flows into the Potomac River at St. George's Island. Our trip will start in Great Mills at the County canoe launch and we will paddle for about 5 miles downstream  to St. Mary's College of Maryland at Historic St. Mary's City where we will have a picnic lunch (provided). Joining us will be Bob Lewis, the Executive Director of the St. Mary's River Watershed Association to provide information about the river and preservation efforts there.

"I wanted a group outdoor activity that would enable me to explore local waterways and see things from a different viewpoint than walking or riding along the shoreline.  Kayaking has provided access to beautiful local scenery, a way to get closer to marine habitats & to get close up views of the interesting creatures which live in & by our local waterways," says Bea Puryear, a participant in prior trips.

 
Suggested donation for the trip is $65 and covers kayak, gear, lunch and all expenses.  Proceeds help support the work of local watershed preservation groups.
 
Call to Participate: 301-249-8200 ext 3

Sponsored By