Federation Blog

Volunteers started their day extra early Sunday morning to work an important water stop along the route for the Zooma 1/2  marathon.  We had 12 folks show up ready to set up tables, fill water cups and cheer runners along.  Thanks to everyone who came out to help and thank you, Kerri, for rallying!  Couldn't have done it without you!!!  For our efforts, the Federation will receive $250 from Zooma!!

Front Row, L to R: "Chip" Wilson, Bill Snyder, Kerri Reilly  / Back Row, L to R:  Sarah, Kate Fritz, Robin Nuskind, Cindy Wallace, Patricia Hicks, Bill Tham, Issy  /   Not pictured:  Bridget Gallagher, Dick Lahn, Richard Snyder

As part of the development of the Homeport Farm property, Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks received approximately 25 acres of land alongside Church Creek for future use as a County park.  The advisory committee for the park consists of representatives from the surrounding communities and user groups such as the Chesapeake Paddlers, the Annapolis Rowing Club (below), the Anne Arundel Sierra Club, and the Federation.

 Thankfully, all of these groups support keeping the park largely in its natural state, with some opportunities for passive recreation and low impact activities.  Eventually, the plan is for the park to have a natural surface hiking loop, a launch for canoes and kayaks, and several community garden plots.  In addition, the plan calls for reforesting something on the order of 7 or 8 acres of the property which are currently fallow farmland.  

Last weekend, volunteers from the Federation, the Rowing Club, the Sierra Club, and the County came out, in the driving rain, to plant 400 trees and shrubs and begin the reforestation effort.  Thanks to all the volunteers who came out and put in a few hours to help improve the health of the river.

 From left to right: County forester, Bud Reeves; County Executive, John Leopold; Federation Executive Director, Erik Michelsen; Sierra Club Chair, David Prosten; County Parks Manager, Karyn Molines.

 This morning, over 25 Federation volunteers cleaned-up along Chesterfield Road, in the Bacon Ridge Branch area, and along the headwaters of Church Creek in Annapolis.  The picture below is of the haul at Church Creek, which included about 50 yards (over a full dumpster) of metal and other recyclables (including a couple of shopping cars), about 10 yards of trash, and between 50 and 60 tires.  Thanks to all the volunteers who came out and made the event a success and to the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works for providing the dumpsters.

 

Today over 30 volunteers from the South River Federation, the Anne Arundel Sierra Club, and the community-at-large worked in the headwaters of Church Creek to pull out tires, discarded road signs, and several tons of garbage from the stream valley.  Special thanks to all who volunteered and helped out.

 Thanks also to the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works who hauled all the garbage off to the landfill.