Marty O'Connor - President, Friends of Blackwater

From Fall 2007 Newsletter: First of all, on behalf of the Friends of Blackwater, I'd like to welcome Suzanne Baird as the new Project Leader for the Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Suzanne, who moved up the Bay from the Great Dismal Swamp NWR, is rapidly becoming familiar with the Blackwater Refuge and all its issues. The Friends look forward to working with her and the Refuge staff, and helping however we can.

I want to also welcome our new board members who were elected at the recent Annual Friends meeting; Elaine Wright, Dave Wilford, Wolf Hehn and Nancy Kreek. We look forward to their future contributions.

Dawn Washington, the new forester at Blackwater, gave a presentation at the meeting on a proposed project to recover many of the more than 8,000 acres of lost marshland at the Refuge. This is one of the most serious issues facing the Refuge, and a multi-year pilot project using clean dredge material from the Bay's shipping lanes is expected to show an extensive recovery program is feasible. This will support the Refuge's basic purpose of providing shelter, protection and food for migrating waterfowl.

The Education Building has had its initial use with over 300 fourth graders from the various Dorchester County Public Schools over a week and a half period. The program at the marshlands -- learning about the food chain activity in nature -- is an integral part of their science curriculum. Many volunteers assisted the teachers in showing the kids the wonders of the marshlands and the wildlife. For many of the students, it was their first close up experience of the marshlands and the "wows" and smiles made it all worthwhile, and for the Friends, who helped finance it, it was very satisfying to see the results.

As always, Blackwater NWR and the Friends of Blackwater could use more volunteers and active participants to help on a variety of interesting programs and projects that will help support the Refuge’s goals. It is a great way to meet new people as well as make a solid contribution that will be enjoyed by the many visitors coming to see Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. You don’t need to have experience in an area but just be willing to learn.

If you are at all interested, please send us an email using our Contact page.

Thank you!