A marsh shot from one of LSLT's easement holders' property. PC: Max Makovitch As part of DNR Science Week, Lower Shore Land Trust welcomed Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Kurtz to Sugar Water Manor, an LSLT easement property owned by Dana Zucker, to celebrate the completion of our first Conservation and Resilience (CORE) plan. The visit highlighted the collaborative work of LSLT, DNR, and landowners to support the long-term stewardship of conserved land. Su

Ava Fries talking to easement holder, Earl Dolan during a site visit. PC: Beth Sheppard If you’re a diligent Lower Shore Land Trust newsletter reader, it’s likely that you’ve heard the term “CORE Plans” pretty frequently over the past few months. CORE stands for Conservation and Resilience, which are the two primary objectives of these newly developed management plans available to LSLT easement landowners in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. In partnership with the Maryland De

This year's Flannel Formal will include a special recognition as Lower Shore Land Trust honors John Groutt with the 2026 Stephen N. Parker Conservation Legacy Award. Established in memory of renowned conservationist Stephen N. Parker, the award recognizes an individual or organization whose dedication to conserving the vital lands of the Lower Eastern Shore has made a lasting difference. Steve Parker is remembered for his work as Director of The Nature Conservancy's Virginia

The 78th Annual Convention of the Maryland Ornithological Society (MOS) was hosted Sept. 25-27 at the DoubleTree in Salisbury, MD. The convention proved to be an unforgettable weekend of community, resilience, and passion for wild birds. Despite daunting weather predictions—a nor'easter bearing down on the Delmarva Peninsula that forced many regional events to cancel—MOS conventioneers chose to brave the elements rather than stay home. Outfitted in wellies and rain gear, more

With Flannel Formal just a month away on November 7 at Bordeleau Winery, we asked members of the LSLT team to share some of their favorite memories from the event and what they look forward to each year. From the people we get to recognize to the places we gather, everyone has a little something different that makes Flannel Formal memorable. Here are a few of their favorite moments: Beth & Former Board Member, Colin McAllister at Flannel Formal 2024 PC: LSLT Staff Beth Shepp

Welcome Rin & Max! PC: Brooke Orr We’re excited to welcome two new AmeriCorps members to the Lower Shore Land Trust team! Rin Hendricks and Max Makovitch bring unique experiences in environmental education, conservation, research, and community engagement, along with plenty of enthusiasm for getting to know the Lower Shore. We’re looking forward to having them on the team and seeing all they’ll contribute during their time with LSLT. Get to know Rin and Max below! Rin Henderi

Allow me to paint you a scene: Flannel Formal 2025 PC: Lauren Imhof You’re cruising along on back roads, the scent of Autumn leaves and fresh forest air wafting through your senses, passing open farmland and cool forests, your stress falling away and your mood lifting in anticipation of your destination: a festive and relaxing gathering of friends. You arrive at party headquarters: a beautiful, rustic vineyard, where friendly, kind people are welcoming you in, so happy to s

Lauren celebrating the end of her AmeriCorps service year alongside Jared Parks & Matt Heim. PC: Lauren Imhof Hello LSLT Readers! A year ago (wow time moves fast!) I wrote a newsletter introducing myself as LSLT’s new AmeriCorps member. Now, I write this to announce that my program year has come to an end. Over the course of the program, you’ve hopefully read my newsletters, seen my photos, or heard my voice on our radio segment Conservation Conservations. There’s also been w

Monarch with Bluetooth Radio tag. PC: Sheldon Blackshire BlūMorpho tags are tiny, solar powered radio transmitters designed to track individual monarch butterflies throughout their migration. Weighing just 60 milligrams, about the weight of a grain of rice, they are light enough to attach to a monarch without burdening it in flight. The tags are attached to the butterfly’s thorax with eyelash glue and transmit a unique signal that allows researchers and community scientists t

Dog tick found on Libertytown Tract trail. PC: Leah Franzluebbers Spring and early fall often usher in the worst of our Eastern Shore tick season. This can be discouraging for outdoor lovers and for some this makes spending time in nature a serious health risk. Some have no choice and have learned to minimize tick encounters. Anyone who loves to recreate in the splendid shade of the Eastern Shore’s forests or enjoys hiking through grassy meadows knows that ticks can find u

Lauren Pascarella with her honey bees! PC: Lauren Pascarella When people ask me what I do, I tell them I'm a beekeeper. It’s a simple title for a job that is often anything but simple. Most people immediately picture a jar of honey, a bee suit, and maybe someone running away from a cloud of angry bees—but the reality is far more fascinating and rewarding. Beekeeping isn't simply about collecting honey; it's about embracing a lifetime of learning. Some of the greatest lessons

Ella Samis. PC: Ella Samis Ella serves as the Lower Shore Land Trust's Bookkeeper. Born and raised on the Eastern Shore, Ella likes to stay close to the water. During her Maryland Conservation and Climate Corps Service Year with Fenix Youth Project, she worked closely with LSLT and collaborated with the staff, weekly. With a background in environmental education and plans to continue working in the nonprofit field, Ella says, "My experience with LSLT is crucial to my professi

Assawoman Bay PC: Brooke Orr This summer we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. As we commemorate this with our gatherings of family and friends and community celebrations, many of us will do so while enjoying the beauty of this special landscape we live in – the waterways, the coasts, the forests, and the fields that make the Eastern Shore so special. It is a celebration – but also a time for reflection, for thinking about our “solemn

Two years ago, I walked across the stage at Salisbury University with an Environmental Studies degree in hand and one overwhelming question on my mind: What's next? Brooke Orr and her graduating AmeriCorps Service Class. PC: LSLT Like many recent graduates, I was riddled with this anxiety of not having everything figured out. My plan was simple: apply to every environmental job I could find while splitting my time between my Salisbury apartment, whose lease was quickly expir

Cypress Swamp from Md Biodiversity. PC: Matthew Beziat LSLT is always looking for unused or less-productive acreage for restoration projects. We work with landowners to establish quail habitat and open meadows, hedgerows between or at the edge of fields, streamside or riparian buffers, and add new or connect forest blocks. Establishing a forest in an area where one is currently absent is called afforestation. The opposite, removing a forest from the landscape, is called defor

Team LSLT bringing home 2nd place at River Fest 2025. PC: LSLT Mark your calendars! The annual Snow Hill River Festival is returning this July 18, and the Lower Shore Land Trust team is ready to hit the water once again. Over the past two years, Team LSLT has built a strong reputation on the Pocomoke River, earning a fourth-place finish in the inaugural Raft Race and paddling our way to second place last year. With each race, we've gotten a little closer to the top spot and

LSLT’s Ella Samis and Brooke Orr work with Fenix Youth Group volunteers to plant native species through the Shore Blooms program. This spring marked the exciting launch of Shore Blooms, a collaborative initiative bringing together organizations across the Lower Eastern Shore to expand pollinator habitat through public education, community engagement, and the visibility of pollinator demonstration sites throughout our region. The effort was catalyzed by a $20,000 grant from Su

Ava Fries, Native Plant Sale 2026 Hello everyone!! My name is Ava Fries, and I’m LSLT’s new Conservation and Stewardship Specialist! In my first two months at LSLT I’ve had the absolute best time visiting some of our incredible easement properties, getting to know our wonderful landowners, and helping create Coastal Resilience Management Plans that connect conservation goals with each landowner’s vision for their property. I’ve also gotten to spend plenty of time out in the f

I’ve yet to find a person that doesn’t enjoy their local farmer's market. We live in such a unique place where farming and agriculture is such a big part of our community. This means we have quite a few farmers markets in our service areas with our neighbors selling their produce and homemade goodies. Find your local farmer market(s) below or use this map! Somerset PC: Ocean Pines Farmers & Artisans Market Coops to Co-Op’s Market: Saturdays 9 AM - 1 PM (9 AM - 3 PM on first

LSLT Staff, SU Teachers, & SU ENVR Students after Senior Seminar presentation. PC: Beth Sheppard During the Spring 2026 semester, the Salisbury Environmental Studies Senior Seminar class partnered with the stewardship program of the Lower Shore Land Trust (LSLT). Throughout the season, students accompanied LSLT staff on monitoring activities, developed educational fact sheets for landowners, and conducted research to support future grant opportunities. Their efforts provided