SPA CREEK CONSERVANCY & ANNAPOLIS YACHT CLUB JOINT PRESS RELEASE

June 2, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Annapolis Yacht Club and Spa Creek Conservancy
Announce Partnership for Spa Creek Clean-Up on June 28

The Annapolis Yacht Club and Spa Creek Conservancy are teaming up to clean up a small, but very visible portion of Spa Creek, the area just under the Eastport Bridge via a volunteer work day on Saturday, June 28, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The public is invited to help with the clean-up; it will be conducted on State property.

Annapolis Yacht Club’s property straddles the eastern side of the bridge, but approximately 15 feet on either side belong to the Maryland State Highway Administration. That area is a mini living shoreline where native grasses are growing. However, over the course of the years, litter and trash has accumulated. Work day volunteers will remove the litter and trash and dispose of it properly.

Volunteer workers on June 28 will include yacht club members and staff and Conservancy members. The work day is open to the public and many hands are needed. Members of the public who volunteer may park in the yacht club’s sailing center on the north side of the bridge (next to Carrol’s Creek) or the annex, on the south side of the bridge (next to Fleet Feet).

The yacht club will provide snacks and beverages to volunteers so it asks that volunteers sign up by calling the AYC Front Desk at 410 263-9279 by Thursday, June 26.

The partnership is the first cooperative project between the two organizations. Last fall yacht club and Conservancy representatives met and agreed to work together to improve the health of the Creek. The yacht club has formed an Environmental Issues Committee that is currently developing a site-wide plan for AYC.

“Due to our prominent position on Spa Creek and our members’ interaction with the Creek and the Chesapeake Bay, we feel a deep commitment to join the Conservancy and become stewards of the Creek as well,” said Commodore Peter Gordon. “This is just the first step in our plan to educate and involve our members in this effort.”

“We are very happy to be working with the Annapolis Yacht Club,” said Mel Wilkins, Conservancy Project Manager. “This is not a large project, but it is important. The location is very visible and its location makes it appear to be part of yacht club property. So cleaning it up will be good for the Creek and the Club. It’s win-win.”

Annapolis Yacht Club was founded in 1863 as an informal canoe club. It is now known worldwide as an icon of Annapolis harbor with membership of over 1600 and a very active social and racing program. More information about the Annapolis Yacht Club is available online at www.annapolisyc.com.

Spa Creek Clean up event is the first of several the activities of the yacht club’s new Environmental Issues Committee that is charged with addressing environmental issues that affect the yacht club and its members.

In addition to the clean-up under the bridge the committee will focus on these issues this summer:

• Use a combination of rain barrels, rain gardens, tree planting and storm water planters to manage storm water runoff on yacht club property.
• Earn the Maryland Clean Marina status.
• Begin recycling cans, bottles and paper on AYC properties.
• Serve a sustainable seafood option on the menu.
• Become as green as possible by using environmentally preferable office supply products and bio-based products in place of disposable plates, cutlery and cups.
• Perform an energy audit and improve energy management based on the findings.

The non-profit Spa Creek Conservancy seeks to keep the Creek clean and alive. Its mission is preservation, restoration, mitigation, and education as the stewards of Spa Creek. The Conservancy’s goal is to achieve a “swimable, fishable Spa Creek.” New members and volunteers are always welcome and very much needed for the health of Spa Creek to improve. More information about the Spa Creek Conservancy is available online at www.spacreek.org.

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SPA CREEK CONSERVANCY & HERITAGE BAPTIST CHURCH JOINT PRESS RELEASE

May 19, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Spa Creek Conservancy and Heritage Baptist Church Announce Environmental Partnership

Spa Creek Conservancy and Heritage Baptist Church have joined forces to improve the health of the headwaters of Spa Creek. The two organizations will build seven rain gardens and two planters and will plant 25 trees to filter storm water runoff coming from its parking lot and Forest Drive, near the Creek’s origin.

This major initiative, representing over $100,000 in materials and labor on church property, is being funded by a grant awarded to the Conservancy by the Chesapeake Bay Trust.

Heritage Baptist Church, situated near the headwaters of Spa Creek at 1740 Forest Drive, is a big piece of property. The rain gardens will catch storm water runoff from its parking lots. The shrubs and trees in the rain gardens will help slow and cool the flow of water into the creek, filter its contaminants by infiltration into the soil and generally improve the Creek’s health at its headwaters. Working with the Conservancy in this stewardship initiative gives church members the opportunity to learn about storm water issues and to participate in a very direct, hands-on manner.

“We are thrilled to join with the Spa Creek Conservancy on this project,” said Rev. Henry Green of Heritage Baptist. “Stewardship of the Earth is one of our most sacred missions. This effort will allow us to make a positive difference in our own back yard, literally, while teaching our youngest members the importance of environmental work.”

“The Conservancy is pleased to have an enthusiastic partner in the Church,” said Mel Wilkins, Conservancy Project Manager. “This parcel of land is quite big and using it to infiltrate and treat storm water runoff before it ever reaches the Creek is a big step forward in moving toward our goal of having a swimable, fishable Spa Creek.”

Work on the construction of the rain gardens has already begun but the big volunteer digging and planting day is planned for Saturday, June 14, from 8 a.m. to noon. Church and Conservancy volunteers, dressed in old clothes and shoes and armed with garden tools, gloves, and over 1300 plants, will get up close and personal with what needs to be done to improve the Creek’s health.

While the initiative at the Church represents the bulk of the $159,900 Targeted Watershed Initiative Grant awarded to the Conservancy by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, “the license plate people,” and its funding partners, the grant also will include other initiatives in the Spa Creek watershed including reforestation of woodlands at the Weems - Whalen Athletic Park complex, water quality monitoring, and public awareness, and the “Spa Creek Steward” recognition program. The Conservancy is bringing in the Center for Watershed Protection to guide the development of a business incentive program to encourage businesses in the watershed to implement storm water mitigation practices on their properties. The grant will be used to implement several critical programs supporting the SCC mission of preservation, restoration, mitigation, and education as the stewards of Spa Creek.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust provides grant funding for on-the-ground Chesapeake Bay restoration projects throughout Maryland, reaching thousands of students, organizations and community leaders each year. Since its inception in 1985, the Trust has awarded more than $24 million in grants, funding thousands of projects that have made a measurable impact on improving the Bay’s health and restoring Maryland’s most treasured natural resource.

The grant’s tasks will work toward the meeting goals for Chesapeake Bay restoration set by the federal Chesapeake Bay Program in these areas:

1. Implementing on-the-ground watershed restoration techniques that meet goals outlined in a local watershed restoration and protection plan
2. Demonstrating project success by measuring environmental improvements and greater community involvement
3. Engaging a greater number of citizens to participate in restoration and protection projects that build on existing watershed restoration plans
4. Promoting partnerships between nonprofit organizations, government agencies, community groups, and others to leverage resources to restore the small watershed and expand the public’s understanding of Bay issues;
5. Serving as a model for other similarly situated small watersheds groups
6. Demonstrating that a community-based initiative can make a difference in improving water quality and habitat in a small watershed

More information about the Spa Creek Conservancy is available online at spacreek.org. New members and volunteers are always welcome and very much needed for the health of Spa Creek to improve.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 14, 2008
Contact: Fay Mauro
Volunteer Center For Anne Arundel Co.
410-897-9207

“Teens as Problem Solvers" Awarded $1,000 to Lead
a Service-Learning Campaign for Global Youth Service Day

State Farm Companies Foundation Supports Service-Learning Projects in Annapolis and Across America

Teens as Problem Solvers (TAPS), the youth leadership project of the Volunteer Center For Anne Arundel County, will receive a $1,000 award to launch a service-learning project for Global Youth Service Day on April 26, 2008. TAPS is one of 100 State Farm® Good Neighbor Service-Learning Award winners chosen by Youth Service America and funded by State Farm Companies Foundation.

TAPS members and other volunteers will assemble and install 3 rain barrels at the Chesapeake Children's Museum, 25 Silopanna Road, Annapolis, MD 21403 on Saturday, April 26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This project will also involve site preparation for the rain barrels, bayscape gardening and distributing pamphlets to area residents to increase environmental awareness. The Chesapeake Children's Museum is located on the banks of Spa Creek in an environmentally sensitive area.

Mel Wilkins, Director of Programs & Projects for The Spa Creek Conservancy is leading the TAPS members in learning about and installing rain barrels to collect and store rainwater runoff from rooftops. Water collected from rain barrels can be used later on to water gardens and lawns during dry spells. Rain barrels are also effective in reducing water pollution and erosion.

“The State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning grant winners demonstrate unprecedented global caring and initiative, showing the world that young people can be leaders today, not in some distant tomorrow,” says Steve Culbertson, president and CEO of Youth Service America. “By combining the dynamics of leadership, service and learning, the grant recipients build some of the most valuable skills— academic achievement and workforce readiness.”

"State Farm is proud to partner with Youth Service America. As our partnership has grown so has our respect for YSA’s work. Through its strong leadership, young people around the world are experiencing fundamental necessities of democracy - the ability to serve and give back to their community - while gaining academic and workplace readiness skills that are valued by State Farm. We share with YSA the common belief that our young people are not tomorrow's leaders, they are leaders today,” says Edward B. Rust Jr., Chairman and CEO, State Farm.

Global Youth Service Day is the largest service event in the world. Global Youth Service Day is a year-round effort to expand the impact of the youth service movement. The initiative launches new service organizations, policy changes, and sustainable service programs to create a culture of engaged youth. State Farm Companies Foundation is the presenting sponsor. More than 120 national partners and 75 lead agencies throughout the United States organize campaigns. Overseas, national lead agencies in more than 100 countries participate. Founded in 1986, Youth Service America’s mission is to expand the impact of the youth service movement with communities, schools, corporations, and governments. For more information: www.YSA.org.

Join Teens As Problem Solvers at the Chesapeake Children’s Museum in Annapolis on Saturday, April 26th. Bring your family and friends, and be a part of Global Youth Service Day. For more information contact Pam Youngs at the Volunteer Center For Anne Arundel County, 410-897-9207 or pam@volunteerannearundel.org. | flyer

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Volunteer of the Week: A volunteer steward for Spa Creek

By Lori Phelan, Staff Writer, The Capital

In an area so dependent upon the health of its water system, it's nice to know that we have someone standing in a sort of guardian role, looking after our interests and most valuable asset, the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

Guardian for Annapolis' Spa Creek in particular is the Spa Creek Conservancy, a volunteer organization dedicated to the watershed spanning historic downtown Annapolis, Eastport and the surrounding areas. The headwaters run through Truxtun Park and eventually open into the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River.

The group's vision is to be a model organization for restoring and protecting urban watersheds through education, preservation, mitigation and restoration.

Helping to monitor progress and the efficiency of its projects is Stuart Lehman, of Annapolis, The Capital's Volunteer of the Week.

"Stu adds a unique element, the science element, which is so vital for us," said Conservancy President Jim Philpott. "That and he's so willing to always help out and go out on rainy days and pick up samples and such. He's just a great guy."

"We affectionately call him the 'Stuart of the Creek,' as a play on the conservancy's tagline of 'Stewards of the Creek,'" said Elvia Thompson, president of Stellar Presentations and communications volunteer for the Spa Creek Conservancy.

"Stu is our 'science guy,' in that he is our science and technology committee chair in charge of testing and monitoring and creek analysis," Ms. Thompson said. "He works closely with the Center for Watershed Protection and our other contractors to properly assess and analyze the health of the creek and determine what can be done to make it better. He can describe this in much better terms than can I. And that's one of the great things about him - he can take the scientific data and make it understandable to the average person."

Also a big part of what makes Mr. Lehman such a valuable resource are his ties to the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., where he works full time writing technical manuals and state grants, and helps manage the run-off pollution program there.

Locally he's been part of the Conservancy for the past several years, working on different levels.

"It's the cumulative effect of working with others in the community," he said of his reasons for volunteering. "At the EPA, I work on a national level. Here I can see definable improvements and how it's implemented on a small scale."

Whether you want to learn more about Spa Creek and its ecology, do hands-on work to clean and restore it, or help us in another capacity, the Spa Creek Conservancy has many opportunities to take positive action for the benefit of the creek and the people and other living things that live within its watershed.

Their initiatives focus on developing and implementing restoration and protection programs as well as community educational programs. Past and ongoing projects include: rain gardens, riparian forest clean-up, invasive species eradication, Spa Creek data collection and the Amos Garrett Park Restoration Project.

Mr. Lehman resides in the Murray Hill area with his wife of 29 years, Martha Lehman. His background includes an education in biology and the environment along with a resume that also includes being a past water quality program manager in Montana. Mr. Lehman was raised in the Chesapeake Beach area of Calvert County, where he first developed an interest in the water - fishing.

The State of the Creek Presentation will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Eastport Yacht Club, 317 First St. More information on the Conservancy and its projects can be found at www.spacreek.org.

Send your nomination for "Volunteer of the Week" to Lori Phelan, staff writer, at The Capital, PO Box 911, Annapolis, MD 21404; fax it to her at 410-280-5953; call her at 410-280-5920; or e-mail lphelan@capital gazette.com.

Published August 28, 2007, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2007 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.

Industrial area gets eco-friendly rain garden

By Pamela Wood, Staff Writer, The Capital

Once you knock down trees, tear up grass and replace them with pavement, it seems you can never go back.

Or can you?

In an industrial area on the outskirts of Annapolis, large chunks of pavement are being pulled from the ground. The black asphalt will be replaced with dirt, plants, trees and flowers.

The 30-by-36-foot garden will be attractive and functional. It will allow rainwater to slowly filter and percolate into the ground - rather than rushing by, picking up pollution, trash and sediment on its way to Spa Creek.

"It will be absorbed by the trees and the plant material and it will stay where it's supposed to be - in the ground," said Kent McNew, chief executive officer of the Eastern Petroleum Corp., which sits near the site along Lincoln Drive in the Parole neighborhood of Annapolis.

Mr. McNew said he's trying to show that it's possible for everyone to do something to clean up the streams and creeks that feed the Chesapeake Bay.

"If you're going to talk the talk, you've got to walk the walk," said Mr. McNew, who lives across town on Harness Creek on the South River.

Mr. McNew is on the board of directors for the South River Federation. Like many who are interested in the environment, he's learned about the dirty side of stormwater. Eventually, he hit upon the idea that he could make a difference near his office.

It turns out his office is perhaps an ideal site for such a project. Lincoln Drive sits smack in the headwaters of Spa Creek, which runs through the heart of Annapolis.

Few people realize the creek extends so far back.

In fact, the creek officially starts where a pipe discharges stormwater into the beginnings of a stream not far from Eastern Petroleum.

"The beginning of the creek is all stormwater runoff," said Mel Wilkins, a Spa Creek Conservancy volunteer who's working on the project.

And the more "impervious surfaces" - such as roads, parking lots and rooftops - there are, the worse the pollution is. The industrial area is probably 90 percent impervious, Mr. Wilkins said.

He said the Spa Creek Conservancy hopes the Lincoln Drive project will serve as an example for homeowners and business owners of how they can help the environment.

Conservancy members hope to approach property owners and convince them to team up on projects like this one.

In the case of Lincoln Drive, the Spa Creek Conservancy and the South River Federation worked together to secure a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust.

The city of Annapolis offered public works crews and technical expertise. Eastern Petroleum also put in some money. And the property owner, David L. Miller Backhoe Services, gave the OK to do the work.

The conservancy is looking for a little bit more help, too.

Most of the planting will take place during the city's Greenscape event on April 21. Volunteers are needed to get dirty and finish the project off.

"These are things we need to do," Mr. McNew said. "We can make a difference."

To volunteer, contact Cindy Wallace at 443-482-2155 or info@southriverfederation.net, or Amy Clements at 410-260-3322 or aclements@alexander-cleaver.com.

Published March 26, 2007, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2007 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.

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