Starting a Nonprofit Organization in Maryland

Octoraro Watershed Association

Dendrology

Invasive Species

Web Soil Survey

Working for the Cecil Soil Conservation District in Maryland, I have actually met Jim Brewer on a few different occasions between trainings, help in envirothon with soil judging/education, and his soil expertise in determining if a certain soil is suitable for a particular conservation practice. I have heard him advocate for the web soil survey and I even got the app on my phone after he suggested it, which is a great resource in understanding soils when out in the field. I have worked with the web soil survey once before to see what all it had to offer, which I find it very informative about differing soil types. At work we use ArcGIS and can make better maps as well as find a lot of the same information, so I don't often use the web soil survey in the office. I do suggest it to landowners to look into if they have interests with the soils on their property. The area I chose for this assignment is in Cecil County where I hunt, just east of the Conowingo Dam where it borders Route 1 and the Octoraro Creek. Below is the link to my soils report which has the map and soil descriptions:

https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/WssProduct/ehdvoqin0t52sa4y0u51hawz/GN_00000/20170713_19490207940_194_Soil_Report.pdf

Climate

Maryland is ranked 42nd in size compared to all 50 states and what it may lack in size it makes up for with its diverse climate. With the Appalachian mountains in the west and the Chesapeake Bay/Atlantic Ocean to the east there can be extreme differences within the state. An example of the diversity in climate is Maryland's western most county Garrett which is right amongst the peaks of the mountain state West Virginia, and can receive over 100 inches of snow fall annually. On the sandy eastern shore far to the east, it will usually accumulate a mere 8 to 10 inches a year. Though the eastern shore may not get the snow fall that the western part of the state does, it certainly makes up for it in the excessive humidity that frequents the area, most noticeable in the summer months and often results in thunderstorms later in the evening. The proximity to major waters explains why the southeast part of the state gets an average of 49 inches of precipitation while the west gets 36 inches of annual precipitation. In the focus area for this assignment, Cecil County Maryland, which resides at the head of the Chesapeake Bay and includes both the hilly piedmont as well as the sands of the eastern shore's coastal plains, there is a bit more of a blend of the two extremes. Cecil is considered a part of the eastern shore which would explain the meager annual snowfall of 15 inches, but it is above the national annual precipitation average of 39 inches with 45 inches accumulating in the county through out the year and it has a usual of 79 days of measurable precipitation a year. The average number of clear sunny days is 202, and the average summer high is 88 degrees Fahrenheit with the average winter low being 24 degrees Fahrenheit.

 Sperling's Best Places. 2017. Cecil County, Maryland: Climate. Retrieved from http://www.bestplaces.net/climate/county/maryland/cecil

Advameg Inc. 2017. Maryland: Climate. Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/states/Maryland-Climate.html

Sensitive Species

Protected Lands

County Boundaries

Ecology Slides

Welcome!

Welcome to my biodiversity examination of Cecil County, Maryland.






A personal definition of Biodiversity: It is the variety of living organisms within a certain region or location. To go off this explanation and define the entire course title of Biodiversity Stewardship, would mean: the entrusted role of caretaker over the varying organisms of a region or location.

I chose to study the biodiversity of Cecil because it is the place where I reside, and I would like to investigate more into the county I have called home for nearly 24 years. The county has a very rich history, being at the head of the Chesapeake Bay where the great Susquehanna River flows out of New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland there near the end. Captain John Smith made his way up the Bay into the Susquehanna near what is now Cecil County. He came in contact with many natives of the area who sustained themselves off the rich aquatic and land resources. In later years as settlements moved in and lines were drawn on maps, the area became named after Cecil Calvert the first Governor. Cecil was a center for trade and being so, saw a fair amount of revolutionary war activity though no battles were fought here. 1812 brought some fighting up into the inlets of Cecil where the Principio Iron furnaces were destroyed along with the neighboring Havre de grace and other towns along the shores. The civil war certainly brought a divide in the county as so many other places in Maryland were at the time, a major union stationing as well as training area was near Cecil's Perry point, home to a park and veterans hospital now. The onset Word War I brought a testing facility in a neighboring county and the Bainbridge naval facility came in during World War II closing in the late 1970's. Manufacturer jobs, military bases, large construction projects (bridges, Conowingo dam, etc.), quarrying, and relatively cheaper farm land brought people in from all over, many being from the Appalachians and southern states. The county still remains largely rural farmland with some extensive development in locations but also boasts some unique natural areas including Fair hill Natural Resource Area spanning over 5,600 acres, once owned by William DuPont, Jr., an enthusiast of equestrian riding and fox chasing. It is home to several top notch horse facilities and race track, it hosts the county fair, and other major events including many in regards to equestrian riding like steeple chase and the tradition of fox chasing. Many people come to bike, hike, and bird watch, ride their horses, and hunt. Elk Neck state forest over 3,500 acres and state park over 2,000 acres with a historic light house, is in the county’s largest peninsula providing trails and hunting opportunities for recreation. The county is split around I-95 where the piedmont plateau extends north up into the serpentine barrens and to the south is coastal plain which extends as an ancient sand bar making up the majority of Delaware and Maryland's eastern shore. I work for the Soil Conservation District here in the county as a conservation planner helping farmers and landowners acquire cost share for projects the help their operation as well as benefit conservation of soil and water.

http://dnr2.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/central/fairhill.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_County,_Maryland
http://dnr2.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/central/elkneck.aspx
http://dnr2.maryland.gov/forests/Pages/publiclands/central_elkneckforest.aspx