Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy (MRC) will host its annual State of the Rivers Party on Friday, April 21, the eve of Earth Day. The event takes place at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) in Saint Michaels, Maryland.
The State of the Rivers Party is free and open to the public.
MRC welcomes and encourages the community to join an evening of conversation and informative discussion as they release their 2016 Midshore Rivers Report Card. The report card reflects data collected by MRC scientists, Riverkeepers, and more than 50 volunteers in MRC’s Creekwatcher water quality monitoring program, which runs from April through October. These results assess water quality at approximately 115 sampling jurisdictions on the Choptank River, Miles River, Wye River, Tred Avon River, Tuckahoe River, Harris Creek, Broad Creek, Island Creek, La Trappe Creek, and Eastern Bay on the southern tip of Kent Island. This is an opportunity for the community to learn about the health and challenges of our local waterways and how the most recent grades compare to previous years.
MRC staff will also discuss other current programs being undertaken in 2017. MRC is excited to launch two new programs, which will be announced at the event.
In addition, researcher Walter Boynton, who hails from UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons, Maryland, will serve as honorary speaker for the evening. Boynton, in true scientist form, will make a few observations on the state of the Chesapeake Bay and what the future holds not only for our local waterways, but also for the overall Chesapeake Bay.
The evening will close with the presentation of the Andy Coombs Volunteer of the Year Award. Each year, MRC recognizes a volunteer who has gone beyond the call of duty in support of its programs and mission. Robust, continued support from the community allows MRC to continue to be a strong, effective voice for local rivers.
The party will be held in CBMM’s Small Boat Shed, where guests can discover the re-created interior of a crab‑picking plant and small, locally-built craft used around the Chesapeake Bay for fishing, oystering, and crabbing. The event will begin at 5:00 pm with a cheese and wine reception. The program will follow at 5:30 pm.
For more information, email [email protected] or phone 443.385.0511.