More than 150 guests joined ShoreRivers at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels on Wednesday, April 26, for the kickoff event in its annual State of the Rivers series—free presentations held each spring to inform the public about the current state of our Eastern Shore waterways and what we can all do to protect and restore them.
At the St. Michaels event, ShoreRivers’ Riverkeepers shared the results of their 2022 water quality testing; updates on recent agricultural, urban, and oyster restoration efforts; goals and metrics for underwater grasses, bacteria pollution, and sediment levels; and much more, with an emphasis on the Choptank, Miles, and Wye rivers, and on Eastern Bay. Upcoming events will focus on the Chester and Sassafras rivers, and the Bayside Creeks. Director of Riverkeeper Programs Matt Pluta also recognized standout volunteers Maura Bollinger and Ron Rothman with the Andy Coombs Memorial Volunteer Award for their dedication to the organization and their generous service in support of healthy waterways on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Coombs was an incredible supporter and one of the first volunteers for the Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy, one of the three legacy organizations that merged in 2017 to create ShoreRivers. He was instrumental in its oyster restoration efforts. Additional volunteers will be recognized throughout the series.
Matt Pluta, Choptank Riverkeeper and Director of Riverkeeper Programs at ShoreRivers (center), presents the Andy Coombs Memorial Volunteer Award to Maura Bollinger and Ron Rothman.
There’s still time to attend an upcoming State of the Rivers presentation, as the series continues Wednesday, May 3, at Cult Classic Brewing in Stevensville, with Chester Riverkeeper Annie Richards and new Miles-Wye Riverkeeper Ben Ford; Thursday, May 4, at the Kent County Community Center in Worton, with Chester Riverkeeper Annie Richards and Sassafras Riverkeeper Zack Kelleher; Tuesday, May 9, at the Galena Fire Hall, with Sassafras Riverkeeper Zack Kelleher; and concludes on Wednesday, May 10, at 447 Venue in Cambridge, with Choptank Riverkeeper Matt Pluta.
ShoreRivers is grateful for this year’s State of the Rivers sponsors: Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay, Choptank Oyster Co., Peter & Georgeanne Pinkard, Cult Classic Brewing, Orchard Point Oysters, Ten Eyck Brewing Company, the Kent County Community Center, the Galena Volunteer Fire Department, Jeff & Beth Horstman, Happy Chicken Bakery, and Ferry Bridge House.
To learn more, visit shorerivers.org/events.
ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.
shorerivers.org
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.