The Orangery, which predates the Wye House is the most complete surviving structure of its kind in the United States.

Pickering Creek Audubon Center’s Something of the Marvelous spring fundraiser for 2024 is a dollar-for-dollar matching challenge with every dollar being matched up to $50,000.

These funds support Pickering Creek’s science and nature education programs in Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester, and Wicomico counties for students from at least one grade level in each school system, ensuring that every student in the grade level, regardless of background, has great outdoor learning experiences with Pickering’s talented staff of educators and scientists.

In addition to supporting school programming, these matching gifts help connect adults and families with the habitats and wildlife that also call the midshore home, and support summer EcoCamp scholarships.  Finally, generous gifts provided by the community to this matching challenge ensure that Pickering is open to the public for free every day to enjoy the center’s beautiful trails!

Two marvelous donors have stepped forward to collectively offer this year’s dollar-for-dollar match.  Both are long-term supporters of the Center’s work to connect people to nature.  Each supporter who contributes over $100 before June 6 will be eligible to explore several historic buildings at Richard and Beverly Tilghman’s Wye House as well as the magnificent grounds.

Wye House is one of Maryland’s most historic homes. It is located along the Wye River on land acquired by Edward Lloyd in 1659.  The current house was constructed between 1784 and 1790 by Edward Lloyd IV and is currently occupied by the 12^th generation of the Lloyd family to live on the property.  The house is in the Palladian style and is often referred to as the finest example of late 18th-century Palladian architecture in the United States.  Many of the original furnishings and other objects remain in the house. The Orangery, a garden structure, predates the house and is the most complete surviving structure of its kind in the United States.  The property contains numerous early 19th-century outbuildings. The Lloyd family cemetery’s earliest grave is dated 1684.

The evening begins with a leisurely drive down a long, beautiful tree-lined drive. Upon arrival, guests tour four first-floor rooms where guests of the house are traditionally greeted and received. The rooms feature significant original woodwork and other detail features as well as artwork that have remained with the house over the course of several generations.  Two generations of the family will be on hand to share the history of the house as well as how it got to its present state of perfection.

After the house tour, guests will stroll through the home’s tree-lined garden alleyway having a chance to experience live birds with ornithology expert Michael Callahan and view the family cemetery.   At the end of the alleyway sits the exquisite Orangery used to maintain citrus fruit trees throughout the winter.  Outside the Orangery guests may enjoy a glass of wine or sparkling water and accompanying nibbles.  Your self-guided outdoor tour then affords views of Lloyd Creek and the impressive living shoreline that is part of the Wye House estate.  The final treat of the tour is a visit inside the Captain’s House.  The Captain’s House is the oldest structure on the property, with a magnificent hearth highlighting the building’s previous use as a kitchen for the estate.

Timed entrances scheduled from 3:30-6 on June 8th will include complimentary beverages, time to explore, and a special thank you gift.

Unlike Pickering Creek’s pre-Covid era Tour Toast and Taste, Something of the Marvelous has no tent, no auction, and no dinners for sale.  It is all outdoors- just soaking in the marvelous blooms and scenery of the amazing Wye House!

For over 30 years, Pickering Creek Audubon Center has provided environmental education opportunities to students of the Eastern Shore, moving them from awareness of their watershed to conservation action in their communities.  Since establishing a well-reputed elementary education program in partnership with Talbot County Public Schools 25 years ago, Pickering has added meaningful watershed experiences for middle and high school students to our continuum of education along with community outreach education about our region’s unique ecosystems. Pickering Creek reaches the people of the Eastern Shore throughout their academic careers and outdoor learning experiences that encourage them to continue interacting with the outdoors frequently.

School groups, families, wildlife enthusiasts, and photographers from far and wide visit Pickering Creek Audubon Center throughout the year to participate in hands-on outdoor learning, and volunteer experiences and immerse themselves in the natural beauty of the Eastern Shore.

This year’s Tour, Toast & Taste is generously sponsored by Richard and Beverly Tilghman,  Bill and Mary Griffin, Ron Ketter and Janet Mackey, Steve and Julie Burleson, Linda and Pete Yungbluth, Robert Roach and Nancy Reid, Anne and Ron Walker, Donald and Margaret Engvall, Catherine Liebl, Bruce Wiltsie and Bill Davenport, the Dock Street Foundation, Richard and Ellen Bodorff, James Olds and Robin Buckley, Rodger and Priscilla Waldman, Kimberly and Glenn Baker, Matthew Miller, and Beth Wehrle.

For more information, please visit www.pickeringcreek.org

Join ShoreRivers on June 29 for the return of its annual Solstice Celebration—a big-tent party on the banks of the Chester River featuring local food and drinks, live music and dancing, and an exciting live auction! Visit shorerivers.org/events to learn more.

Join ShoreRivers this summer for its beloved big-tent party on the banks of the Chester River!

Scheduled for Saturday, June 29, at Wilmer Park in Chestertown, ShoreRivers’ annual Solstice Celebration includes an open bar with Ten Eyck beer, Crow Vineyards wine, and a signature cocktail; hors d’oeuvres and a full buffet dinner with dessert; and live music and dancing. The celebration begins at 6pm and continues through dusk with a rousing live auction where guests will bid on exceptional artwork, trips to enticing destinations, and more.

“The solstice indicates the start to summer when so many people flock to the river,” says Isabel Hardesty, Executive Director of ShoreRivers. “We love being able to celebrate the season with the stunning backdrop of the Chester, and it’s important to gather our supporters together to enjoy what our waterways bring to our communities. We look forward to this opportunity to see our long-time members and to welcome new friends to ShoreRivers!”

This year’s celebration will feature the culinary talents of Chesapeake Chef Service, a regional caterer who provides an “Eastern Shore to fork experience” and strives to showcase the bounty our region provides. Executive Chef and Owner Kurt Peter’s culinary education began by hunting and fishing in his own backyard and working at various private clubs and restaurants on the Eastern Shore. His cooking style mirrors this passion for the outdoors, with rustic menus and ingredients drawn fresh from our rivers and fields.

Throughout the evening, guests will enjoy live music by local band Fog After Midnight, and admire stunning floral arrangements courtesy of Wildly Native, a family farm in Chestertown, Md., that focuses on hand-selected, in season flowers that are harvested locally at the peak of bloom.

All funds raised during this event will go directly to support ShoreRivers’ work for healthy waterways. In addition to the live auction offerings, guests will be invited to raise their paddle during a reverse auction in support of environmental education programming that helps young people develop a connection with our rivers. Help ShoreRivers protect and restore Eastern Shore waterways by becoming a sponsor for the Solstice Celebration, and joining a cadre of committed environmental stewards.

For tickets, sponsorships, and more information, visit shorerivers.org/events.

ShoreRivers is inviting the public to get out in their communities and explore their local waterways through a series of expeditions around the region.

On the schedule are:

• A walking tour of Chestertown centered on environmental justice on Wednesday, May 1
• A paddle with the Choptank Riverkeeper of Tuckahoe Creek on Thursday, May 2
• A family wetland exploration day at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC) on Saturday, June 8
• A Corsica River paddle with the Chester Riverkeeper on Wednesday, June 12
• A farm-to-table tour of Oksana’s Produce Farm on Thursday, June 20
• A morning paddle on Granary Creek with the Miles-Wye Riverkeeper on Thursday, June 27
• A tour of Wye Farm with wildlife artist Jonathan Shaw on Wednesday, July 17
• A family paddle at Tuckahoe Lake on Saturday, July 20
• A farm tour (featuring edible flowers) at Wildly Native Flower Farm on Wednesday, July 24
• A paddle among the lotus blooms with the Sassafras Riverkeeper on Thursday, July 25
• A tour of Chesapeake Culinary Center and a lesson on cooking with invasive species on Thursday, August 8
• An evening of pizza and permaculture with the Eastern Shore Permaculture Institute on Tuesday, August 20
• An afternoon lesson on fly fishing near Mill Creek on Wednesday, September 18
• A paddle on Kings Creek with the Choptank Riverkeeper on Thursday, October 3
• A tour of Ferry Cove Oyster Hatchery on Thursday, November 7

These expeditions are small group experiences offering learning and fun, and are a wonderful way to support ShoreRivers’ work for clean water on the Eastern Shore. From paddles to tours of restoration sites, to hands-on adventures, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!

“We know that access to our waterways fuels environmental stewardship,” says ShoreRivers’ Membership Manager Courtney Leigh. “It’s our hope that participants in these annual expeditions—in addition to taking in the natural beauty of our rivers, learning from partners who share our vision of thriving communities, and engaging with vibrant team members who lead the charge for clean waterways—will also develop a stronger connection to the bays, rivers, and creeks we all cherish on the Eastern Shore.”

To register and for individual event details, visit shorerivers.org/events.

Earth Day Adkins at Adkins Arboretum in Ridgely MD, 22 April 2023. Photo by Mike Morgan.

A full day of outdoor fun is planned for Adkins Arboretum’s Earth Day Adkins event on Sat., April 20. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The rain date is Sunday, April 21, noon to 4 p.m.

The whole family is invited for a native plant sale, tree giveaways (while supplies last), dip netting in the wetland and hands-on nature activities with local environmental organizations, including ShoreRivers, Tuckahoe State Park, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Talbot Master Gardeners, Phillips Wharf Environmental Center, Anne Arundel County Rec and Parks, Bartlett Tree Experts and Pickering Creek Audubon Center.

Refreshments from local food trucks will be available for purchase. Bring your spare seeds to participate in our seed swap, engage in living history with Native American historian Drew Shuptar-Rayvis and take a selfie with Mother Earth! There will also be live entertainment all day by Fine Times, Choptank Little/Big Band, The Naturalists, the Parsons Family and Improv Easton.

Thanks to the generosity of the Arboretum’s sponsors, Earth Day Adkins admission is just $5 per person when purchased in advance at adkinsarboretum.org or by calling 410-634-2847, ext. 100. Children ages 3 and under are admitted free of charge. Only 400 admissions will be sold, so early registration is advised. Admission increases to $10 on the day of the event. For more details, visit adkinsarboretum.org.

This spring, the community is banding together for a vital environmental initiative aimed at beautifying our local ecosystems and contributing to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. On April 7th, Matapeake Park will become a hub of activity as volunteers gather for a significant trash cleanup event. This effort is part of Project Clean Stream, a Bay-wide initiative organized by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and coordinated locally by groups including ShoreRivers.

The Event Details

Where: Matapeake Park, 1112 Romancoke Road, Stevensville, MD, 21666, United States.
When: Sunday, April 7, starting at 10 am.

In a collaboration that spans across Queen Anne’s County, the cleanup event, dubbed Clean Anne’s Day, aims to mobilize the community for a day dedicated to environmental service. By focusing on removing trash from our roads, parks, and rivers, volunteers play a crucial role in preserving the natural beauty and ecological health of the area.

For more information or to sign up as a volunteer, please contact [email protected].