The American Chestnut Land Trust (ACLT) is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of a $20,000 grant from the Maryland Heritage Area Authority (MHAA) for research to be conducted as the initial phase of the “Parkers Creek Heritage Trail”. According to the grant application:
“For more than 10,000 years, people have hunted, fished, worked and made their homes around what would come to be known as Parkers Creek in Calvert County. Just as their lives and cultures shaped our local heritage, the ruggedness of the terrain and the characteristics of the waterways shaped their lives. The environment and its people leave a mark on each other and are inextricably intertwined.
The American Chestnut Land Trust seeks to fully explore that relationship within 5 significant eras of human habitation. The results will, in future phases, be shared through comprehensive interpretation for the public along ACLT’s current 22 miles of trails and heritage sites and 2 new trails slated for creation in 2019 and 2020.
Phase 1 of this long term project will result in the following: conclusion of primary research for each era and production of supporting online materials. At the conclusion of Phase 1, ACLT will hold a community event presenting the results of the research. Future phases will included development and installation of an interpretation plan and may include, but not be limited to, signage, framework edge display of excavated buildings, and sculptures/artwork representing buildings and historic life in the watershed, enhancing the visitors experience and strengthening their connection to the land.”
In its award of the grant, MHAA points out that “heritage areas foster broad public-private partnerships to preserve and enhance the best of Maryland’s historic sites and towns, unspoiled natural landscapes, and enduring traditions. These tangible links to both place and past help residents recognize their communities have a special piece of the American story to treasure and share with others and, in doing so, contribute to the economy of Maryland’s communities by preserving and enhancing places that attract heritage tourists. Every dollar of MHAA state grant funding has a return on investment of $4.45, generates $19.8 million in state and local taxes, and creates 3,146 jobs annually.”
Visit www.acltweb.org for more information about ACLT.
Running from the end of the Parkers Creek Road trail on the North Side, across the creek, then winding a challenging 2 miles to Cemetery Lane on the South Side, ACLT’s new “North-South Trail” is a remarkable and fun addition to our trail system! See our complete trails map.
–The Raft! ACLT volunteers and staff have spent months designing and building a safe and fun way to cross Parkers Creek. Safely climb aboard the raft and pull yourself and a few friends from one side to the other!
Autumn Phillips-Lewis, ACLT’s Land Manager, published an article about Double Oak Farm in the Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) newsletter. Read this article about ACLT’s ‘Agriculture to Support the Community’ program online on page three of the 
For the past five years, the American Chestnut Land Trust, a leading voice for land conservation in Calvert County, has produced crops on its preserved land off of Double Oak Rd in Prince Frederick, Maryland. The property which was acquired by the land trust in 1994 has been managed as a “CSA” – a Community Supported Agriculture facility – and, with the help of volunteer farm managers and work-shares, has offered community members the opportunity to purchase weekly portions of organically farmed fruits, vegetables and herbs. The no-till, organic farming method not only produces considerable volumes of food, but also provides health benefits for the soil and the watershed ACLT so ardently cares for.