Photo Credit: Harp, Dave “Calvert County holding the line on reducing new growth”, Bay Journal, Oct 2013 – bit.ly/bay-journal-article
ACLT Watershed Observer Dedicated to Greg Bowen
Table of Contents (click to expand)
ACLT’s Spring 2025 Newsletter was dedicated to Executive Director Greg Bowen, who passed away on February 25, 2025. The newsletter contains over 25 tributes from colleagues and friends. To view the .pdf version online, click here.
As you will see, Greg Bowen was a good friend to many and a champion for land conservation throughout Southern Maryland. His lifelong work will benefit generations to come. Greg reminded us that we are not owners of the land, but stewards. He made us see that everyone benefits by having a connection to nature.
Greg’s vision was not limited to protecting the land. His vision was inclusive, hopeful, and deeply rooted in community. Because of his work and the work of those who came before him, the American Chestnut Land Trust (ACLT) is more than just preserved land. It is a training place for naturalists and conservationists and a place where food is grown and donated to local food banks. It is a place for hikes and canoe trips and a place for scouts and youth to enjoy nature. It is a place for community events, picnics, and celebrations. A place to find peace for the elderly and wonder for children.
To recognize and honor Greg’s enduring legacy and to carry his vision forward, we have established the Greg Bowen Memorial Fund. The fund will support initiatives that reflect Greg’s lifelong mission: protecting the environment, preserving cultural history, and ensuring access to nature for all.
We invite all ACLT members and supporters to join us in honoring Greg’s remarkable life by contributing to the Memorial Fund. Your gift – no matter the size – will help us continue Greg’s work and keep his spirit alive.
To donate, go to: www.acltweb.org/GregBowenMemorialFund.
From the President's Desk ...
Land conservation and stewardship has lost a champion with the passing of Executive Director Greg Bowen. We dedicate this newsletter to his legacy by sharing numerous tributes we’ve gathered since his untimely death. As you read them, you will notice several common themes in the way in which his colleagues and friends describe him:
- Compassionate and Generous: Greg’s kind heart and selfless spirit touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
- Principled and Courageous: Guided by unwavering integrity, he stood firmly for what he believed was right, always acting with honesty and bravery.
- Inspiring Leader: Greg had a rare gift for bringing out the best in those around him, empowering others to rise to new heights.
- Visionary and Innovative: With bold ideas and a deep commitment to environmental protection, he championed a future where nature and community could thrive together.
- Warm and Welcoming: Greg’s kindness and genuine warmth made all feel valued and included, creating a lasting legacy of compassion.
Greg’s strong belief in the importance of land preservation and its connection to quality of life has significantly changed the landscape of Calvert County and Southern Maryland. Under his leadership, the ACLT has emerged as a prominent local and regional force in land stewardship.
For me, perhaps most meaningful was his relentless drive to keep moving forward and his passion for land conservation. Working with Greg has deepened my appreciation for his remarkable commitment to conservation. His vibrant spirit and unwavering commitment inspired me to do my best to help bring his vision to life. Many of our discussions took place over the phone, and I still find myself waiting for the next call.
David Farr, President
Tributes from Former ACLT Leaders
Farmland Preservation Report Interview (2009) Link to article: www.farmlandpreservationreport.com/greg-bowen
Joy Bartholomew, Past President
Greg was dedicated to preserving and enhancing Calvert county’s quality of life. His leadership and innovations at Calvert’s planning department helped create the administrative and financial tools to make Calvert a nationally recognized leader in open space preservation.
For over three decades, ACLT has benefitted directly from those tools.
ACLT was fortunate to have Greg’s service as a board member and then as executive director. While leading ACLT, Greg continued his smart work to build the county’s, the region’s and the state’s capacity to preserve open space. He built positive relationships with other institutions, land owners, ACLT members, donors and staff that strengthen and reinforce land preservation.
Pat Griffin, Past President
“Character is what you are in the dark”
I apologize for being tardy in sharing my thoughts about Greg. Although a bit embarrassed, it benefited me in being able to read all the beautiful words and thoughts that were shared about Greg. He was a remarkable man, for sure.
I had a reasonable understanding of environmental policy from a Federal perspective. However, I had no practical experience with environmental issues that affected real people’s lives and their community. I grew up in garden spots of Brooklyn and Queens. That tree that supposedly grew in Brooklyn was not on either of the blocks on which I lived.
Frankly, I didn’t understand why I was asked to sit on the ACLT Board in the first place. It was an award transition for me. However, after carefully observing and working with Greg, I did feel increasingly prepared to usefully participate as a board member and ultimately to serve as its President. My personal education was also greatly informed by my dear Board colleagues and our smart and loyal members. However, my nuanced appreciation of ACLT was driven by my personal association with Greg.
I enjoyed being a student of Greg’s. It opened a whole new world in terms of local communities’ interaction with their environment. However, he taught me much more than that. He showed me how a man of character operates in everyday life. His true self shines both in the light and in the dark. He didn’t have a “game face”. His gentle persona came with every situation. It worked perfectly with his calm and composed demeanor whether in celebration or crisis. He wasn’t without emotions but never presented in a cruel or rude way. He evoked trust and confidence that naturally made him a powerful leader and educator. All of his qualities seemed almost inadvertent, natural and without contrivance. The evidence of his character shone brightly, both in the light and in the dark. I miss him.
Karen Edgecombe, Past Executive Director
My family and I moved to a forested lot in northern Calvert County in 1988. I was delighted to rediscover scarlet tanagers, lightning bugs, butterflies and praying mantises that had fascinated me during my early childhood in rural Ohio. I quickly realized that my newfound refuge was threatened because Calvert had become the fastest growing county in Maryland. I started noticing bumper stickers touting the slogan “Keep Calvert Country.” It was not lost on me that I, as a recent transplant, was part of the problem!
I soon joined the Dunkirk Area Concerned Citizens Association (DACCA) and testified against a controversial proposal to add public sewer in the minor town center of Dunkirk in contravention of the county’s 1983 Comprehensive Plan. The county commissioners voted down the unpopular proposal on a 3-2 vote. Because I was an attorney specializing in environmental law, Joyce Lyons Terhes, the founder of DACCA and one of the three commissioners who voted against the sewer proposal, nominated me to serve on the Calvert County Environmental Commission—a citizen advisory group that reported to the county commissioners.
I worked closely with Greg Bowen during my five-year tenure with the environmental commission in the late 1980s and early 1990s. By that time, Greg was already the well-respected Deputy Director of the Calvert County Department of Planning and Zoning (P&Z). As a native son, Greg was born and raised on a local Calvert County farm and seemingly knew everyone in the county. His first major accomplishment when hired as a planner in 1978, was the establishment of the Calvert County Agricultural Land Preservation Program. Greg continued to be a strong proponent for agricultural land preservation throughout his career.
I spent countless hours in the planning office over my first five years living in the county meeting with Greg and other planning staff members to discuss ways that the environmental commission could support the county’s goals to manage growth, retain its rural character and protect its environment. Greg’s enthusiasm for his work was remarkable and he willingly spent a great deal of time with me discussing the finer points of the county’s agricultural preservation program, comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance.
During this same time, in the early 1990’s, I changed my career path from the practice of environmental law to one focused on land conservation. I began working with several local land trusts. In his role, Greg worked closely with and was very supportive of the work done by local land trusts. My work with Greg led to my becoming one of the founding board members of the Calvert Farmland Trust. Once the farmland trust got its footing, I became a member of the ACLT Board of Directors.
It was clear that Greg’s and my career interests were continually coinciding. I would pop into his office with a ‘quick question’, and despite his busy schedule, I was always greeted with a friendly smile and a hearty “Hello!” Greg was always upbeat, and the sound of his iconic laughter permeated the planning office.
One of Greg’s greatest strengths was that he was always willing to entertain new ideas and to build upon existing programs. For example, the agricultural preservation program allowed landowners to transfer development rights to
Peter Vogt and Karen Edgecombe with Old Growth Forest Network Sign at the South Side Trailhead barn.
protect prime agricultural land, but the program’s stated purpose applied to forest land as well. It was relatively easy to define prime farmland based upon the soils classification, but there was no comparable soils classification for forests. When ACLT preserved its first property in 1986, it demonstrated that the property contained prime forest land by hiring a professional forester to determine the growth rate of the trees. Greg, who served as the staff member for the agricultural preservation advisory board, agreed that this was a reasonable approach and ACLT was approved to sell TDRs.
On another occasion when I was meeting with Greg, I reviewed draft maps that the planning office was working on for the new Farm Community Districts, again based on prime agricultural soils. I asked Greg why the county’s forests, which were an equally important resource protected by the agricultural preservation program were not similarly mapped? I suggested that the environmental commission come up with criteria for this purpose. Greg supported my efforts to map forested areas in the county that were situated on steep slopes, with erodible soils, and were located near county waterways. The environmental commission advocated that these areas served the goals of the Agricultural Preservation Program and further helped to protect water quality in the county’s creeks and the Chesapeake Bay. With the support of Greg, these areas became known as Resource Conservation Overlay Districts.
When the previous Director of P&Z retired in 2005, Greg became the obvious choice to become the Director. When I became ACLT’s Executive Director in 2006, I continued to call him frequently with all manner of questions. Again, my experience was that despite his increased responsibilities, he always had time to cheerfully greet me and offer me sound advice. Finally, after his retirement from county government in 2011, we convinced him to join the ACLT Board of Directors in 2012.
When I decided to retire as ACLT Director in 2015, the Board considered several well qualified individuals from outside the organization, but it became clear that Calvert County’s native son, Greg Bowen, was head and shoulders above them all. I could not have been more pleased! I just knew that ACLT would be in the best possible hands. With the roles now reversed, I gladly answered Greg’s calls when questions arose that I could help him to answer. It was my pleasure to return the favor!
Over the past three and a half decades, Greg and I forged a strong alliance, grounded in similar goals, utilizing multiple tools including land use planning, agricultural preservation, and land conservation to help the county achieve its goals.
I will miss him greatly, as will everybody else in Calvert County.
Peg Niland, ACLT's 1st Executive Director
Greg Bowen entered my life in 1988 when I walked into the Calvert County Office of Planning and Zoning to discuss building a golf course community on the north side of Parkers Creek. If there was ever a time to display shock, that was it, but I was met with graciousness. Greg, Frank Jacklich, Planning and Zoning Director at the time, and Randi Vogt, Planner, must have been in horror as I discussed the proposed project; yet professionalism, kindness and respect was all I experienced. I knew nothing about Parkers Creek or the American Chestnut Land Trust then. It didn’t take long to learn and soon I was an ACLT volunteer planting trees on the Gravatt property while Greg guided me through the county’s development procedures. When a turn in the economy occurred and the project ended, so did my brief time in land development.
It wasn’t long before Greg, and his endearing smile and gentle nature, was back in my life. ACLT was an all-volunteer organization at that time and in need of staff. The ACLT Board of Directors offered me a part-time position while Planning and Zoning offered the same for a special project. Working with Greg was a great honor. His leadership wasn’t defined by his title or position, but by the way he made us all feel capable and
empowered in our shared mission. Whether working with colleagues, volunteers, or community members, he made everyone feel like they were part of something bigger than themselves.
As ACLT developed into a full-time position and I became the Executive Director, I worked closely with Greg, as he oversaw Calvert County’s Agricultural Preservation Program. In all of our professional interactions, Greg was supportive, innovative, and fair. He helped guide and nurture countless people in their own roles, always finding ways to encourage and lift others up. He touched the lives of those he came to know with his natural ability to put people at ease and to listen – truly listen – to their concerns, ideas, and visions. His graciousness was unmatched.
Greg and I spoke often during his time as Executive Director of ACLT and saw each other at land trust conferences. I feel incredibly blessed to have kept that friendship and interaction for over 37 years. He always treated people with kindness, respect, and professionalism. Greg Bowen was, above all, a good man; a man who worked hard and gave selflessly. He leaves behind a world that is richer for his efforts and a community that is better for having known him.
Tributes from Board Members
Dawn Balinski, Vice President
Working with Greg has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. His vision, his know-how, his humanity—he taught all of us how hard work combined with compassion and foresight could propel ACLT to new heights. He built a great team and, because of that, we know we can continue the important work he so cherished.
BL Johnston, Recording Secretary
Greg was the man parents aspire for their children to become. He was compassionate, generous, guided by strong moral principles, intelligent, honest, courageous, and possessed so many more good human qualities. He continuously inspired ACLT to expand its vision and hone its direction, exploring and proposing avenues for pursuing these goals. We are indebted to Greg’s leadership for having become the successful organization that we are today. And, more personally, Greg inspired my life for having shared part of the ride with him.
John Little, Past Board Member
I’m still processing the sad news about Greg and one recurring thought still stands out: If Greg Bowen had not spent his entire adult life trying to preserve Calvert County’s Rural and Agricultural legacy, how many of us would even still choose to live here?
I am pretty sure we wouldn’t. Look at other places that go unchecked—places that don’t value open space and farms. While Calvert has certainly changed over my forty years here, it is still a great place to live. I can’t think of anyone who is more responsible for that than Greg Bowen.
Greg was always a listener, always a gentleman, and deeply committed to his community. The best tribute to Greg would be for us all to continue his vision for a better environment and community.
Peter Daly, Board Member
Greg Bowen was a good friend, to many of us personally, and to all the people of Southern Maryland. People who never met him and generations not yet born will benefit from his life and work.
His legacy is the natural beauty in Calvert County in general and the acres entrusted to the American Chestnut Land Trust. Greg helped many people to see that good stewardship of the land was good for all of us, rich and poor, old and young, black and white. His life reminded us that we are not “owners” of the nature around us, but rather we are stewards of nature. He made little incremental changes that, over a lifetime of work, amounted to big steps forward.
I first met Greg in the late 1990s, when he was director of the Calvert County planning office and
I was the pastor of St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Prince Frederick. We saw each other occasionally at community meetings, but it was not until 2021 that I got to know him. In January of 2021, Greg called me and asked me to be on the board of directors of the ACLT.
When Greg asked me to be on the Board, I hesitated. “What can I really offer?” I asked. “You can talk to people,” he said.
For Greg, his work at the planning office and his work at the land trust were much more than a job or a profession. His work was a mission. A vocation to preserve as much of the beautiful environment around us as possible for generations to come. He was also looking to the past, to preserve the natural and human past here in Calvert County. To remember the native American, African American and European American settlers who made up our communities.
He had a great vision for the Land Trust. He saw how the ACLT could fit into a green corridor stretching from New England to Georgia. He saw how the beauty of nature around us could contribute to our spiritual peace and happiness.
Being our executive director, Greg was also our cheerleader. He saw the ACLT as more than just in the business of land preservation. It is also a training place for naturalists and conservationists. It is a place for scouts and youth to enjoy nature. It is a place for hikes and canoe trips. It is a place for community events, picnics, artists, and celebrations. A place to find peace for the elderly and wonder for children. Greg was also proud that the ACLT grows food for area food banks. He made us see that everyone needed contact with nature.
The past couple of years have been difficult for Greg. His wife, Tammy, was dying of painful cancer. He worked from home many days so that he could take care of her. When Tammy died in October, Greg had to turn his attention to his own health and struggle with cancer.
In November I suffered a stroke. I called Greg to ask if I should resign from the board. He said no. “Wait until after the membership meeting in March,” he said. “Then we can plan your exit.” He said nothing about his own health crisis. Greg died just a few days before the planned membership meeting.
Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Greg Bowen had a vision. It was a vision of the blessing of land to all living creatures. It was a blessing to our area. Under his leadership the American Chestnut Land Trust did not perish. It thrived.
Rest in peace, Greg. You left us a great legacy.
Members of Keep Calvert Country (KCC)
One hundred years from now, as the citizens of Calvert County enjoy a quiet stroll along many of the county’s walking paths, river, bay, and streams, they may not know it, but in many cases, it will be because of the work that Greg Bowen dedicated his life to. As citizens travel the back roads that remain undeveloped Rural Community Districts with limited housing, no strip malls or apartment buildings, that will also be in part, due to Greg Bowen. Greg’s ambition was to conserve as much land as possible and he remained true to that goal until the very last days of his life.
As members of Keep Calvert Country, we were honored to assist Greg in seeing his dreams come true. His enthusiasm for the beauty of our little county was contagious. Time and again, we worked with him to educate citizens about preserving the county at meetings and forums throughout Calvert. Greg clearly understood and would share with anyone that would listen why it was so important to maintain the rural character of the county. He knew the interconnectedness of all things, including humans, animals, plants, and the land itself, and that actions that harm the land are seen as ultimately harming ourselves. We are simply the caretakers of the land, and he was one of the best at doing that. Now it will be up to us to continue Greg’s work. The responsibility of maintaining the delicate balance between pristine natural land and responsible development, ensuring its sustainability for future generations, can be our way of honoring Greg’s memory. We invite others to join us in our common goal.
Ron Klauda - Current Board Member & Member of Friends of Hunting Creek
It is with a heavy heart and lingering disbelief that I write these words. Little did I know that the handshake and brief conversation I had with Greg at the BOCC’s Public Hearing on the updated Zoning Ordinances on the evening of February 18th would be our last interaction. We were both there to thank the Commissioners and County staff for their many months of hard work that produced the updates to be voted on after County residents were heard. Greg spoke first, eloquently as always, in his quiet but clearly passionate voice. He urged the Commissioners to stand tall and protect our precious natural resources and quality of life. When Greg speaks, staff and our elected officials listen. They know he speaks from his heart, not from his wallet. The Commissioners listened to Greg and 20 other concerned citizens that evening and then approved the Zoning Ordinance updates, not perfect but much better because of Greg’s involvement, on a 3-2 vote.
What else can be said about Greg Bowen? Well, to paraphrase Dr. Suess, Greg spoke for the trees. But he also spoke for so much more…..for the whole of Nature’s realm. During the nine years I have served on the ACLT Board and worked closely with Greg, he showed me many times how passionately committed to land preservation he was. He also championed the important roles that research and monitoring can play in protecting and managing the Parkers Creek Preserve. Greg was a fan of water quality monitoring, one of my areas of interest. He embraced sampling benthic macroinvertebrates (aka, macros), another tool to help evaluate the health of Parkers Creek tributaries. Greg also encouraged the Science Committee to use environmental DNA sampling and document the wide array of fishes living in the most pristine watershed on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay.
Greg generously shared his many ideas that were laser-focused on land preservation, environmental protection, and wisely-managed growth. And he was always eager to hear ideas and suggestions from others. I recall a conversation with Greg soon after being appointed to the Board in 2016. While chatting about a range of topics, I casually said, “Wouldn’t it be great if we had citizen-based advocacy groups formed to protect and enjoy many of Calvert County’s 22 watersheds?” With a twinkle in his eye, Greg gave me one of his accepting smiles and replied, “You know, I was just thinking about that topic the other day.” Not long after our chat, ACLT launched the Friends group initiative. Greg and ACLT staff helped Bob Estes, Frank McPhillips, and me form the Friends of Hunting Creek early in 2020, and he provided unwavering support to help us flourish.
Fittingly, he joined us on a cold January day in 2023 to take a group selfie and celebrate the new “Hunting Creek” sign along the northbound lanes of the Rts. 2/4.
Greg Bowen was and always will be an inspiration and true hero to me. He not only talked the talk, he also walked the walk. Rather than end this perspective on my knowing and working with him by saying, “Greg is gone but not forgotten.”, I prefer “Greg’s spirit is still here and he is quietly urging us to dig a little deeper and work a little harder to finish his dreams.” His passionate connection to land preservation is a quality to which we should all aspire.
Bob Estes, Member of Friends of Hunting Creek and Keep Calvert Country
Unlike many, I had only known Greg for a short time; roughly six years. I heard him at the 2019 ACLT yearly meeting but later that spring I heard the advocacy side of him and ACLT. He was requesting members to take action related to the County’s proposed 50% cut in land preservation funds. That’s when I realized that the ACLT was not just a nice place to hike— it was deeply involved in an intense fight to preserve our rural way of life by preserving and protecting our fragile, endangered lands. As time passed, I realized that Greg and his many partners were major reasons Calvert had not declined into another bedroom community that had lost its character. Greg encouraged me to join Friends of Hunting Creek which, in addition to water sampling, led me to pay attention to the criticality of stormwater management in the health of our watershed. Greg recommended me for training as a watershed steward and for membership in the advocacy group Keep Calvert Country. Greg gave me special assignments out in the field from time to time which I would never have had the insight to take on. I knew without question that if Greg thought it was important it was worth doing. Greg was never one to waste people’s time but was also an accurate delegator who knew how to draw the best out of people. I would not be who I am now without Greg’s influence, guidance, and friendship. I may miss most of all the impromptu discussions we had in his office when I dropped in after a hike at ACLT. Sometimes it was about a critical situation we were working on and sometimes just this and that. A close second was his infectious laugh. It’s still hard to believe we no longer have him physically with us but we have his spirit and I know he would expect us to carry on.
Ted Haynie, Member of Friends of Mill Creek and Keep Calvert Country
It has taken me a minute to be able to sit and write my thoughts about Greg; to come to grips with the idea he is no longer with us. Because, we need Greg Bowen. For those of us working to keep some semblance of our County’s rural character, supporting efforts in land preservation to do so, and advocating for those practices that will contribute to the continued health and viability of our waterways, Greg was our leader. He held the history, had the experience, expertise, and the drive to lead a diverse array of individuals and groups in all of these efforts. And, Greg led with civility and diplomacy. He worked at building consensus and, when necessary, encouraged resistance. I will never forget his testimony before the Board of County Commissioners just a couple of days before his passing. He was a role model of service above self.
When he asked me to create and lead a watershed friends group in Southern Calvert, it was simply impossible to say no to him. I mean, who was going to say no to Greg Bowen who so unselfishly had given so much of his life in service to our community? And, so, the Friends of the Mill Creek Watershed was born.
One of my fondest memories of him was that he had this great laugh. It always surprised me how such a mild-mannered person could produce such a boisterous and animated sound. It was one of my great joys when I might say something Greg found humorous enough to produce it.
Greg Bowen will be sorely missed. He cannot be replaced. But, his life and legacy will be the inspiration that will motivate our efforts to continue his work and vision for the community he loved and gave so much.
Ralph Eshelman - Patuxent Summit Team Member
Greg Bowen will be remembered as a giant among land preservationists, environmentalists, and smart growth advocates. His mild manner, positive demeanor, quick smile, and tireless work ethic separate him from many of us. These attributes are known by those who knew Greg, but most are unaware of his more recent work with a small group of veteran Patuxent River advocates who have been meeting for almost two years to consider strategies for reversing the decline in the River’s water quality. Out of this effort plans took shape for a Patuxent Summit to reaffirm the commitment of the watershed’s local, state and federal policy-makers to restore and protect the River. Greg was instrumental in creating a guide to what can be achieved by focusing on a handful of key factors. Greg’s passing has left a void that will be difficult to fill by one person or even a group of people. Greg was a good man, a doer, and a relentless champion for the protection of our land and water resources. In these challenging times we can ask ourselves what Greg would do, and we will find the perseverance of a warrior in the righteous causes we’ve spent our lives caring about.
Landscape Scale Conservation Colleagues
Frank Allen, Executive Director of the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust
Greg Bowen was a friend to the land trusts of Southern Maryland. He teamed up with John Turgeon of the Maryland Environmental Trust to establish the Southern Maryland Conservation Alliance, an organization focused on partnering to conserve more parcels through both conservation easements and fee simple purchase. An early success of the Alliance was developing a partnership between Prince George’s County and Maryland Program Open Space to purchase over 600 acres owned by the Girl Scouts, preventing development of a property largely wooded – some of it old growth forest.
Greg pushed a methodology to appraise conservation easements based on conservation value rather than purely development value. Much of the land we all are trying to protect has relatively modest development value but significant conservation value.
Finally, Greg and I started the Southern Maryland Active Recreation and Transport Alliance (SMARTA) to make it so residents can walk, bicycle, and canoe everywhere in Southern Maryland – activities that he enjoyed “in his spare time”.
Greg was always willing to offer advice on thorny questions and support the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust generally in our conservation work. He was enthusiastic about SMARTA as well. We will all miss him.
Mary Hoover, ACLT Staff and SMCA Regional Coordinator
It’s been said that good people make good places. If this sentiment holds true, then because of Greg Bowen, ACLT and Calvert County are truly exceptional places. Greg was a one-of-a-kind human being, and I am so grateful and privileged to have known and worked with him for three and a half years. I owe him a debt of gratitude for the kindness he showed me and the wisdom he shared with me. I will miss him dearly.
I first met Greg on a Zoom call in the spring of 2021, interviewing with the American Chestnut Land Trust as a potential placement for my Chesapeake Conservation Corps (CCC) year. I had been attending virtual interviews with host sites for several weeks at that point and was feeling increasingly drained of energy with each subsequent Zoom call. Perched in my Omaha, Nebraska apartment, I logged into my laptop for what would be my final CCC interview. Greg’s welcoming smile appeared on my screen, radiating his unique blend of kindness and
warmth that simultaneously commanded respect. Instantly, I felt at home. Although I hadn’t the faintest notion about Calvert County nor the operational workings of a land trust, I left the interview feeling invigorated and excited about the work I could possibly be doing at ACLT, under Greg’s mentorship. From that moment on, I was sold– Greg was an incredible spokesperson for his work and his County.
It didn’t take long working with Greg to realize the kind of visionary leader he was. He routinely stopped by my office to share his big ideas for how we could save the Patuxent River and the Chesapeake Bay. His mind was always abuzz with possibilities. I can recall several times, especially during my internship year, when Greg proposed a newsletter topic for me to undertake. It was never a simple, straightforward concept. The stakes were always high, as he suggested topics such as, “How do we climate-proof the Bay?” or “How can watershed friends groups save the Bay?”
No one who worked with Greg was exempt from his big-picture musings. ACLT staff like to joke about a time when, at a 9:30 am staff meeting, Greg asked us in full sincerity what we think it will take to fix the Bay. Still half asleep, we were at a loss for how to respond to this unreasonably existential question for a Monday morning. Unfortunately, we are still working on that one, Greg, but we’ll let you know when we figure it out.
I could go on and on about the myriad ways Greg impacted my life, but I’ll end with this: Greg may be gone, but so much of him remains. He lives on in the forests and wetlands that are permanently protected in Calvert County because of his efforts; he lives on in his colleagues who looked up to him as a paragon of leadership; he lives on in his children who he raised to be as kind and empathetic as he was; and he lives on in me– a “Nebraska girl” who has grown to care deeply about conserving our beautiful Earth, all because of him. I will forever cherish his mentorship and his role in shaping my passion for conservation. My only regret is not telling him how much he meant to me while he was still here.
John Turgeon, Maryland Environmental Trust
I was shocked and saddened when I learned of Greg’s sudden passing in February. One of his many leadership roles in Maryland’s land conservation community has been over the past several years serving on the Board of Trustees of the Maryland Environmental Trust, the statewide land trust for Maryland. At the time of his death he was serving as Vice Chair of MET’s Board. As the Director of MET, I very much enjoyed working with Greg during his Board tenure. He was a mentor, friend, and overall wonderful human being. Greg was truly committed to the cause of land conservation, particularly championing its critical role as a high impact natural approach for addressing climate change. Every other Wednesday morning, I would meet with him and MET’s Board Chair Gary Burnett via Google Meet to provide an update on MET’s activities. Inevitably, and most often because of Greg, our discussions would veer into big picture policy topics related to conservation and climate change. I always looked forward to these meetings, as I am sure Gary did too, and a big reason for that was Greg’s dry wit and infectious laugh. He was always able to inject a sardonic yet warm sense of humor into our discussion of serious issues.
Also during his time with MET, I had the privilege of working extensively with Greg and the American Chestnut Land Trust, along with other conservation partners, to establish what is Greg’s visionary landscape-scale conservation initiative for the region he so loved, the Southern Maryland Conservation Alliance. In the short time since this collaboration was launched in 2021, the Alliance, with Greg’s and ACLT’s leadership, played a critical role in advocating for the 2024 acquisition by Prince George’s County Parks & Recreation of the 500+ acres Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital property near Jug Bay. The Alliance also played a key role in the planning of, and building grassroots support for the Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge, which was established at the end of 2024. Maryland’s conservation community lost one of its best in Greg Bowen.
Cultural Heritage Advocates
Carl Fleischhauer, Lead Researcher for the Parkers Creek Heritage Trail
Greg Bowen’s interests, if not to say passions, covered a wide range. Several are described in other contributions to this issue of the Watershed Observer. This accolade spotlights Greg’s interest in the cultural history of his Calvert County birthplace. The Bowen family farm near Hunting Creek was a formative influence in his youth and, during his service as ACLT executive director, he developed a deep interest in the story of the human presence in the Parkers Creek and Governors Run watersheds.
At ACLT, Greg obtained funding for cultural history projects. He oversaw the stabilization of the historic log barn at Holly Hill from 2018-2021, supported by a grant from the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT). In this work, Greg’s formative home-farm experiences came into play: he actively guided decision-making about the structural engineering aspects of the design. “Let’s keep the old logs,” he said, “but add load-bearing framing so the barn won’t blow down.”
As the barn project proceeded, Greg also sought funding from the Maryland Heritage Area Authority (MHAA) at the MHT for the Parkers Creek Heritage Trail project, now in its fourth year. Part of Greg’s interest reflected his sense that the region’s historical record was out of balance, neglecting the contributions of indigenous people and African Americans. The Heritage Trail project is helping correct that imbalance.
Greg drafted the MHAA grant proposal with help from his former fellow county employee, the archaeologist and historic preservation specialist Kirst Uunila. I was drafted into this effort, as I had been for the log barn. Work on the Heritage Trail project is still under way; the current findings are presented at this website: https://www.acltweb.org/index.php/parkers-creek-heritage-trail/.
With contributions from Kirsti and ACLT board members Darlene Harrod and Shirley Knight, the Heritage Trail project includes stories that bear on the history of indigenous people and the experiences of African Americans. Meanwhile, Greg guided us to an MHT-supported project to plan the preservation of the Lemuel Wallace house, the former residence of an extended Black farm family.
Waiting in the wings is a presentation on another topic that fascinated Greg: Sampson Waring, the Maryland high sheriff in the mid-1650s. To motivate the heritage team, Greg brought in his copy of a hard-to-find publication, Lou Rose’s 1982 book The Life and Times of Sheriffe James Veitch of Calvert County, which includes sections on Waring.
Waring was a Puritan who patented land near Parkers Creek, including a tract called Warrington, named in a 1683 Act of the Maryland Assembly for the establishment of “Townes . . . earnestly desired by the generality of the Inhabitants.” No trace of a town has been found, however; it may have been promised but never built. Lou Rose’s publication, however, spotlights what Rose calls Waring’s “shameful” actions following the 1655 Battle of the Severn, a conflagration between men loyal to Lord Baltimore, the Roman Catholic proprietor of Maryland, and the Puritans. She describes Waring as supporting “the execution of [loyalist] prisoners of war.” Yikes! Stay tuned: we plan to honor’s Greg’s pursuit of Sampson Waring with a webpage later this year.
Left: Holly Hill log barn project planning committee, March 2018. Left to right: Ken Romney, John O’Rourke, Autumn Phillips-Lewis, Kirsti Uunila, Jeff Klapper, Greg Bowen, and Carl Fleischhauer.
Darlene Harrod & Shirley Knight, ACLT Board Members
Greg Bowen was an extraordinary executive director for the American Chestnut Land Trust (ACLT). We applaud his tireless advocacy, leadership, and commitment to protecting Calvert County’s natural resources for future generations. Although we will miss Greg’s intelligence, optimism, and supportive manner, we are keenly aware that we must pick up and continue his tenacity for managing the ACLT.
All of us are deeply grieved by the loss of Greg, a true leader who not only steered the ACLT to great heights but also inspired countless individuals, staff, and friends with his personal integrity and collaborative spirit. We were not ready for him to go, and we are still processing his loss.
We both are thankful and grateful to Greg for encouraging us to join the ALCT Board in 2021 – the first two African American women to serve on the Board. Greg challenged us to become part of the organization and asked us to serve on the Parkers Creek Heritage Trail project team. The visiting hiking public and ACLT members will be able to access the research on the Internet and view information on signs (interpretive panels) posted along the 26 miles of trails. Our role on the team has focused on gathering stories from some very interesting people who attended Browns United Methodist Church; worked for the Gravatt family, the founders of the Scientists Cliffs cottage community; are members of the Lemuel Wallace family; and are former owners of the Yoe House, a property ACLT acquired in 2021. Greg was aware of our love for Calvert County, and we both have developed an even greater appreciation after learning about these and other families who made the Parkers Creek area their home. Most importantly, we will forever be grateful to Greg for making us feel welcome at ACLT. He demonstrated an exceptional need to engage a diverse group of people in his and ACLT’s conservation stewardship while promoting its numerous recreational advantages and outdoor programs.
We wanted Greg to remain here for many years to come, enjoying his family and friends, championing future conservation causes, completing his bucket list, and doing whatever he wanted to do. While we mourn his loss, we are grateful for the lasting legacy he leaves behind – in ACLT– a true conservancy built on strong values, a dedicated staff and volunteers, and a commitment to continuous improvement moving the ACLT mission forward. We will remember him always!
Calvert County Planning & Zoning Colleagues
Randi Vogt, Board Member, Retired Calvert County Planner, and Co-founder of Keep Calvert Country
I was lucky enough to work with Greg and Frank Jaklitsch for 24 years in the Department of Planning and Zoning. Even at the time, I felt I would have gladly worked for free to be in their company and work on projects with those two.
On the surface, they weren’t much alike. Frank was a city boy from Long Island and Greg had deep roots in Calvert County. But they were both masters at finding ways to get things done and they worked beautifully together.
I think it’s fair to say that the rural landscape we still enjoy here in the County, despite forty years of incredibly fast population growth, is largely attributable to Frank and Greg, for many reasons. Here is just one of them:
It was back in 1980 or 1981. Frank had asked Greg and me to come to the planning office on a Saturday. He had an idea, but he wanted to get our reactions before it went any further.
His idea? Town Centers. They were unheard of at the time. For years, the County Commissioners, with full support from the Planning Commission, had been routinely approving rezoning requests for commercial uses at scattered locations all along Route 2/4. It was ruining the beauty of our rural landscape and causing dangerous traffic conflicts. The businesses that were located in these scattered areas weren’t helped much by it either. But that’s the way things were done back then.
As soon as Greg heard Frank’s idea, his eyes lit up. I had seen his eyes light up like that before and I knew that from that moment on, Greg was going to do everything in his power to help Frank make town centers a reality. I am absolutely certain that if Greg hadn’t liked my idea of TDRs, the idea wouldn’t have gone anywhere. He made good things happen right up to a few days before he died.
I watched in wonder as Frank and Greg went about the seemingly impossible task of getting the County Commissioners, the Planning
Commission, owners of property along the highway, developers and the general public to buy into the idea of concentrating development in town centers and leaving long stretches of highway devoted to forests and farms. They had two strong advocates – County Commissioner Bernie Fowler and State Delegate Tom Rymer. But there were plenty of strong, active opponents.
My assignment was to research and draft position papers while the two of them went to meeting after meeting for months, making their presentation, taking questions, listening, respectfully answering. Frank had made a huge drawing showing how the process of creating town centers would work. The whole thing was at least eight feet long and three feet high mounted on round poles. He had it rolled up like a scroll and when the two of them got to a meeting, they would unfurl it and each stand holding one end. It’s an image of the two of them I fondly carry with me to this day.
Wilson Freeland, Current Planning Commission Member, Former County Employee, and Holly Hill Farmer
My collaboration with Greg Bowen began long before Greg’s tenure with ACLT. Our paths overlapped during our time working for Calvert County Government. As far back as that is now, I can honestly say Greg Bowen’s passion for preserving and protecting special places in this county was obvious. We worked on finding ways to purchase, preserve and protect public property at little to no cost to the great citizens of Calvert County. Some of these early acquisitions are incorporated into what has become the Prince Frederick to Bay Trail.
After Randi Vogt first came up with the idea of Calvert’s very own Agricultural Preservation Program (the first in the country), Greg made it happen and made it a success. Even though this early program was never intended to reduce development, Greg’s creativity found ways to improve the program that allowed for what we now call PAR (Purchase and Retirement). The original goal of the program was to preserve twenty thousand acres, and it was an enormously proud moment for Greg to see how quickly the goal would be reached.
Greg chaired the county’s Open Space Committee and at that time the committee consisted of the Department of Planning and Zoning, Department of General Services, the Division of Natural Resources and the Division of Parks and Recreation. There are hundreds of acres acquired, and hundreds of projects successfully completed through the hard work and dedication of this group and Greg’s leadership.
Greg Bowen was a member of the Board of Directors of Calvert Farmland Trust for a brief time prior to his position with ACLT. During that time, the market for Transferable Development Rights diminished and the County’s preservation program’s participation slowed immensely. Greg was never swayed by this downturn and continuously searched for ways to protect the land so dear to him.
Greg was one of a very few individuals that understood the connection between land preservation and preserving the culture of the area. He understood that preserved property retained its value and in some cases was more valuable preserved than developed and this carried over to property adjoining preserved property.
We have lost a wealth of knowledge with the passing of this man. No matter how we try we will never get that back. We can only strive to be as passionate as he was and unite in the common cause of protecting and preserving.
Walter Boynton, former Member of the ACLT Board & Calvert County Board of Appeals
I remember Greg being a force in the development of the County’s smart growth plans involving town centers and especially the concept and implementation of transferable development rights that had the goal of retaining farm and other valuable natural lands and focusing development in town centers. The contrasted with other growth centers in Maryland and the country, and the difference was, and still is, stunning.
Sometime later, in the 1990s I think, a friend asked if I might be interested in a bit of public service. So, to make a longish story very short, I wound up as a member of Calvert County’s Zoning Appeals Board…which came with many more interactions with Greg. It was a time of rapid growth in the County, and the County had been hit by several strong storms which caused considerable shoreline damage So, people were active building and repairing which meant the Appeals Board was also very active in sorting out what was acceptable and what was over the line. This was particularly the case because Maryland had adopted the Critical Area laws which restricted activities within 1000 feet of tidal waters as one way to improve Bay protection…lots of Calvert County was impacted by these rules, and Greg was a strong supporter of this innovative Statewide zoning.
The Appeals Board regularly met with Greg and others from Planning and Zoning to better understand these rules and this was a good thing as the Board often heard Critical Area cases. Greg was always super well prepared with answers to questions and with his own questions as well.
In addition, he and staff often had cases that came before the Board and in some of these the Board agreed with the County and Greg while in
others we did not. What was so important to me and others was that Greg always pushed, and pushed hard, for what he thought was the correct action but, when a decision was reached, he moved on. It was a pleasure to listen to his arguments and suggestions…we all learned a lot about healthy arguments, good decision making and first-class governance.
About 10 years ago I did a term or two on the ACLT Board and, of course, saw a lot of Greg as he provided direction and inspiration to the Board. In addition, we all heard a lot about “well, how are the forests and streams managed by ACLT doing…are there danger signs emerging or are we good to go? Are there ways to monitor the many Parkers Creek streams that would not break the ACLT piggy bank and overwork the volunteers?”
As it turns out, some smart forest scientists figured out that water samples collected in the early spring…just before the leaves unfurl for the year…provide very good estimates of the annual nitrogen content of the water that fills our streams. I believe I can still remember the light that started glowing in Mr. Bowen’s eyes when he heard all about this idea…and a short time later the nutrient Blitz was born with about 19 sites measured on an early April morning in 2017. Most sites had the expected low nitrogen concentrations associated with low impact forests but a few, close to more intense human activities, were elevated. Greg had another tool for managing ACLT lands and a way to directly involve many volunteers. And, Greg being Greg, we stayed at 19 Parkers Creek sites for only one year. In 2024 about 128 sites were measured in three counties and many watersheds in Southern Maryland and a ton of people were involved with Greg’s nutrient blitz. I recently had a good chat with Greg about the upcoming 2025 blitz and a short time later Greg passed away…it was a good chat and the last time I had a word with this wonderful person.
Trish Weaver - Friend & Fellow Citizen Advocate
I am one of the lucky ones who can say I have known Greg Bowen for thirty years—as a friend, a fellow citizen, and a customer. Always a positive or encouraging word, always gracious, he always made the time to chat. We met on the soccer field with our kids, and once I found out he was in Planning and Zoning I pestered the daylights out of him regarding the development of our little county. That evolved into working on the Prince Frederick Master Plan, Comprehensive plan updates, election forums, and more. So many times, at meetings or in conversation the question “Have you asked Greg Bowen about that?” came up. So much knowledge and experience and patience for the work needed to get the goals accomplished.
As customers, Greg and his family have been committed to shopping, buying, and eating locally for years. During the Covid pandemic, they made a point of frequenting the local businesses as much as possible. Full of compliments every visit, they were easily the staff favorites. His generosity in referring businesses was so appreciated. Greg had a hard time coming in to get something quickly as everyone was ready to stop to chat. Greg would often pull up on his bicycle to grab breakfast on the way to work. We were so honored to be involved in many milestone celebrations over the years for the Bowen family as their caterers.
Greg’s love for Calvert County and land preservation will be his legacy for all time. We can look around our beautiful piece of paradise and know that Greg was responsible for keeping all of this for future generations. The question now must be “What would Greg Bowen say we should do?” when something new is presented.
Robyn Truslow - Friend & Former Board Member
There are many deserved accolades about the impact Greg Bowen has had on the environment and Calvert County so I won’t restate what others will say better. I do want to share a few words about the model of parenting, marriage and friendship that Greg and Tamea presented to those who spent time with them socially.
If you attended Tamea’s Celebration of Life, you were blessed with hearing Greg tell the touching story of their courtship and love. Greg was always so self-deprecating and he genuinely felt lucky to have won Tamea and she in turn had so much love and respect for Greg’s commitment to family, to his community and to her. They had a beautiful relationship. It was so sweet to see how often he showed his love for Tamea. They both had such a great sense of humor and still flirted adorably with each other right up to their last year together, good-naturedly teasing one another in ways that clearly proved their confidence in their mutual affection. Their support of one another was all-encompassing. If there was a family trip or a show or an appointment amid Greg’s many big goals or deadlines, he figured out a way to be there for his family and they supported his need to “get a little work done,” too.
Together Greg & Tamea raised two of the most kind, thoughtful adults you will ever meet. Their children are smart, funny, caring and committed to making the world a better place. Maybe some of it was “nature” but Greg and Tamea provided so much “nurture” throughout their lives, that Emily and Nathan couldn’t have helped turning out to be the beautiful people they are.
While I’m sure there must have been points of disagreement about something, they must have settled them with discussion at home because they always presented a united front on any issue, family-related or otherwise, whenever I spent time with them. Or maybe they just clicked so well
and knew each other so well, that they just knew how the other would feel about whatever the topic was and their love was the influence to find common ground, seemingly without effort.
At Tamea’s Celebration of Life, I told the story of when she suggested the Bowens and Truslows rent a sailboat for a weekend when our son was a toddler. It was a spontaneous invitation and when I said that she’d better make sure Greg was willing, she was confident that he would be. And truly they both seemed to embark on the adventure with enthusiasm. I never had a hint that Greg had to be coerced into it. And impossibly, a long weekend with the Bowens on a sailboat with a toddler truly was a fantastic experience! Greg gave sailing lessons to Eric, Tamea let our toddler stare adoringly into her eyes and I felt blessed to have such lovely friends.
Once when I complained about an attitude at church that made me want to abandon ship, Greg told me that if I didn’t like it, I shouldn’t leave, I should stick around and try to change it. I think that was how the Bowens rolled…don’t complain unless you’re going to come up with a plan to fix it! Just being around Greg and Tamea made you want to be the best possible version of yourself. I think this influence will linger and I know Calvert is better for it, and for sure, I am better for it.
Pat Hofmann - Friend & Calvert County Library, Retired
I like to think of Greg in front of one of his power point presentations. I always learned something new from Greg.
You often hear the phrase “it’s a small world.” Well, that applies to this story about Greg.
We know Greg is renowned in Calvert County, well known in Southern Maryland for his work organizing land trusts to work together, known in Maryland for his work as the Calvert
County planner, known nationally for his leadership on land preservation and TDR’s. You might not expect him to be talked about in Australia.
A friend of mine, Bill, was traveling in Australia at the time Greg passed away. When we spoke, I mentioned that I was sad as a friend of mine had died and I described some of Greg’s accomplishments. Bill, who is from Illinois, had been hiking at ACLT, so he had an idea of the extent of the land trust. One of Bill’s fellow travelers, Gary, spoke to Bill at breakfast the next day. Gary is from Montgomery County, Maryland. He said a friend of his had passed away. Amazingly enough, he was talking about Greg as well. So, the news spread from Maryland to Australia through these travelers. Such a coincidence!
Greg spread his positive influence far and wide. Greg truly made the world a better place. Small world for sure.
Miriam Gholl, Friend & ACLT Community Relations Manager
The tributes in this special edition of the newsletter capture everything Greg was, so I won’t repeat them here—but I can wholeheartedly vouch for all of them because I’ve known Greg since I was 17, when he hired me as a Clerk Typist in the Planning and Zoning Office. I was incredibly young and naïve at the time, but I was fortunate beyond measure to have him as my first (and only) boss. Over the years, I learned so much from Greg—most of all, the value of a strong work ethic, integrity, and a deep commitment to the work before us.
We both retired in 2011 after more than 30 years of working together. But retirement didn’t last long. Along with Randi Vogt and Sue and Steve Kullen, we co-founded Keep Calvert Country, a citizen advocacy group dedicated to protecting the county we loved from pro-growth County Commissioners.
Then, just as things were settling down, Greg asked me to come work for him at ACLT. I told him I’d help him through the end of the year—six years later, I am still here. ACLT is a very different environment from Planning and Zoning, and we truly enjoyed working together once again.
Our friendship extended beyond the workplace. Greg’s daughter Emily was born a year before my oldest son, and then his son Nathan and my son Jamie were born three years later—just a month apart. We often shared parenting stories, laughed over the same challenges, and celebrated our kids’ accomplishments together. Musical theatre became a shared passion as three of the four kids got involved in it. Greg, Tami, and I loved watching them perform. Later, my daughter Isabelle also caught the theatre bug, and she and I enjoyed many of Emily and Nathan’s performances as adults (along with Greg and Tami).
Many of you have likely seen the musical Wicked. I first heard about it from Greg while we were planning Frank Jaklitsch’s retirement party back in 2005. He asked Emily to sing “For Good” from the show at that event, and I remember thinking how perfectly the lyrics fit Frank. Today, those lyrics feel just as true for Greg:
Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.
And because of Greg, our beautiful county has also been changed—for good.
