American Chestnut Land Trust

a land conservancy

  • Home
  • About
    • What We Do
    • Staff and Board
    • Mission and History
    • Reports, Publications and Slides
    • ACLT Blog
    • Latest Newsletter
    • Newsletter Search Page
    • ACLT Press Kit
    • Contact Us
  • Climate Change
  • Land & Maps
    • Trails and Trailheads
    • Double Oak Farm
    • The Land
    • Watershed Ecology
    • Parkers Creek Heritage Trail
    • Cultural History
  • Support ACLT
    • Ways to Support ACLT
    • ACLT Merchandise
    • General Donation
    • Join/Renew Membership
    • Friends Forever – Planned Giving
    • ACLT’s Sponsors
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Volunteer
    • Volunteer Hours
    • Calendar of Events
    • Conserve Your Land
    • Southern Maryland Conservation Alliance
    • Watershed Friends Groups
      • Friends of Hunting Creek
      • Friends of St. Leonard Creek
      • Friends of Mill Creek
      • Friends of Fishing Creek
      • Friends of Hall Creek
  • Join/Renew
  • Donate
Home / The Land

Land Preservation | Geology & History | Trails & Trail Maps | Double Oak Farm | Cultural History


 

Land Preservation

Since it was established in 1986, the American Chestnut Land Trust has preserved over 3,500 acres in Calvert County, Maryland. ACLT owns nearly 1,400 acres, manages 1,800 acres owned by the State of Maryland, and holds conservation easements on 374 privately-owned acres. These properties are also known as the Parkers Creek Preserve. For an overview of the landscape, watch the aerial video of Parkers Creek.

The crown jewel of our land trust is Parkers Creek—the Calvert Cliffs and sandy shoreline in the vicinity of the mouth of Parkers Creek look much the same today as they did 400 years ago when Captain John Smith explored the Chesapeake Bay. A visitor today can still paddle a canoe over a mile and a half through unspoiled salt marshes and wooded freshwater wetlands and see little sign of human activity.

The land trust also protects land in the smaller nearby Governors Run Watershed which contains mature hardwood forest and plant species more commonly found in the mountains and Piedmont than on the Coastal Plain.

  • Explore ACLT’s 22 miles of trails. View the Complete Trail Map. Complete Trail Map
  • Learn more about the many ways to secure the future of your own beloved property. We permanently protect natural areas by land purchase, conservation easements, and land leases.
  • Farm with nature. Join us in growing food at Double Oak Farm in a way that works with nature’s processes.
  • Learn about the natural resources and cultural history of this area.
  • Support ACLT as a donor and a volunteer. Join us in the office, in the woods, or in the fields to monitor, maintain, manage, and utilize the vast resources of this special place!

Preserved Properties 

 

ACLT is still trying to conserve more land in the Parkers Creek and Governors Run watersheds. If you own land in these watersheds and wish to preserve your property, please give us a call. Please donate if you can. Land conservation is expensive! To learn more about land conservation options, contact us!

 

Geology & History

One of ACLT’s founding members, Peter Vogt, has written a series of articles documenting the geology and history of the Parkers Creek watershed and ACLT. Read them here.

Share

Land and Maps

The Land

Trails and Trailheads

Interactive Trail Map

Double Oak Farm

Watershed Ecology

Cultural History

ACLT Trailheads

© 2025 American Chestnut Land Trust. All rights reserved. CFC #53731.