News

+ Back Creek Nature Park:
    The City of Annapolis has contracted with EcoGardens, LLC to oversee the revitalization of Back Creek Nature Park. The project is multi-faceted and includes the development of a Green Roof garden, a Rain Garden, a Wildflower Meadow, and "boat" gardens using confiscated dinghy's and rowboats. The project will include the restoration of a 1907 historic Water Works building and foundation planting. Another major initiative will be the design and development of an 1866 style "town center" park and gardens. This park area will be reclaimed from the 1866 sewage treatment facility that is "buried" on the site. A restored colonial style copper accented cupola and beautiful solid copper weathervane were saved from destruction when the new county court house was built seven years ago. The revitalization includes several 2005 environmental efforts to restore the park's eroded shoreline and cliffs. A fisheries restoration program will also be undertaken with the planting of marsh and submerged aquatic grasses, flowering native trees (Sweetbay Magnolia) and shrubs (Summersweet), and perennials (Rose Mallow Hibiscus) this summer.

Recent Chesapeake Children's Museum and Spa Creek Conservancy
Project Leadership

+ Rain Gardens and Interpretive Nature Trail:
    This spring 2003 project was funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT) with a $23,800 grant. The project included correcting erosion problems in the park by building an interpretive nature trail with plant signage in English, Spanish, and Latin botanical. Three ecology education plaques (in English and Spanish) were also placed along the trail. The project also included the development of a bog and fern garden. As a part of this project over 250 native Maryland trees and shrubs were reestablished in the park. Over 1200 native perennials and wetlands plants were planted.

+ BayScapes Gardens:
    These two programs were funded by the CBT. The project included the building of two BayScapes Maryland native plant gardens at erosion points that were allowing storm water to run directly into Spa Creek. The BayScapes program gardens were developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife program. The gardens are very effective in breaking the run off flow velocity and filtering the storm water before it reaches the creek.

+ Unity Garden:
    This project was funded for by the Severn River Association Unity Gardens program. This garden was placed at the street entrance to the museum to help control run off and to act as a showcase for the community. The garden demonstrates how homeowners can help the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem through the use of Maryland native plants, trees, and shrubs that require no fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides to survive in the Maryland ecosystem.

+ Phragmites foreign invasive reed species eradication:
    In partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Chesapeake Children's Museum (CCM) and the Spa Creek Conservancy (SCC) is in its second year of a multiyear program to eradicate the Phragmites infestation that is choking the headwaters estuarine wetlands area of the creek where the non-tidal stream meets the tidal creek. In the past year and a half SCC has cleared over an acre. On January 31, 2004, 150+ United States Naval Academy Midshipmen volunteered to clear another three acres. The cleared area from 2001 has started to reestablish itself with native submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and wetlands plants. Over 5,000 native marsh grasses, shrubs, trees, and herbaceous wetland plants have been planted. This project will return this valuable wetlands area to its premier role of serving as an incubator and nursery for finfish, shellfish, and other living resources of the bay.

+ Spa Creek partial headwaters shoreline and habitat restoration:
    This project was funded with a $19,387 grant from the CBT. This project is in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation scientists. The two main objectives were to begin the process of restoring the banks of the creek where the sewage mains and the Spa Creek Bike and Hike Trail foot bridge crosses the creek just below the CCM. This is a major estuarine wetlands area. The project included the use of coir (coconut fiber) biologs and native plantings. Over 8,000 native marsh grasses and 200+ wetlands perennials were planted.

+ Amos Garrett Park Restoration
    With a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust for $24,445, the SCC and its partners have fully restored the shoreline of this "end of street" park named after the first Mayor of Annapolis. Phase 1 consisted of installing a breakwater and coconut fiber biologs at the original shoreline. This new shore area was planted in marsh grasses and perennials, as well as wetlands shrubs and trees. The second phase was the recent installation of a major rain garden, a rock garden, and an erosion control bioretension garden for fall planting. Over a 2,000 flowering perennials, grasses, shrubs, and trees were planted. Native ferns were also be used in many shady areas.