"Green" energy, including solar and wind, promises to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, something many people support. Maryland and its counties are determining how to site solar installations and windmills through zoning and legislation.  Baltimore County has seen three bills proposed and either vetoed or withdrawn in the last few months; council members have determined that a review period is necessary before further legislation is introduced.  Meanwhile, a state House bill that would have permitted solar installations on preserved land was withdrawn; the issue will be studied over the summer.  

It is not clear if solar installation siting will be legislated at the state level, the county level, or both.  The Manor Conservancy has been working with lawmakers, other land trusts, and community groups to develop legislation that makes sense for landowners, farmers, and residents.  We encourage you to weigh in on this topic by contacting your representatives now, as legislation is being created.

If you missed the members' meeting, you missed State Senator James Brochin's comments 

about land preservation issues across the state.  You didn't hear Vanessa Beauchamp, 

Associate Professor and plant ecologist at Towson University,  talk about riparian buffers 

and the threat that wavyleaf basketgrass poses to our area.  You missed John Canoles, 

principal at Eco-Science Professionals, Inc.,, who spoke about the importance of old fields 

as wildlife habitat.  And you didn't see H. Turney McKnight accept our Sergeant Murphy

 Award for land preservation.

     

  Vanessa Beauchamp and John Canoles           H. Turney McKnight with Henry Pitts, 

                                                                                                 president of The Manor Conservancy

Click here for a PDF of Vanessa's presentation, here for information on wavyleaf basketgrass, 

and here for a synopsis of John's talk about old fields.  Thanks to Senator Brochin, Vanessa, and 

John for helping to make this one of the best meetings ever!

The Board of Public Works approved the Department of Natural Resources recommendation to grant $1,424,674 for Fiscal Year 2017 to The Manor Conservancy.  This money will be used to acquire conservation easements to protect farmland, woodlands, and other resources in the Manor Rural Legacy area.    Many thanks to Governor Larry Hogan, Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp, and Comptroller Peter Franchot for demonstrating their commitment to land preservation in Maryland.

Join representatives from Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, Rural Legacy, Maryland Environmental Trust, Baltimore County, and private land trusts to learn about conservation easements and how everyone benefits from land preservation.  This is for all landowners who want to find out which programs are suitable for their property, and for community members who want to find out how they can help preserve land in their neighborhoods.

Wavyleaf basketgrass, an Asian grass first discovered growing here in Patapsco Valley State Park some 25 years ago, now covers thousands of acres in Maryland and Virginia.  Ecologists fear it could become even more widespread and damaging than Japanese stiltgrass.

The leaves are compound, up to 4" long, dark bluish-green with ripples like unfolded pleats.  The plants are under 18", perennial, and have white hairs.

   

Bloom period begins in mid-July and fruiting continues well into November. Flowers open at the ends of branches; feathery white stigmas (pollen-receiving organs) are clearly visible.  Seeds are armed with a 1/2"  bristle that becomes sticky in the fall, facilitating long-distance dispersal.

Keep an eye out for this invader, and try not to spread the seeds.Help control it by reporting any place you see it using the Mid-Atlantic Early Detection Network mobile app (download from Google Play or the Apple App Store).

The Manor Conservancy, along with the Department of Natural Resources, was granted an easement through the Rural Legacy Program on 52 acres on the Horses and Hounds Scenic Byway.  We applaud the landowner's commitment to conservation and are thrilled to add to the nearly 4000 acres preserved in northern Baltimore and Harford counties by TMC and its partners.

Manor Conservancy members and their guests enjoyed a tour of Ladew's Nature Walk given by Sheryl, a Ladew educator and naturalist.  We saw eggs in a bluebird nest, ladybug larva, spiders, and even a snake!  Many of us were familiar with Ladew's gardens but we hadn't seen the wilder areas of the property.  A little rain didn't prevent us from stopping at the butterfly house, and we all left with a greater appreciation of the complexity and beauty of nature.

                          

Sheryl tells us about the meadow.                           Future members of The Manor Conservancy viewing the pond.

Many thanks to member Cathy Tipper, who hosted our second field trip at her twenty-acre preserved farm in Monkton.  Cathy shared her experiences as a farmer and educator as she deepens her commitment to increasing the local food supply and improving the environment.  We especially enjoyed her delicious cookies made from her own sweet potatoes!  

                    

(l to r) Cathy Tipper, a hoop house under construction, the view from Roberts Roost, garlic plants.

Visit our Events page to sign up for our next field trip, May 21 at 10 am.  Learn about stream buffers from Scott McGill of Ecotone.

The bidding was fast and furious as The Manor Conservancy staged its annual

 Calcutta fundraiser the night before My Lady's Manor Steeplechase.  Well over

 100 race fans and conservation supporters enjoyed food, drinks, and fun, buying

 raffle tickets and bidding on horses for a chance to win big.  The largest prize was

 nearly $3,400!  Many thanks to all who attended, to our tireless volunteers who

 made the evening possible, and to The Manor Tavern, for hosting us in such fine

 fashion.

It was a chilly rainy morning, but Team Manor Mania was cheerful and ready to run in the Oldfields Half Marathon and Relay powered by Back On My Feet, a program that channels the power of running to help end homelessness.  As a sponsor, The Manor Conservancy has supported the program and the annual race for several years, but this was the first year a Manor team participated.  

Member Brian Flowers ran the first leg.  A wardrobe malfunction hampered him only slightly (thank goodness for safety pins), and he handed off to Board Member Hope Pearce, who ran the second (and longest) leg in fine style.  Our Administrative Director finished the race, and while the team wasn't the fastest, its baton did win first prize.  Many thanks to Vice -president Gloria Cameron and her husband Steve for their creative rendition of a fish carved from a hammer handle.