May 3, 2007

New Environmental Park Preserves 55 Acres of Native Habitats

     Fifty-five acres of land on Kent Island will be forever preserved as an environmental park dedicated to native habitats that benefit the Chesapeake Bay and its wildlife.  The park is designed to be enjoyed by the general public, complete with hiking trails, observation sites and interpretive signage. 

     The park is the result of cooperative efforts between Gibson’s Grant, a 280 unit traditional neighborhood design community, and the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center in Grasonville, whose mission is to restore and preserve native habitats that benefit the Chesapeake Bay.  Gibson’s Grant has placed the 55 acre plot of land into a perpetual conservation easement, under management by the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center.

     The project serves as a model for environmentally-friendly development that dictates a portion of lands be preserved for native watershed habitats to promote a balance between man and nature.  The park will link to the Cross-Island Trail, abutting the Gibson Grant community in Chester.  A waterfront trail will parallel Macum Creek, where visitors can view a variety of wading birds.

     “Gibson’s Grant has agreed to go above and beyond county requirements at its own expense, by restoring this land to native habitats that benefit the Chesapeake Bay and its wildlife, and by incorporating elements of a park-like setting to be enjoyed by the general public” said Judy Wink, CBEC’s executive director.  “We are very pleased that this project will establish and forever preserve 55 acres of native habitats on Kent Island, in a park-like setting, open to the general public at no cost to them.  The park will further serve as a setting for educational instruction that promotes environmental stewardship through interpretive signage and seasonal programs, like bird hikes and scavenger hunts.”

     “Gibson’s Grant is providing us the opportunity to extend our reach as an environmental resource to residents,” said Wink.  “We will have an office within the Gibson Grant community center, where residents can obtain information on native landscaping, rain gardens, nesting box programs, and many other things related to advancing the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its wildlife.”

     A ground-breaking ceremony, open to the public, will be scheduled for early June.