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NEWS Cycling for Conservation on the Chesapeake to Ohio River Trails Annapolis, MD September 3, 2008
Local neurologist Dr. Andrew is once again putting together his passions for conservation and personal fitness. This September 6th -10th, he’s cycling 380 miles from Washington DC to Pittsburgh PA, by way of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail and the Great Allegheny Trail. He’ll celebrate his 62nd birthday on September 10, arriving in Pittsburgh where his daughter lives.
He’s cycling to raise much needed funds for the land preservation efforts of the Scenic Rivers Land Trust, a non profit organization for which he serves as President. All donations will be matched 2 to 1 by the Biophilia Foundation, located in Severna Park. He recently sent out a letter explaining his quest and soliciting funds to 2,000 of his patients, medical colleagues, and friends. He invites other Anne Arundel County residents to be part of this effort – sponsoring him for 10, 25, or 50 cents per mile, or whatever amount they can give. His personal goal for his Chesapeake to Ohio Run is to raise $5,000 -10,000, translating to $15, 000 - 30,000 through the generous Biophilia Foundation match. Read about his intended crossing of the Eastern Continental Divide at 2392 feet elevation on Big Savage Mountain, and donate at the trust’s website, www.srlt.org Scenic Rivers Land Trust, Inc, is a private 501 (c) (3) organization founded in 1988 for the purposes of protecting land through voluntary methods such as conservation easements and educating landholders on issues of land preservation and stewardship. SRLT accepts conservation easements within Anne Arundel County with a focus on the Severn, South, Patuxent, Rhode, West Rivers, and Herring Bay watersheds. In its first 20 years, the trust has helped preserve over 2,600 acres. SRLT has partnered with other groups to develop the South River Greenway Project, a combination of public and private lands identified for conservation, habitat restoration, and trail development. The South River Greenway is located in Crownsville, MD, locally bound by Crofton to the West, General’s Highway to the East, Route 50 to the South, and Severn Chapel/Waterbury Roads to the North. This area contains 6,000 acres of forest in two contiguous blocks, 800 acres of wetlands, and 100 miles of streams that flow into the South River.
Explaining his motivation for his grueling bike quest, Dr. Andrew said,
“I’m always looking for creative ways to combine my own interest in personal fitness with fundraising efforts to conserve this county’s remaining natural forests, streams, and wetlands. These areas are critical for our local wildlife and provide areas that once preserved can be enjoyed by families now and in the future. I subscribe to the native American statement that: ‘We do not inherit the land from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children’.”
Previous fund raising efforts by Dr. Andrew included completing 4 marathons, the last a crosscountry Wilderness Challenge in 2005. The spouse of one of Dr. Andrew’s patients, Nancy Badertscher, remarked that,
“Dr. Andrew’s commitment inspires all of us who care about our waterways and the preservation of land touching our waterways. He has created a winning combination combining his two great passions.”
Those wishing to make a donation to the SRLT can mail a tax deductible contribution to Scenic Rivers Land Trust, Inc. Post Office Box 2008, Annapolis MD 21404 or log onto their website at www.SRLT.org where you can make a secure online donation.
Four years ago the SRLT changed its name and focus from Severn River Land Trust to Scenic Rivers Land Trust in order to expand its effort conserve lands in the relatively undeveloped southern half of our county. Since then we have carefully built up our presence and contacts in the Patuxent, South, Rhode, and West River watersheds. This effort came to fruition with the announcement this week of a major conservation agreement between the Scenic Rivers Land Trust and the Maryland Environmental Trust on the transfer of the 579 acre Contee Farm on the Rhode River to the Smithsonian Institution. With this agreement the lands preserved by the SRLT have reached over 2500 acres.
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They say you can’t keep a good man down. After an injury while training for a triathlon and then being hit by a car while riding his bike in preparation for another competition, Dr. Clifford Andrew of Severna Park is back up and ready to go!
