The Year in Review

A Roundup of Our Favorite Moments from 2019

As we head into a new year, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the year that is quickly coming to a close—2019 was a big year for Scenic Rivers! We set ambitious goals and our community of land conservation supporters came together in big ways to help us achieve them.

As we gear up for what is to come in 2020, it is a joy to share these successes from the past year. Here are our highlights from 2019:

• Working with conservation-minded landowners, we permanently protected 285 acres of ecologically valuable land in Anne Arundel County, including forests, wetlands, meadows, and shoreline. These new easements pushed us past our long-held goal of surpassing 3,000+ acres conserved.
• After a rigorous two-year process, we are now a nationally accredited land trust—one of only five accredited local land trusts in Maryland. This mark of distinction assures donors, landowners, and supporters of our deep commitment to the best practices and highest standards in land conservation.
• We marked the 30th anniversary of our very first conservation easement in ways big and small all year. We kicked off this commemoration with Walk for the Woods and culminated with our first-ever Conservation Celebration gala. More than 100 friends and supporters gathered to help us reflect on our past and gear up for the future.
• To ensure our operations can support our future plans, we invested in upgraded technology, launched a completely redesigned website, and hired two new staff members.
• And, of course, we said a fond farewell to our long-time executive director, Rick Leader. We were touched by the warmth and enthusiasm that followed when Sarah Knebel was promoted to take the helm.

We did all of this thanks to a committed community of supporters.

Reflecting on the past year reminds us how thankful we are for supporters who are united by love for the land and the joy of open space. We are thankful for supporters who believe in the extraordinary power of land protection and the value of the work that we do. And, we are thankful for everyone who joins us in protecting our county’s land and water.

Cheers to 2020!

Land Protected in 2019
	Linda Egolf generously granted a conservation easement on her 111 acres of forest, wetlands and meadow along the Little Patuxent River. The property has been in her family for more than 100 years.
	Inge Caldwell’s 81 acres of land in the South River watershed is now forever protected by a conservation easement. Her forested land is in Audubon’s South River Greenway Important Bird Area.
	A local homeowners association placed a conservation easement on 93 acres in the Severn River watershed. This property is home to two historical sites and surrounds a rare bog with several endangered plant species.