The first Chesapeake Bay String of Pearls ceremony was held on September 22, 2010. The six creators of Pearls honored today preserved land in the watersheds of five rivers in Anne Arundel County: Patuxent, Magothy, Severn, South, West/Rhode.Each property is different and each has its own story of preservation. The commonality between these land owners is that they came forward and acted. They did the right thing — and they leave a legacy. Their action protects the Bay for the benefit of all for generations to come. Program Booklet

The Pearls

• Hidden View Farm
• Contee Farm
• Kurrle Knoll
• Patuxent Preserve Common Lands
• Turkey Point Island Marsh
• Willow Oak Flower & Herb Farm

Hidden View Farm – Micheal Pistole, Richard Bradshaw
South River Watershed

Avid gardeners Dr. Micheal Pistole and Richard Bradshaw protected 61 acres of their Hidden View Farm in Crownsville. The easement aims to preserve the property’s ecological functions and natural features, which include regionally important bird habitat, a 450-year-old red maple tree and stunning views of Bacon Ridge Branch and the South River. Hidden View Farm forms part of a greater conservation initiative in the area known as the South River Greenway which encompasses four watersheds that drain into the South River, and over 10,000 acres of undeveloped forest.

Bradshaw told the Scenic River Land Trust, “Hidden View Farm is a lifetime project of love for both us. It adds to our joy that we were able to rescue this lovely property from devastation and development and it is our fervent hope that we will be able to somehow preserve what we perceive to be its great beauty for those that follow after us.” (Easement held jointly by Scenic River Land Trust and Maryland Environmental Trust.)

Contee Farm – Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Kirkpatrick-Howat Family
West/Rhode River Watershed

The 575-acre farm off Maryland Route 468 on the Rhode River was purchased in April by the Smithsonian and is permanently protected from development with a conservation easement. Named after John Contee, a second lieutenant on the USS Constitution during the War of 1812, the farm is now part of the adjacent Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater. SERC Director Anson Hines is most responsible for the acquisition.

“This is a fabulous resource and a great opportunity for us,” he said. “We will continue to operate it as a farm, and allow the public to see active farming and forestry done in a way to improve the Bay watershed.”

The main house will be used as a visitors’ center and new paths and water trails will let the public hike and canoe around the land. Previous owner Betsy Kirkpatrick-Howat — whose family always wanted the farm protected from development — calls the view from the top of the hill, looking over the farmlands to the Rhode River, one of the greatest scenic views in Anne Arundel County. (Easement held jointly by Scenic River Land Trust and Maryland Environmental Trust.)

Kurrle Knoll – Walter “Jake” Jacobs
Magothy River Watershed

Walter “Jake” Jacobs lived on a 3+ acre wooded lot on a hill in Arnold. Without foliage on the trees there is a view of the Magothy River, a quarter of a mile away. Jake comes from a school to which an original meaning of the word conservative applied. Conserve natural re-sources. Many in this area who have attended conservation organiza-tion meetings or public meetings on environmental issues can attest to Jake’s insightful understanding of the natural system and how best for people to act with it in mind. Accordingly, in 1993, to preserve the property in its natural state, Jake placed a conservation easement on most of his property known as “Kurrle Knoll”. Dr. Sally Hornor who was involved in creating the easement recalled its significance. “This was the first donation the Magothy River Land Trust received. We couldn’t really say we were a land trust until we had at least one conservation easement.” This action began a land trust that Melvin Bender has cham-pioned for years. Since Jake’s initial action, some 550 acres have been preserved, including agriculture lands protected by Tom Woodward, adjacent to Kurrle Knoll.

Patuxent Preserve Common Lands – Patuxent Preserve Homeowners Association
Patuxent River Watershed

The Patuxent Preserve is a community of 39 homes is in Gambrills on the Patuxent River near Crofton. When planned in 1990, the developer commendably decided not to fill and build on the low-lying wet areas once mined for sand and gravel. Instead the area was used for stormwater management for the community. These lands have become a private wildlife preserve with a diversity of vegetation and wildlife habitat. The 20+ acre area includes both lily and beaver ponds and a large open meadow, a third of which is not mowed every year to keep it a meadow and to provide continued habitat for small animals and deer. The meadow and ponds are surrounded by Serviceberry, Loblolly Pine, River Birch, Cottonwood, Poplar and other tree types. Vegetation includes Switch Grass, Goldenrod, Joepye Weed, and carnivorous plants. This habitat provides food and cover for birds, waterfowl, deer, fox, raccoon, groundhog, beaver, snakes, turtles.

The bylaws of the Patuxent Preserve Homeowners Association protects these common lands in a managed natural state. Ben La Pointe, community overseer of the lands, noted that the floodplain down to the river is also protected.

Turkey Point Island Marsh – David P. DeWitt, Phyllis W. Stonebrook
South River Watershed

Phyllis Stonebrook and her husband, David DeWitt, were interested in buying a house on Turkey Point Island, on Selby Bay of the South River. However, they were worried that the five-acre marsh across the street would be developed because the property was already platted for homes even though much of the property was wet.

In March of 2000, David and Phyllis made inquiries of the owner as to a selling price for the marsh. The quote was $20,000, however the next day the price doubled. They went ahead and purchased the property for the higher amount and moved into the house across the street. They loved looking over the marsh to Selby Bay. The sunsets were beautiful.

After David died and Phyllis became ill, she sold the house but was determined to protect the marsh from development. Just recently, she finalized the transaction of donating the marsh to the Turkey Point Property Owners Association with a clause in the deed that forever prevents the property from being developed.

Willow Oak Flower & Herb Farm – Aphrodite Poulos, Maria Price Nowakowski, Martin Nowakowski and famil
Severn River Watershed

In 1990, Aphrodite Poulos and her daughter, Maria Price, placed a restrictive easement on their 42-acre property in Severn, in the headwaters of the Severn River watershed. They protected the land to live with nature and not destroy the land through development. The woodlands and farmlands are home to many animals including chickens, ducks, horses, beavers and river otters. The family considers the property a preserve where they operate a flower, herb farm, and nursery for native plants. Willow Oak produces pesticide and herbicide-free plants to “lessen our footprint on the Earth.” Besides managing the farm, Maria teaches organic and environmental gardening. Her daughter, Heather, is the flower gardener and artist and her husband, Dr. Martin Nowa-kowski, is the herb farmer.
(Easement held jointly by Scenic River Land Trust and Maryland Environmental Trust.)