Land With Forests, Vernal Pools Added To Anita C. Leight Estuary Center In Abingdon

ABINGDON, MD — The Anita C. Leight Estuary Center grew a bit bigger recently after buying a 21.6-acre parcel from the Harford Land Trust.

The ACLEC functions as a conservation and outdoor education center along Otter Point Creek. The property includes forests, vernal pools and a wide variety of wildlife, which will now help supplement environmental research and programming at ACLEC.

A developer had planned to build townhomes on land previously purchased from a company called Stancills, which managed a gravel and salt pit on the smaller parcel. The former pit has been reforested over the years, and the property claims a rich coastal plain habitat that supports many different species of native plants and animals.

The recently purchased property includes two parcels across the street from the Estuary Center and is bordered by Otter Point Road, Harford Boat Club Road and Abingdon Beach Road. The smaller, 7.9-acre parcel is directly across from ACLEC, while the larger 13.6-acre parcel sits on the east side of a BGE powerline corridor that separates the property.

The forest contains a variety of trees like White Oak, Sweetgum, White Pine and Red Oak, among others. It is also home to several vernal pools, depressions in the ground that fill with water seasonally and provide habitat for many species, especially reptiles and amphibians.

The Harford Forest Conservation Program (HFCP), a partnership between HLT and the Harford County Department of Public Works, made the transaction possible with the goal of preserving water quality by protecting forests at risk of development. The HFCP helps Harford County comply with runoff reduction standards and reduce the amount of pollutants entering the Chesapeake Bay. The partnership is the first of its kind in the state.

“Otter Point Creek and its surrounding open spaces provide irreplaceable habitat for wildlife and amazing recreation opportunities for Harford County families,” said Kristin Kirkwood, executive director at HLT. “Expanding a beloved park in a highly developed area of the county makes this success all the more important.”

HLT last helped expand the ACLEC in 2001 by purchasing a 32-acre property bordering the center and transferring it to Harford County’s Department of Parks and Recreation.