Register By Sept. 13 For Watershed Stewards Academy Conference

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — The Watershed Stewards Academy field conference will be held Sept. 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center, 975 Indian Landing Road, Millersville. The conference is expected to attract more than 100 residents and restoration professionals working to restore local waterways.

Session topics include conservation landscaping, pollinators, local trees and more. Two sessions, created specifically with children in mind, allow environmental enthusiasts of all ages to seine in the Severn headwaters and explore mindfulness in nature. A draft conference agenda and registration may be found at www.aawsa.org/field-conference/. Registration is open through Sept.13; space is limited.

The Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy will honor two stewards for their efforts to drive change for clean waters and sustainable landscapes. Class 9 Watershed Steward Jessie Bradley was nominated for her dedication to eradicating invasive species at Sandy Point State Park and planting native trees. In the last six months alone, Bradley cleared more than 35,000 square feet of invasives and planted 90 trees at Sandy Point. Phil Colbert, Class 11 Watershed Steward, will be honored for his dedication to creating a collaborative maintenance effort caring for a rain garden at Mt. Moriah AME Church in Annapolis. Colbert adopted the project from a fellow congregant and steward in 2019, and has since added more than 250 native plants.

The Consortium Member of the Year Awardee is Johanna Doty of Anne Arundel County Public Library. We recognize and celebrate Johanna’s efforts to connect WSA and stewards to new audiences and opportunities through library programming and restoration opportunities.