The
Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, a non-profit organization, mobilizes people and
resources to care for the lands, waters and character of the Gunpowder
Watershed. Its emphasis is on land
preservation, restoration, stream cleanups and education.
PROGRAMS
AND STAFFING
The GVC’s
programs focus on conserving lands that support agriculture, wildlife, and
ecological systems; protecting and restoring wetlands, streams, and riparian
areas; preserving historic and natural resources; and promoting education,
stewardship and outdoor activities.
Founded in 1989, the GVC is comprised of an all-volunteer board of
directors, a part-time director of education and restoration, a part-time
development director, and a coordinator of land preservation.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Land
Preservation - Preservation of 1,300 acres through conservation easements
primarily in the Coastal and Gunpowder Rural Legacy areas of the watershed.
Restoration
– Conducted tree plantings, with partner organizations such as REI, in the
Gunpowder watershed for 14 years resulting in the planting of over 16,000 trees
on 80 acres of land; sponsored 17 teams that helped collect 150 tons of trash and
debris accomplished with the hard work of over 3,000 volunteers state wide
through Project Clean Stream; mobilized 75 volunteers to adopt 20 quarter-mile
stream reaches through the Stream Watch Program; installed, with the aid of the
Rosedale Alternative School, an educational kiosk on stream ecology at Cromwell
Valley Park (CVP); implemented, with the assistance from Chesapeake Bay Trust
and Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, a Riparian Forest Buffer demonstration
site at Dulaney Branch; established stream buffers by partnering with over 775
volunteers in 2008 from local businesses, churches, and elementary, middle,
high school, and college students throughout the Gunpowder Watershed – 2,500
trees were planted on 11.75 acres in 2008 at locations such as Dulaney Branch,
Bee Tree Preserve, Hydes Field, and in
Loch Raven Reservoir; established a bog habitat at the site of the historic
Cloverland Farms Dairy off of Dulaney Valley Road; and working with Baltimore
County DEPRM, coordinated the Rural Residential Stewardship Program.
Education -
Conducted workshops and trainings to educate the public on the streams of the
Gunpowder Watershed, geohydrology and rare and endangered species, construction
site sediment and erosion control, stream adoption and stream survey
methodology through the Baltimore County DEPRM Stream Watch Program, backyard best management practices (such as
rain barrels and rain gardens), a watershed conference at Camp Puh’tok, a
Watershed Festival celebrating the 30 anniversary of Earth Day at Oregon Ridge
Park, and educational canoe trips on Gunpowder River.
Historic
Preservation - Worked on the nomination of Franklinville as a county historic
village; conducted, in collaboration with the Watershed Protection Coalition,
the “Treasures of Loch Raven” conference on the history of the reservoir,
including its cultural, economic and environmental contribution to the region;
working on the preservation of the historic 1744 Jennifer Farm adjacent to
Cromwell Valley Park.
