Cyclists of all ages and skill levels are invited to participate in the 21^st Ride for Clean Rivers on Sunday, September 21 — your chance to ride the beautiful back roads of Talbot and Queen Anne’s counties in support of ShoreRivers’ work for thriving rivers cherished by all Eastern Shore communities.

Riders can choose from fully supported Metric Century (62-mile), 35-mile, or 20-mile routes. All routes begin and end at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills and include SAG support and rest stops with food and drink.

Staggered group send-offs at 8am and 9am include a police escort across Route 50. Upon returning to the college campus, riders and volunteers will enjoy a catered lunch and beer provided by Ten Eyck Brewery. Participants are also encouraged to join teams and create their own fundraising pages to boost support for their ride from others.

ShoreRivers extends special thanks to the following sponsors and partners: Dean & Nita Goodwin, Chesapeake College, Bike Doctor Kent Island, Ten Eyck Brewing Company, TCR Event Management, as well as volunteers from the Talbot Skipjacks 4-H Club.

A portion of the proceeds from this event support ShoreRivers’ science-based advocacy, restoration, education, and engagement programs. Registration prices will increase as the event nears, so sign up now! To register as a rider or sponsor, visit shorerivers.org/event/rideforcleanrivers2025.

ShoreRivers protects Maryland’s Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, education, and engagement.

shorerivers.org

Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage (CWH) will host its annual Magnificent Monarchs workshop on Sat., Sept. 27 at 10 a.m. at Barnstable Hill Farm in Chester. The public is invited to join CWH staff to tag and learn about the migrating habits of Monarch butterflies. Participants will also learn about the Monarch’s life cycle and will help scientists from around the continent track its astounding generational migration.

The workshop is free to the public, but space is limited. To register, email [email protected] or call 410-822-5100. Directions will be provided.

Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage is dedicated to designing, restoring and managing wildlife habitat and establishing a more sustainable agriculture. In addition to stewarding 1,150 acres in Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties that it owns and manages as wildlife sanctuary, CWH works daily with private and public landowners to help ensure the future of the region’s wildlife and the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Since the organization’s founding in 1980, CWH staff has restored nearly 2,000 acres of wetlands, planted more than 1,000 acres of woodlands and created 5,000 acres of warm season grass meadows. For more information, visit cheswildlife.org.

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Horn Point Laboratory invites the public to its annual, free Open House on Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This 2025 Open House theme is Make Waves with Science.  This year marks the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s centennial, so there is even more to celebrate at the annual event.

“Science drives innovation, creates knowledge, generates solutions, and inspires us to think about our world in new ways,” said Horn Point Lab Director Mike Sieracki.  “And sometimes science makes waves–in all the best ways!  Horn Point Lab chose the theme Make Waves with Science for this year’s Open House to celebrate the impact of groundbreaking research.  We’re looking forward to celebrating that impact with our Open House guests!”

Visitors will explore the world of marine science through hands-on exhibits created and staffed by the lab’s faculty, staff, and students. Exhibit topics include a plankton zoo, digital sandbox, physical oceanography, and remote sensing technology being used in the Choptank River.

Along with the interactive exhibits, there will be additional activities including exploring the largest oyster hatchery on the East Coast, and STEM and Chesapeake Bay-themed crafts and games.  Children who complete the open house scavenger hunt will receive a complimentary t-shirt.  Food vendors Choptank Oyster Company and Taqueria Floritas will have refreshments for purchase. Horn Point Lab students will be selling sweets, popcorn, and lemonade, with proceeds benefiting fundraising for student activities.

The Open House is free and fun for all ages, and takes place rain or shine. Comfortable shoes are recommended for walking around the campus.  An on-campus shuttle will also run throughout the day. Horn Point Laboratory campus is located at 2020 Horns Point Road off Route 343 outside of Cambridge, Maryland.

For more information, visit umces.edu/events/annual-open-house or contact Claire Otterbein at [email protected].

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Guiding our state, nation, and world toward a more sustainable future

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) is a leading research and educational institution working to understand and manage the world’s resources. From a network of laboratories spanning from the Allegheny Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, UMCES scientists provide sound advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment and prepare future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century.

HORN POINT LABORATORY 

Understanding of the world’s estuarine and ocean ecosystems through a research program in oceanography, water quality, restoration of sea grasses, marshes and shellfish.

 The Horn Point Laboratory, located on more than 800 acres on the banks of the Choptank River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, has advanced society’s understanding of the world’s estuarine and ocean ecosystems. Horn Point scientists are widely respected for their interdisciplinary programs in oceanography, water quality, restoration of sea grasses, marshes and shellfish and for expertise in ecosystem modeling. With ongoing research programs spanning from the estuarine waters of the Chesapeake Bay to the open waters of the world’s oceans, Horn Point is a national leader in applying environmental research and discovery to solve society’s most pressing environmental problems.

Along with summer swimming comes ShoreRivers Bacteria Monitoring season. It is advised that people not swim 24-48 hours after a major rain.

Every summer, ShoreRivers deploys a team of community scientists to monitor bacterial levels at popular swimming and boating sites, providing vital information on human health risks to the public. Their samples are then processed, according to standard scientific protocols, in ShoreRivers’ in-house labs. The program follows the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard protocols for collecting and analyzing samples. It makes the results of that testing public, informing people about current bacteria levels as they plan their recreational activities in our waterways. Results are posted every Friday, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, at shorerivers.org/swim and on both the organization’s and its individual Riverkeepers’ social media pages.

A second page, shorerivers.org/swimmable-shorerivers-espanol, was established in 2023 to share this program with the Spanish-speaking community. Additionally, 14 signs can be found at public sites around the Eastern Shore that explain the goals of the Swimmable ShoreRivers program and indicate where users can find weekly results in both English and Spanish. These signs (and the program at large) are made possible thanks to funding from the Cornell Douglas Foundation, and ShoreRivers’ Riverkeepers will continue working with local county officials to install more.

Join Eastern Shore Land Conservancy as we celebrate our  35th anniversary on Saturday, September 13, 2025 from 1—4 PM during our third annual  LandJam! This year, this family-friendly afternoon will be at the wonderful Councell Farms  during their opening weekend. LandJam features live local music including upbeat blues rock  music from the 599s and bluegrass from Coastal Plain. Local favorite Taqueria Floritas will  serve up fresh tacos. Kids can learn more about ESLC’s conservation work on the Eastern Shore and win a fun ESLC prize by participating in a simple scavenger hunt that winds through  Councell Farms’ fall Field of Fun! 

This event is rain or shine. Admission is just $6 per person. Admission is free for grandparents  and children under two. ESLC encourages pre-registration at  

https://www.eslc.org/event/landjam/, but walk-ups are welcome. Free parking, bathrooms, and  handwashing stations are available. 

Councell Farms’ 20+ fall attractions will be up and running! Come enjoy the playground, feed  the goats, pick out fall pumpkins and apple cider, and enjoy Councell’s corn maze, jumping  pillow, combine slide, duck races, trike track, straw maze, and more! Councell Farms also serves  ice cream from Vanderwende’s, a family-owned-and-operated dairy farm and creamery in  Delaware. 

“Eastern Shore Land Conservancy is thrilled to partner with Chip, his family, and all of Councell  Farms for our third annual LandJam,” said ESLC CEO & President Steve Kline. “A community  leader, thoughtful business owner, and friend of ESLC, Chip is a tremendous example of the  devoted Eastern Shore advocates whose pivotal support have provided a sturdy foundation for  ESLC’s 35 years of service and 67,000+ acres of Eastern Shore conservation.” 

ESLC is very grateful to all individuals and businesses who have chosen to sponsor this year’s  LandJam. Sponorships are still available at all levels. For more information please visit our  registration page (https://www.eslc.org/event/landjam/) or contact ESLC Development Manager  Sam Pugh at [email protected] or (410) 227-8182. 

Established in 1990, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy’s mission is to conserve, steward, and advocate for the  unique rural landscape of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, forever a special place of diverse and abundant natural  resources and thriving rural communities.

Along with summer swimming comes ShoreRivers Bacteria Monitoring season. It is advised that people not swim 24-48 hours after a major rain.

Every summer, ShoreRivers deploys a team of community scientists to monitor bacterial levels at popular swimming and boating sites, providing vital information on human health risks to the public. Their samples are then processed, according to standard scientific protocols, in ShoreRivers’ in-house labs. The program follows the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard protocols for collecting and analyzing samples. It makes the results of that testing public, informing people about current bacteria levels as they plan their recreational activities in our waterways. Results are posted every Friday, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, at shorerivers.org/swim and on both the organization’s and its individual Riverkeepers’ social media pages.

A second page, shorerivers.org/swimmable-shorerivers-espanol, was established in 2023 to share this program with the Spanish-speaking community. Additionally, 14 signs can be found at public sites around the Eastern Shore that explain the goals of the Swimmable ShoreRivers program and indicate where users can find weekly results in both English and Spanish. These signs (and the program at large) are made possible thanks to funding from the Cornell Douglas Foundation, and ShoreRivers’ Riverkeepers will continue working with local county officials to install more.

Join Eastern Shore Land Conservancy as we celebrate our  35th anniversary on Saturday, September 13, 2025 from 1—4 PM during our third annual  LandJam! This year, this family-friendly afternoon will be at the wonderful Councell Farms  during their opening weekend. LandJam features live local music including upbeat blues rock  music from the 599s and bluegrass from Coastal Plain. Local favorite Taqueria Floritas will  serve up fresh tacos. Kids can learn more about ESLC’s conservation work on the Eastern Shore and win a fun ESLC prize by participating in a simple scavenger hunt that winds through  Councell Farms’ fall Field of Fun! 

This event is rain or shine. Admission is just $6 per person. Admission is free for grandparents  and children under two. ESLC encourages pre-registration at  

https://www.eslc.org/event/landjam/, but walk-ups are welcome. Free parking, bathrooms, and  handwashing stations are available. 

Councell Farms’ 20+ fall attractions will be up and running! Come enjoy the playground, feed  the goats, pick out fall pumpkins and apple cider, and enjoy Councell’s corn maze, jumping  pillow, combine slide, duck races, trike track, straw maze, and more! Councell Farms also serves  ice cream from Vanderwende’s, a family-owned-and-operated dairy farm and creamery in  Delaware. 

“Eastern Shore Land Conservancy is thrilled to partner with Chip, his family, and all of Councell  Farms for our third annual LandJam,” said ESLC CEO & President Steve Kline. “A community  leader, thoughtful business owner, and friend of ESLC, Chip is a tremendous example of the  devoted Eastern Shore advocates whose pivotal support have provided a sturdy foundation for  ESLC’s 35 years of service and 67,000+ acres of Eastern Shore conservation.” 

ESLC is very grateful to all individuals and businesses who have chosen to sponsor this year’s  LandJam. Sponorships are still available at all levels. For more information please visit our  registration page (https://www.eslc.org/event/landjam/) or contact ESLC Development Manager  Sam Pugh at [email protected] or (410) 227-8182. 

Established in 1990, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy’s mission is to conserve, steward, and advocate for the  unique rural landscape of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, forever a special place of diverse and abundant natural  resources and thriving rural communities.

Along with summer swimming comes ShoreRivers Bacteria Monitoring season. It is advised that people not swim 24-48 hours after a major rain.

Every summer, ShoreRivers deploys a team of community scientists to monitor bacterial levels at popular swimming and boating sites, providing vital information on human health risks to the public. Their samples are then processed, according to standard scientific protocols, in ShoreRivers’ in-house labs. The program follows the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard protocols for collecting and analyzing samples. It makes the results of that testing public, informing people about current bacteria levels as they plan their recreational activities in our waterways. Results are posted every Friday, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, at shorerivers.org/swim and on both the organization’s and its individual Riverkeepers’ social media pages.

A second page, shorerivers.org/swimmable-shorerivers-espanol, was established in 2023 to share this program with the Spanish-speaking community. Additionally, 14 signs can be found at public sites around the Eastern Shore that explain the goals of the Swimmable ShoreRivers program and indicate where users can find weekly results in both English and Spanish. These signs (and the program at large) are made possible thanks to funding from the Cornell Douglas Foundation, and ShoreRivers’ Riverkeepers will continue working with local county officials to install more.