Header Art - Maryland's Conservation History

Preserving Maryland's Conservation Agency History

New Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Exhibit at Gambrill State Park

A new exhibit, "The CCC at Gambrill State Park: Their Legacy Lives On." is now on display at Gambrill State Park in the vicinity of the CCC Statue, which was dedicated on November 5, 2011.

 

Click on images below for larger versions of the Exhibits.CCC Exhibit at Gambrill State Park: Their Legacy Lives On
Now on Display at Gambrill State Park

 

Two additional exhibits (see below) are planned,
with each telling the story of one aspect of the CCC in Maryland.

CCC Exhibit at Gambrill State Park: Roosevelt's Tree Army

CCC Exhibit at Gambrill State Park: Moving Forests and Parks Ahead

 

 

Maryland State Oyster Police Force Police Force used this historic cannon to control the oyster harvest in the Chesapeake Bay.Historic Oyster Wars Cannon on Display at the Calvert Marine Museum
Now through September 30, 2012

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has partnered with the Calvert Marine Museum to exhibit a unique cannon from the oyster wars in the lobby now through September 30, 2012. The original cannon was acquired by DNR and used by the Maryland State Oyster Police Force to control the oyster harvest in the Chesapeake Bay in the 1900s.

Gregory Bartles will give a talk on Thursday, August 2 at 7 p.m. in the museum auditorium, and admission for this talk is FREE.

Note: Gregory Bartles is the NRP Lieutenant Commander of Area 8 and Agency Historian and was instrumental in securing the cannon and seeing that it is made accessible to the public.

Read more about the oyster wars cannon...

 

Two volunteer members of the committee, Offutt Johnson (L) and Kirk Rodgers with the historic oyster cannon.

The foundation that supports the Maryland Conservation History Committee, made up of volunteers and DNR employees, was recently designated as a 501 3c non-profit. The foundation will fund projects that preserve and promote DNR’s history and heritage.


DNR Dedicates Fred W. Besley Demonstration Forest in Dorchester County, April 20, 2012

Fred Eskew Recreation Area Dedication: Rosaryville State Park, April 22, 2012

Conserving Memory: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Western Maryland,
By Colleen Esther Walter
Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts 2011

Maryland Names Forest In Honor Of Fred W. Besley
Besley was Maryland’s first State Forester. 
Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources Press Release. February 22, 2012

Background

The Committee for Maryland Conservation History was originally formed in 2004 to prepare for the Maryland Forestry & Parks Centennial. Following the success of the Centennial activities, the Committee was expanded to include additional DNR units in its membership.

Mission

To preserve, promote and interpret the legacy of natural resource conservation in Maryland for the public’s benefit.

Strategies for achieving the mission include the following:
  • The Project identifies, collects and conserves artifacts, documents, photographs and other forms of historical information.
  • It plans and produces informative media in the forms of displays, literature, and activities that illuminate the subject.
  • It builds corporate identity within the Department of Natural Resources by promoting agency heritage within the Department.
  • It seeks particularly to reconnect the public, especially children, to the outdoors through educational and recreational activities that inspire a sense of place within a natural resources framework.
  • It accomplishes these last two strategies by demonstrating the goals and achievements of Maryland’s conservation agencies dating back at least to the mid-19th century, and shows the relevance of past efforts to the present-day need for natural resource conservation.
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    Click Here to Learn More About our Committee