Take a good look at that picture of Walkers Pond; remember that without the Maryland Coastal Bays Program we would have been lost. It is because of their guidance and funding that the pond is healthy again. Coastal Bays is close to reaching their goal of $25K, with only one month left. A donor had a vision for the Bay and has offered a matching challenge. For every dollar raised they will match with an additional two dollars, which will go into MCB endowment fund. We can show our gratitude by contributing. Think of it as your gift to our environment.
Maryland Coastal Bays Program
9919 Stephen Decatur Highway, Suite 4
Ocean City, Maryland 21842

Everyone is worried about global warming so let me tell you something else about Walkers Pond.
Coastal marshes were found to take up the most carbon per acre than any other type of ecosystem, even forests. This problem has been caused by release of Carbon Dioxide, uptake of carbon, called carbon sequestration. If you use Rt.#50 to go to the western shore you have passed Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. 20,000 acres has been planted with spartina grass. Dr Needleman of the University of Maryland says this has created up to 17% of Maryland's Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative offset. We created almost 8 acres of wetlands at Walkers Pond with our restoration project. 8 acres compared to 20,000 may not seem like much sequestration, but it does help. Every little bit helps.

SUNSET ON WALKERS POND

Our Pond and What You Don’t See

No, there’s nothing hidden it’s there in plain view, but you have to be observant to nature’s hidden treasures. Today, for instance, I wanted to get some photos to place on the Blog so you could see that water is back in the pond now that the Bahia shoreline is planted. The lowest part of the outfall pipe is almost submerged. Only a small portion of the top of the pipe is visible. While I was looking at the pipe I noticed something moving inside. Fish. They were probably hiding from some bird, and that looked like a good spot. They weren’t big, perhaps 3 inches long and who knows how many fit in that pipe. Walking on I could see the see the different schools of fish because the water is so clear. They travel with their own size. Then I noticed some little birds that are new to me. One tried to distract me by luring me away by feigning a broken wing. It did this while the other birds scattered off in a different direction. Clever.
The pond isn’t filled to the maximum. We were told that it is best to keep the pond low for the winter months and then feed it again in the spring.
In the spring we hope to broadcast wildflower seed to encourage bees, butterflies and all the other natural pollinators. Native pollinators play a vital roll to insure our food crop.
So there you are. You thought the pond was just a pretty place; now you know that the shoreline is a salt marsh, which is cleaning the air we breathe, a migratory stop for water fowl, plus a place to keep you active and fit by you helping the pond to look beautiful. Enjoy!