The Friends of Oxford Conservation Park, Dan Small and Kathy Thornton from Washington College’s Center for Environment & Society, and ESLC’s Larisa Prezioso continue to forge forward with restoration of the remaining 30 acres of land at Oxford Conservation Park (OCP). Last week, 6,400 native plants (2,400 trees and 4,000 shrubs) were added to the park including more than two dozen species like bald cypress, flowering dogwood, redbed, red oak, hazelnut, and spicebush. This will create cover for grassland wildlife and will eventually develop a multi-story canopy. The shrubs were planted by volunteers, ESLC staff, the Friends of OCP, and student interns from Washington College.

“The amount of support that community members are showing for the project has been pleasant and rewarding. It’s really clear that this park means a lot to a lot of people,” said Small. “The Friends group could certainly be a model in how to co-manage a park with the County and a Friends volunteer group to make sure that the park and the habitat stays in great shape.”

Work will continue into the spring, as native wildflowers and grasses are planted and a substantial area near Oxford Road is mowed. This mowing will remove invasive pear trees and will help turn some of the area back to meadow, which is more in keeping with the original plan for the park. The 30-acre expansion will ultimately be a mix of meadows, trees, and shrubs that will provide food and shelter to wildlife. There will be a gentle curving path through the new meadow that will connect to existing park paths.

This project is funded by Maryland’s Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund and has the potential to be defunded if the Maryland General Assembly accepts DLS’s recommendation to cut all conservation funding for the next four years.