ESLC to Celebrate Valentine’s Day with “Love the Land” Campaign Kick-Off
Queenstown, Maryland – February 14, 2008 –In conjunction with the Valentine’s Day holiday, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, a private nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of farmland and habitat on the Eastern Shore, will officially kick off its “Love the Land” campaign today. The year-round public awareness program, is aimed at educating local residents about land protection, land use planning and conservation as well as how they can help protect the Eastern Shore landscape that we all know and love.
The first activity on the “Love the Land” Campaign will be held this weekend in Cecil County when ESLC hosts “Grove Farm Family Day.” The event will be held February 17 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Grove Farm, located at 2125 Grove Neck Road in Earleville and will provide the public with a first glimpse at this beautiful farm, which is about to be purchased by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for management as a Wildlife Management Area. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has gained approval from the Board of Public Works to purchase Grove Farm using $14.3 million in Program Open Space funds, which are generated through the real estate transfer tax. Other campaign tour activities will be announced in the coming weeks and will include events throughout the six counties that ESLC serves.
“There is so much love for our Eastern Shore and the way of life we all hold dear and we want to help residents learn ways they can help keep the Eastern Shore the special place that it is,” said ESLC Executive Director, Rob Etgen. “This public awareness campaign will give folks from Elkton to Vienna a way to express that love for the Shore and learn how we can work together to protect our small towns and rural heritage.”
Sunday’s event at Cecil County’s Grove Farm will feature a bonfire, tours of the property, and the opportunity to find out about other land protection projects in the county as well as general public plans for the farm. Additional events on the “Love the Land” campaign tour will be posted soon on ESLC’s website at www.eslc.org/pages/lovetheland.php.