Lynch Preserve Now Open to Public
Eastern Shore Land Conservancy’s (ESLC) Lynch Preserve trails are open to the public and ready to use, thanks to the work of 20 Chesapeake Conservation Corps Members and staff members from ESLC, who gathered Wednesday, July 18, for a work day at the Lynch Preserve.
ESLC won $1,500 from “All Hands on Deck,” a contest run by Chesapeake Bay Trust, for the materials. The day was a great success, and the Conservancy is thankful for the funding that was provided by the Chesapeake Bay Trust and educational materials from the Chestory Virtual Archive and associated Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteers. Also, the Baltimore Tool Bank was an excellent resource for the project, as ESLC was able to rent the necessary tools at three percent of the retail cost.
Wayne Gilchrest, former U.S. Congressman and current ESLC Program Director for the Sassafras Environmental Education Center at Turner’s Creek, Kent County, kicked off the day with an inspiring talk. “Never forget why you are doing the work you do,” he told the Chesapeake Conservation Corps volunteers, who engage in environmental education and restoration work during their one-year terms. Volunteers then worked in groups to clear trails, build a kiosk, and install benches and trail signage.
The Lynch Preserve is a 206-acre natural area donated to the Conservancy in 1999 by Mary Lynch in loving memory of her husband Jim Lynch Sr. The Preserve contains three trails that wind through a forested canopy along the Choptank River and Robins Creek.
ESLC invites the public to visit the Lynch Preserve. Limited parking is available where the trails begin, at the end of Robins Creek Road, Preston.
Since its inception in 1990, ESLC has helped landowners to protect more than 53,000 acres of farmland and important habitat on 283 Eastern Shore properties.