Maryland:
The Biophilia Foundation
61 Cornhill Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
Telephone: 410-268-1802
New Mexico:
The Pritzlaff Ranch
HC 68, Box 11A
Sapello, New Mexico 87745
Telephone: 505-454-8382
Projects
Pritzlaff Ranch, San Ignacio, New Mexico
The Foundation has invested in restoring the Pritzlaff Ranch facilities, including the beautiful Pueblo frescos painted in the 1940’s by Ma Pe Wi. Habitat and forestry restorations on the Ranch include 170 acres of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) riparian restoration, over 645 acres of forest thinning, and the planting of native warm season grass test plots for future pasture restoration. These habitat restorations and enhancements were made possible with the help of our funding and technical partners: Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage; The Natural Resource Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency of USDA; and the New Mexico EM& Natural Resources/Forestry Division.
The Ranch serves as an exceptional resource for the education and training of private citizens, public school students and teachers, university students, local landowners and business managers, and professional forest workers on topics of conservation and sustainable management of forests and watersheds. The vision for the Ranch is to become a model area for rehabilitation and management practices to restore natural processes (e.g., fire, erosion, nutrient cycling, etc.) to their natural range of variability prior to European influence. Toward this end, the foundation has formed numerous collaborations and partnerships, including the New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute at Highlands University. These collaborations and partnerships support a variety of programs that are actively researching and addressing resource issues facing the forests and watersheds of northern New Mexico and the southwest.
Chicamacomico Farm, Dorchester County, Maryland
With a low-interest “Linked-Deposit” loan from Maryland Water Quality Finance Administration and a no-interest loan from Maryland Environmental Trust, the Biophilia Foundation purchased Chicamacomico Farm at the end of 2004. The farm is located in Dorchester County in one of Maryland’s most ecologically rich regions, and within two miles of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and the State of Maryland’s Fishing Bay Wildlife Management Area. It is home to nesting bald eagles and the endangered Delmarva fox squirrel.
The entire property and investments in habitat restorations will be permanently protected by conservation easements. The southern portion of the property, totalling 135 acres, was sold in 2008 and the deed of easment on this property allows for one residential lot. The northern parcel, totalling approximately 250 acres, is currently for sale. The easement proposed for this portion of the property allows for two residential lots in addition to the caretaker's home. The proceeds from these sales will be used to recoup the acquisition costs and to repay any outstanding loan balances.
For more information on this property please contact our office at 410-268-1802.
In 2005, the Biophilia Foundation purchased Mudford Farm in Queen Anne’s County, Maryland. Through our partnership with CWH, we will restore and protect wildlife habitat on the farm to further biodiversity conservation in a working landscape. Mudford Farm lies at the headwaters of the Chester River, which runs approximately 40 miles from its headwaters in Delaware to the Chesapeake Bay. The Chester River watershed is home to a wide variety of wildlife. Historically, the river has been recognized as one of the most important waterfowl areas in the Chesapeake Bay region, and major portions of the river are on the Maryland Department of Environment’s “Impaired Waters” list.
Located near the town of Sudlersville on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Mudford Farm consists of 275 acres, including 113 acres of woodlands. The wildlife habitat management plan for the property includes restoring 30 acres of wetlands,creating 30 acres of warm season grass meadows, and planting 10 acres of trees. This habitat will benefit wildlife such as waterfowl, turkeys and quail, and will improve water quality in the Chester River. Once the habitat has been restored, the farm will be resold to a conservation buyer who will then donate an easement which will effectively manage the habitat practices in perpetuity. The easement will allow two “clustered” home sites, and will restrict future farming on the property to the 90 acres of agricultural land possessing the most productive soils.
For more information on this property please contact our office at 410-268-1802.
After acquiring a purchase option from the Trust for Public Land, which unfortunately had been unable to secure federal acquisition funding through the Forest Service, the Biophilia Foundation purchased this 1,477 acre property in February of 2007. It consists of mountainous terrain with approximately 99% of the property in forest. The property is surrounded by the Jefferson National Forest on three sides, and thus decreases the habitat fragmentation along this National Forest boundary. Hutson Creek, which runs through the property, is one of the headwaters of the New River. In December of 2007, the Foundation donated a conservation easement on the entire property to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. The easement allows for a main residence and two cabins to be built in reserved “building envelopes,” and allows forestry that will only enhance forest health and protects wildlife habitat and water quality.
To view a color brochure highlighting this conservation property please click here, and for more information please contact our office at 410-268-1802.
Click to enlarge map showing reduction in fragmentation of the Jefferson National Forest boundary.
Chesapeake Program
The foundation has instituted a “top down, bottom up” approach toward its policy and watershed management work in the Chesapeake Bay, America’s largest and most threatened estuary. Engaging with state level agencies and NGO’s, Biophilia Foundation is currently assessing what four or five state wide policies would most benefit land use planning and funding to better conserve and restore the Chesapeake Bay. This represents the “top down” approach. The “bottom up” initiatives include work with local watershed organizations, landowners and counties to restore ecologic function to specific small watersheds. These projects involve local constituents taking responsibility for the health of their community, with the active help and participation of their local government. It is our intent that these local initiatives will act as successful watershed restoration and conservation demonstration projects, engendering local jurisdiction cooperation and support for the state level land use policy and funding initiatives needed to rationalize local land use planning and watershed management.
South River Greenway Project
Located just 10 minutes from the city of Annapolis, the South River Greenway, which has been designated an Important Bird Area by the Maryland/District of Columbia Audubon Society, includes 100 miles of perennial streams in four stream subwatersheds: Bacon Ridge, Broad Creek, North River and Tarnan’s Branch. These four streams flow into the South River – a tidal tributary to the Chesapeake Bay.
The South River Greenway Project is a comprehensive, long-term watershed protection, restoration, and community outreach initiative. The goal of the project is to create a “central park” in the heart of Anne Arundel County that will benefit the people and wildlife of the region, as well as protect the headwater streams flowing to the South River. This goal can be achieved through the permanent protection of 6,000 acres of land, the restoration and stabilization from erosion of 23 miles of first and second order streams, and the restoration and enhancement of upland wildlife habitat.
The Project was initiated by a $50,000 grant made to Scenic Rivers Land Trust (SRLT) by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. SRLT, the South River Federation, and Biophilia Foundation have assembled a growing list of partners who are working to plan and carry out this project. In addition to financial support, the Biophilia Foundation is providing its conservation real estate experience to help SRLT acquire priority property in the Greenway through educating landowners regarding available conservation options, funding sources, and other financial, estate, and tax incentives. Other partners include: Anne Arundel County, Maryland/D.C. Audubon, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Environmental Trust, Trust for Public Land, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Nature’s Lessons
To further its mission to reconnect individuals with nature, the Biophilia Foundation has developed the Nature’s Lessons program which provides instruction and activities focused on the environment, and, where appropriate, an outdoor gardening experience. The foundation is currently partnering with two Family Support Centers on Maryland's eastern shore, and with Chrysalis House in Crownsville, Maryland, to bring participants an increased appreciation for nature and an awareness of the impact we have upon it. A strong emphasis on horticultural therapy is employed through numerous gardening activities which help to build self-esteem and alleviate depression, as well as teach participants how to grow fresh produce for their families.
