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Clifton Factory Property
A Brighter Conservation Future for Great Mills
Leonardtown, Maryland – On the day Isaias hit St. Mary’s County, Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust (PTLT) closed on one of its most significant easements to date —77.51 culturally and naturally significant acres in Great Mills, St. Mary’s County.
PTLT started working early in 2018 with the property’s owners, Bob, Allan and Mike Cecil, to acquire a conservation easement to the Clifton Factory property. Funding came from Program Open Space of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The property, now protected forever, is located immediately adjacent to the southern end of the St. Mary’s River State Park where the river flows beneath Indian Bridge Rd. It includes land at the confluence at the mainstem of the St. Mary’s River and two of its western branches. Mostly forested, a large portion of the property lies within a Sensitive Species Project Review Area, and much of it is Forest Interior Dwelling Species habitat. Its river sections support freshwater mussels, fish, and macro-invertebrates.
The tract includes significant cultural resources, including pre-colonial and early colonial occupation and industry. This property adjoins the Cecil’s Mill Historic District, a national historic district consisting of Cecil’s Mill, Cecil’s Country Store, the old Cecil home, and Old Holy Face Church. The newly protected land is believed to include sites that played a role in the early mills and factories of Southern Maryland which contributed to the area being named Great Mills. An early colonial potter operated on a portion of the property, using a rare purple clay quarried from the site.
“It’s not often that PTLT has an opportunity to protect such an ecologically and culturally significant tract of land,” said the organization’s president, Frank Allen. “The Cecil brothers showed remarkable patience, given project delays due to the pandemic. I’m appreciative of the many volunteer hours of work by Bob Prine of PTLT; Also thanks to Program Open Space’s Cheryl Wise, as well as Michele Snyder and Bill McKissick of the Dugan, McKissick & Longmore law firm to make this project work.”
Views of the Clifton Property
EXPANSION OF HUNTERSVILLE RURAL LEGACY AREA
Leonardtown, Maryland– The Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust is proposing to expand the Huntersville Rural Legacy Area creating the St. Mary’s Greenway of protected forests, farmland, and headwater streams connecting the Patuxent and Potomac River watersheds as they lead to the Chesapeake Bay.
Hemlock Preserve
About a dozen Friends of PTLT and Hemlock Preserve showed up for the workday and hike on Saturday morning. It was cold but dry. All the hands made swift work repairing the stairway to the beach. The group went for a hike in the Preserve afterwards. It was a very skilled and interesting group of people. Thank you everyone! Many agreed we should do more of this here.
Frank Allen attended the kickoff meeting of the Southern Maryland Conservation Alliance at beautiful Serenity Farm of Benedict. The Alliance's mission is "to conserve and restore Southern Maryland's landscapes, waterways, and shorelines that are special to its people, fundamental to its economy, reflected in its culture, and vital for its native fish, wildlife, and plants, on which we rely.
Guest speakers included John Turgeon, Director of Maryland Environmental Trust; Joel Dunn, President and CEO , Chesapeake Conservancy; Buddy Hance, President of the Calvert County Board of Commissioners; Wendy Stringfellow, President of Forever Maryland; and Greg Bowen, Executive Director of American Chestnut Land Trust - ACLT.
It was a great place for a meeting. Lots of useful side meetings allowed for productive conversation.
A lasting tribute from the family of ben schaible
Thanks to the Woodruff family and others who made donations to Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust (PTLT)in the memory of Benjamin E. Shaible.
PTLT is an all volunteer organization whose mission is protect land in perpetuity (which is a very long time) with conservation easements. PTLT has saved over 5,900 acres permanently in southern Maryland.
What a thoughtful and lasting remembrance for a man who loved the outdoors. Our condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Schaible. We will do our best to honor him in our work.
Ben Schaible Obituary:
Benjamin E. Schaible, 51, died at his home in Great Mills, MD, on Tuesday, May 4, 2021.
Born in Baltimore in 1969 and raised in Silver Spring, MD, Ben graduated from Springbrook High School and North Carolina State University. He loved spending time in nature, walking his property along the St. Mary’s River, surfing in the Outer Banks and Central America, and paddling the waterways of Southern MD and the mid-Atlantic. He was an avid Washington Capitals fan and enjoyed a long career as an engineer with the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) at Patuxent River, MD.
Ben will be forever loved and dearly missed by his mother, Mary Jean (Larsen) Schaible of Silver Spring, MD; his father, Wesley Lawton Schaible of Zolfo Springs, FL, and his father’s partner, Leslie Christovich of Flat Rock, NC; his brother and sister-in-law, Stephen Schaible and Kevan Miller of Arlington, VA; and his niece and nephew, Phoebe and Noah Schaible, also of Arlington, VA. Ben loved his Aunt Rita, his cousins, and his many close friends, all of whom will greatly miss his dry wit, fun-loving spirit, and good company.
A virtual gathering to remember Ben’s life is being planned for Saturday, May 22, 2021. To honor Ben's love of the outdoors, please consider a memorial contribution to Surfrider Foundation (https://www.surfrider.org/) or the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust (https://ptlt.org/)
Nextgen members
Catherine Donley, NextGen Advisory Board (2/2020-)
Emily Wilkinson, Chair of NextGen Advisory Board (2/2020 -)
Emily Wilkinson, Chair of NextGen Advisory Board (2/2020 -)
A southern Maryland native, Catherine has always been found where the wild things are. She enjoys paddling, hiking, and camping. She's grateful to be a part of the PTLT.
Emily Wilkinson, Chair of NextGen Advisory Board (2/2020 -)
Emily Wilkinson, Chair of NextGen Advisory Board (2/2020 -)
Emily Wilkinson, Chair of NextGen Advisory Board (2/2020 -)
Living in such a beautiful place most of my life has taught me the importance of respecting nature. It is so important, now more than ever, that we preserve land for the future.
Rubing Yen, NextGen Advisory Board (2/2020 -)
Emily Wilkinson, Chair of NextGen Advisory Board (2/2020 -)
Rubing Yen, NextGen Advisory Board (2/2020 -)
As a fairly recent newcomer to the area, I have quickly realized the unique beauty of this place. And as the father of young children, I see the value in preserving open space for our future generations to enjoy and recreate within. I'm excited to be a part of a group that can take action to protect our natural world.
PTLT NEXTGEN
PTLT NextGen Advisory Board's kickoff meeting took place in January, 2020. Emily Wilkinson was nominated the chair for the 40 and under board group. This is an inspiring group of motivated leaders who deeply care about our community and environment. Welcome aboard! Thank you for caring. For more information about the group contact PTLT at SaveLand@ptlt.org.
2nd annual handknit blanket raffle
UPDATE: Winner of this year's raffle is Bette Baumgarner! A big thank you to all who donated, and congratulations, Bette!
From PTLT Volunteer, Christina Allen:
This year, for my birthday blanket, I am knitting a cozy silk/wool Noro yarn blanket made up of colorful hexagons to benefit Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust (PTLT). The blanket is warm but lightweight. Each 5" hexagon takes about one hour to create. Keep you or your loved ones warm and wrapped in love with this special blanket.
For every $10 donation to PTLT, I'll put one raffle ticket with your name on it in a bowl. Raffle drawing will be held on Dec. 4th, 10:00 AM, at Myrtle Point Park Invasive Plant Removal PTLT event. Not required to be present to win; Curbside pickup or shipping included if you win.
I'll post Facebook updates on the blanket and record the drawing of the blanket on Dec. 4th evening. Good luck!
PTLT’s mission is to acquire and hold conservation easements on ecologically valuable land for future generations to enjoy.
Facebook pays all the processing fees for you, so 100% of your donation goes directly to the nonprofit. Since PTLT is an all volunteer board, ALL monies go towards PTLT's mission to save land, in perpetuity.
Donations/tickets can be made on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CornCribStudio
Thank you.
Thank you to PTLT Supporter, Becky Benton, in a Lasting Gift to her Beloved Uncle "Dabney" 1920-2020
Rebecca Benton, St. Inigoes, MD, a long time supporter of Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust, donated to Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust in memory of "Dabney" Lloyd Edgar Kisner, Jr., age 100 and a lifelong restaurateur, hunter, fisherman, centurion, and Uncle.
As a teenager, Dabney helped his father build Kisner's Store Building where the family lived upstairs and ran the general store downstairs. He graduated from Green Bank High School where he played football.
In 1942, he entered Army Boot Camp and in 1943 received his "Wings" from flight school in Texas. In 1943 he flew his first mission from Earls Colne, England as a bombardier/navigator. After this mission he also was a co-pilot in a 5-man crew. On December 13, 1943 Dabney was shot down over Europe but it made it back to White Cliffs where the crew parachuted out. He landed in a minefield but US soldiers carried him on a stretcher unconscious to the hospital. On Dec. 24 he was released and on Christmas Day 1943 he flew another mission and then 48 more. On May 25, 1944 his B-26 was shot down over Liege, Belgium. He was rescued by the Belgium Resistance and hidden in several locations over the next 5 months. He worked with the Belgium Resistance as he helped them identify the US airplanes or enemy planes at night by the sounds of the motors. He was often hidden behind a closet door or in an attic.