The Friends of Jug Bay supports many programs which benefit the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary:
Stewardship
As part of its Stewardship Program, the Friends of Jug Bay:
- Monitors land use that affects the Sanctuary.
- Analyzes and identifies land for preservation.
- Provides land owners with information about programs for preserving open space.
- Informs political and local government decision makers about land use affecting the Sanctuary.
- Works with third parties to facilitate either land preservation or acquisition.
Science Summer Camp Scholarships &
School Bus Transportation
Every summer, the Friends provides several scholarships to elementary and middle school students who would not otherwise be able to participate in the science summer camp programs at the Sanctuary.
The Friends also covers transportation costs each year for several schools with very limited budgets to bring students to the Sanctuary for field trips.
Jug Bay Fellowships
The Friends awards fellowships to qualified university students who are majoring in the life sciences. These fellows conduct research under the supervision of the Sanctuary staff. This summer program provides a valuable opportunity for students to do field research and enhances ongoing long-term studies. This student is radio-tracking box turtles using equipment partially funded by the Friends.
Education Internships
The Friends awards education internships to qualified university students and teachers who work with Sanctuary staff to develop and conduct onsite educational programs. These interns also carry out their own independent research, developing lesson plans involving the natural sciences.
Scientific & Educational Equipment
Special Projects
The Friends provides scientific and educational equipment (e.g., books, nets, water testing equipment, microscopes) used by young students to assist them in learning about wetland and terrestrial ecology. Under the guidance of Santuary staff and trained volunteers, these students learn how to properly collect and analyze data. This hands-on experience is fun as well as educational!
The Friends also provides funds for equipment used in research, such as a jon boat, digital microscope, digital cameras, radio telemetry gear, and mist nets used in monitoring songbird productivity and survivorship.
Staff Development
The Friends provides financial support for Sanctuary volunteer and paid staff to participate in conferences and workshops that benefit their work at the Sanctuary. The Friends paid for several Sanctuary staff to participate in this Eastern box turtle conservation workshop held in Londontown, MD.
The Friends provides financial support for special projects. Examples include:
- helping with renovations to the 19th century Plummer House and the adjacent storage building.
The Plummer House is located on the Glendening Preserve, a 600-acre section of the Sanctuary annexed in 2001. The House serves as a welcome center to the Preserve, and provides additional office and meeting space for Santuary staff and students, and a CBNEER (Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve) representative. The Sanctuary has been a member of the CBNERR system since 1990.
Conference Support
The Friends joins with others to sponsor meetings, workshops and conferences that benefit the educational and research goals of the Sanctuary. In recent years, the Friends has joined in sponsoring two workshops on the conservation of the Eastern box turtle.
Kids'
Letters
- purchased the lumber for this foobridge over Two-run Creek. Built by volunteers, the bridge was named "Mikey's Footbridge" in honor of the volunteer who headed up its construction. Mikey has also been involved in many other construction projects around the Sanctuary.
- provided seeds for the large, near-by butterfly garden.
- undertook a large fund-raising compaign to pay for construction of the interactive wetlands display in the McCann Wetlands Study Center at the Sanctuary.
