August 25, 2020: Stewards for Streams Seeks to Engage Queen Anne’s County Faith Community (Grasonville, Maryland)

ShoreRivers has received funding from the Chesapeake Bay Trust to expand the faith-based conservation program, Stewards for Streams, to Queen Anne’s County congregations. Stewards for Streams is a partnership between two nonprofit organizations: ShoreRivers, which protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways; and Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, which has engaged over 300 congregations across Maryland in caring for local watersheds.

Grace Lutheran Church in Easton installed four rain barrels to collect and reuse rainwater from their roof to water their gardens.

The Stewards for Streams program offers congregations of any denomination a variety of cost-free opportunities, including faith-based outdoor excursions on local rivers and natural lands, customizable environmental action plans, and up to $9,000 for stormwater restoration and conservation landscaping at eligible places of worship. Past participating congregations in Talbot and Dorchester Counties collectively planted 6 rain gardens, 50 trees, and installed 30 rain barrels.

Stewards for Streams is offering public events to Queen Anne’s County congregations in summer 2020. Plan ahead now to learn more by attending an Interfaith Nature Walk on Tuesday, July 14 or Tuesday, August 4 from 5-7 pm at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, 600 Discovery Lane, Grasonville, MD.

For congregations ready to respond to the call to action, an Action Planning Workshop will be held on Tuesday, August 25 from 5:30-8:30 pm at Old Wye Church, 14114 Old Wye Mills Road, Wye Mills, MD. During this workshop, participants will receive guidance on selecting environmental actions for their congregation, including film nights and book readings, community cleanups, and installing river-friendly landscaping. Events are facilitated by Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, and ShoreRivers is offering free project planning support and technical assistance for congregations committed to installing best management practices on their grounds.

To learn more about Stewards for Streams, or to RSVP to an Interfaith Nature Walk or the Action Planning Workshop, contact Suzanne Sullivan at ssullivan@shorerivers.org or call 443-385-0511 ext. 214.  Visit ShoreRivers.org and InterfaithChesapeake.org to see more examples of faith-based collaborations to improve our local watersheds.