Established in 1980 to work directly with private and public landowners in the Chesapeake Bay area, Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage (CWH) is dedicated to designing, restoring, and managing wildlife habitat, including 1,150 acres that we own in Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties and maintain as sanctuary to maximize the benefits for a diversity of wildlife. CWH stands alone among the region’s conservation organizations—our small staff works with landowners daily to restore wetlands, design and plant meadows, and establish a more sustainable agriculture, and we are the only organization that monitors and maintains these projects long after completion.

Operating in a largely agrarian area, we strive to clean farm runoff while providing critical habitat for local and migratory wildlife, in sharp contrast to conservation groups that devise ways to improve runoff without considering the wildlife struggling to survive in the modern farm landscape. By increasing the amount and diversity of wildlife habitat and educating the public about the critical need for habitat, CWH is improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.

Over the past 20 years, CWH has restored nearly 1,900 acres of wetlands, created more than 5,000 acres of warm season grass meadows, planted nearly 1,000 acres of trees, and permanently protected more than 2,600 acres of wildlife habitat. Annually, our staff educates more than 250 farmers, landowners, and students about their role in providing quality habitat for wildlife and restoring the Chesapeake Bay.

CWH operates three core programs that encourage landowners to become stewards of wildlife and
the Bay through habitat restoration, habitat preservation techniques, and sustainable agriculture.
Our Chesapeake Care Wildlife Habitat Restoration Program creates and restores habitat for
wildlife, both on our own lands and in partnership with landowners. Through lectures and hands-on
workshops, our Outreach and Education Program teaches area residents about simple methods
every homeowner can implement to create habitat and benefit wildlife in their own backyards. Our
Sustainable Agriculture Program educates farmers and farm owners about techniques that reduce
the negative impacts of conventional agriculture on wildlife and the Bay while maintaining the
profitability of the farm.