About us

New Project (3)

The Saving Southern Maryland's Grassland Birds Collaborative

This initiative is a collaboration of four nonprofit organizations active in agriculture, land and wildlife conservation in Southern Maryland. They include:

  • Farmers Feeding Southern Maryland: Contact Joe Goldsmith ([email protected]) or BJ Bowling ([email protected])
  • Historic Sotterley, Inc., a National Trust Landmark dedicated to bringing American history to life through the powerful stories of our land, lives, and labor.
  • Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust, Southern Maryland’s local land trust, protecting nearly 6000 acres of conservation land through easements or donations.
  • Southern Maryland Audubon Society, the local chapter of the National Audubon Society, focusing on education and advocacy for the protection of birds and the natural resources needed to sustain them.

The Coordinators

  • David Moulton is the field trip coordinator for the Southern Maryland Audubon Society and a board member of the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust and of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
  • Joe Goldsmith is the manager of numerous privately-owned haying operations in Southern Maryland as well as the Facilities and Farm Manager of Historic Sotterley, Inc., a National Historic Landmark
  •  BJ Bowling is the manager of Newport Valley Farm, a cattle, vegetable and hay operation in Charles County

Working Group

This initiative continues to benefit from the knowledge of numerous individual experts in the field of ornithology, wildlife conservation and farmland stewardship through an informal “working group” that includes

  • Frank Allen (President, Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust)
  • Nancy Easterling (Executive Director, Historic Sotterley, Inc.)
  • Chris Eberly (Executive Director, Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership)
  • Tiffany Farrell (President, Southern Maryland Audubon Society)
  • Tyler Bell (Birder)
  • Viviana Ruiz Gutierrez (Assistant Director, Center for Avian Population Studies, Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
  • Phil Hayward (Editor)
  • Amy Johnson (Program Director, Virginia Working Landscapes, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute)
  • Kyle Rambo (former Conservation Director, Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, MD)
  • Dan Small (Natural Lands Project, Center for Environment & Society, Washington College)
  • Laura Suomi-Lecker (Director, Ag Allies Grassland Bird Program, Somerset County Conservation District (USDA), Skowhegan, ME)
  • Marcia Watson (President, Patuxent Bird Club)