Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge Overview

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on Maryland's Eastern Shore refuge manager Glenn Carowan can afford to be more than a little boastful. He can talk about the $2 million wetland project that he pulled off for only a tenth of that amount. He can also discuss how he parlayed the use of private funds and saw his refuge grow by 50 percent to over 20,000 acres. Carowan is now talking about prospects for doubling its size and for combating sea-level rises that have already eradicated 7,000 acres of refuge wetland.

Birds and Animals
Blackwater NWR is one of nine national wildlife refuges on the low-lying Delmarva Peninsula, so named for the three states of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, which share its 200-mile length. This finger of land lies on the track of the Eastern Flyway, and its extensive marshes make it prime habitat for nesting and migrating birds.

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Cruising Wildlife Drive
From Wildlife Drive, observers usually can get good views of bald eagles soaring above the marsh or perching on one of a few dead trees.

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Protecting the Habitat
The 800 acres of fields are farmed by the refuge, thereby making all crops available for wildlife and also minimizing the use of pesticides. Through two of the ongoing partnerships Carowan has forged, Pioneer Seed Company donates some $12,000 worth of seed each year and Grand National Waterfowl Hunt Club pays $7,000 for the fertilizer and lime.

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The Friends of Blackwater
Organizations like the Friends of Blackwater are led by talented people, and they help in finding new ways of thinking and doing business. That's important during this time of reform, reinvention, buyouts, reengineering, downsizing, reorganization, and bickering within the government.

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