The third annual Corsica Watershed Awareness Day will be held September 20 from noon to 4 p.m. at Bloomfield Farm on Route 213, just north of Centreville. This annual event gives people of all ages an opportunity to reconnect with the river that makes the area a special place to live or visit. This free event combines family fun with user-friendly environmental education. The “fun” part includes tours of the historic farmhouse, a variety of tasty food offerings, hayrides, a straw maze, pumpkin painting, and creative craft activities for children. Lively musical entertainment will be offered throughout the day by Chester River Runoff, a dynamic local bluegrass group that mixes original Chesapeake songs with unique takes on traditional favorites.

The first 100 families attending the event will be given a free native tree. A raffle will also be held with the prize being a kayak and related accessories.

Sponsors of the event are the Corsica River Conservancy, Queen Anne’s County Parks and Recreation, the Town of Centreville, and the Queen Anne’s Soil Conservation District. Exhibitors, including the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Maryland Department of the Environment, will display information on rain gardens, oyster restoration, storm water management, river testing results, living shorelines, cover crop programs, septic system upgrades, and other environmental issues.

Bloomfield Farm, now owned by Queen Anne’s County, is still being farmed; some wetlands have been restored; hundred of trees have been planted; and community sports fields are being constructed. The home at Bloomfield farm, a large brick house, dates to the early 1800s. Similar to the side-hall, double-parlor townhouses popular in that era, the house has retained much of its original Federal-style woodwork.

A new feature of the Corsica River Watershed Awareness Day this year is an artwork display in the farmhouse. The posters displayed in the informal gallery represent the work of the 39 elementary school winners of an Environment Awareness Poster Contest sponsored by the Corsica River Conservancy. The 39 winners were chosen from close to 300 entries.

The Corsica Watershed Awareness Day is part of the outreach efforts of the Corsica River Conservancy, a local group of volunteers dedicated to restoring and preserving the Corsica River and its watershed. For more than three years the Conservancy has conducted independent water quality testing on the Corsica River. The data collected is used by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to assess the condition of the river and the effects of the restoration efforts. Volunteers from CRC initiate and participate in restoration activities designed to improve the quality of the river. Among these activities are shoreline restoration, stormwater management, and installation of rain gardens. The Conservancy builds community awareness and commitment by speaking to local schools, business and civic organizations, and community groups; hosting public meetings; publishing articles in local newspapers; mailing periodic reports to members and other citizens; and maintaining a website.

The goal of those sponsoring the Corsica Watershed Awareness Day is to foster awareness among community members of what can be done to restore the quality of the river while providing fun for the participants and volunteers.

For more information, contact Queen Anne’s County Parks and Recreation at 410-758-0835.