Our Mission
To support the preservation and conservation of Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary; to foster educational programs that increase public awareness and appreciation of Jug Bay, the Patuxent River, and its watershed; to promote scientific research, including citizen science; and to partner with volunteers and affiliate organizations to achieve these goals.
Join Us
The Friends of Jug Bay depend on the passion, dedication, and gifts of volunteers, members, and donors.
You will be supporting efforts to enhance and preserve Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary and receive great benefits, including free admission to the Sanctuary, lectures, workshops, discounts, and social gatherings.
Join the Friends of Jug Bay in Costa Rica in March 2023!
Travel to Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve, Cipanci Wildlife Refuge, & Palo Verde National Park in Guanacaste Costa Rica with the Friends of Jug Bay from March 1 through March 6, 2023, and spend a week immersed in astounding biodiversity. This all-inclusive* journey includes guided naturalist hikes, aquatic tractor rides surrounded by waterfowl, boat tours through the croc-filled Rio Tempisque, science lectures offered by expert park researchers and more!
In addition to the above activities, trip participants will have the opportunity to participate in an exclusive citizen science effort supporting the regionally endangered Jabiru, a stunningly large stork found in marshes and flooded fields throughout Costa Rica. Guided by in-country researchers and park staff, participants will spend one day of the trip gathering critical habitat and behavioral information about this species to better inform conservation and protection efforts into the future.
This is a fundraising trip with proceeds supporting both an intensive biodiversity assessment of Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve in 2023 and a staff exchange between Anne Arundel County rangers and Costa Rican park staff in fall 2023 as part of an international learning exchange between the two countries.
Price: $1,400 per person (10 participants)
*$700 required at registration to secure a spot, remaining $700 due by January 15, airfare not included.
***NOTE: Trip payments are 100% nonrefundable. We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance with the "cancel for any reason" policy. A site we recommend is https://www.travelinsurance.com/.
Inclusions:
Lodging, meals, park entrance fees, activities, airport pick-up/drop-off & air-conditioned in-country transportation
Exclusions:
Flights, alcohol, mandatory travel/medical insurance, snacks and souvenirs
What We Support!
The Friends play an active role monitoring local land use changes that may impact the Sanctuary and the Patuxent River watershed. We also work with the local government and third parties to facilitate land preservation or acquisition.
The Friends provide paid internships to qualified university students who are majoring in environmental sciences and related fields. Interns conduct research or develop educational tools and programs under the supervision of a mentor, offering thema valuable opportunity to gain professional experience while contributing to the body of knowledge and resources of the Sanctuary.
Every summer, the Friends provide several scholarships to elementary and middle school students who otherwise would be unable to participate in the science summer camp programs at the Sanctuary.
The Friends assist with transportation costs each year for schools with limited budgets to bring students to the Sanctuary for fun, educational field trips geared toward meaningful outdoor experiences.
The Friends provide financial support for many stewardship programs including maintaining pollinator gardens, river and watershed clean ups, and controlling emerald ash borer and other invasive threats to Jug Bay ecosystems.
The Friends of Jug Bay provide financial support for Sanctuary volunteers and staff to participate in workshops and conferences that enhance their professional development and further the mission of the Sanctuary.
The Friends provide scientific and educational equipment (e.g., books, nets, water testing equipment, microscopes) that young school students, research interns, and citizen scientists use to do research and learn about wetland and terrestrial ecology. Equipment funded by the Friends includes books, nets, water testing equipment, microscopes, game cameras, radio telemetry gear, etc.
The Friends have helped fund special projects like renovating a 19th century house on the Glendening Nature Preserve. They have also assisted with financial and operational planning for the Patuxent River Conference and the Explore the Patuxent Teen Paddle.
Membership and Benefits
About the Board
The business of the Friends is conducted by a Board of Directors made up of members with strong backgrounds and passions in the natural sciences. The Board meets every month to decide how to raise and disperse funds, and to monitor issues that could affect the Sanctuary. The Board of Directors welcomes suggestions from members and encourages them to help with projects and committee activities.
To contact the Board please email info@friendsofjugbay.org
Tor Bjerknes
President
Blythe Alexander
Vacant
Vice President
Gwen Brewer
Elaine Friebele
Secretary
Darcy Herman
Al Tucker
Acting Treasurer
Anne Muecke
Annual Reports
The Friends present an annual report at the Friends of Jug Bay Annual Meeting in the spring of each year. We have made our 2019 and 2020 annual reports available online in lieu of a public meeting.
Help Fund Phase 2 Construction of the Jug Bay Education, Research & Discovery (JBERD) Field Station
The Friends of Jug Bay, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Anne Arundel County have funded nearly $1.3m to support Phase 1 construction of the Jug Bay Education, Research, and Discovery (JBERD) Field Station. Phase 1 will support the construction of overnight cabins and furniture, a bath house with restrooms and showers, and the creation of a master architectural plan for the field station.
We are asking for your help to raise funds for Phase 2 which will include construction of laboratory space, meeting areas, offices, kitchen, and dining room. A fully functional Field Station (Phase 1 and 2) will provide a relevant and sustainable value for the residents of Anne Arundel County, Maryland and the region in their care for the natural environment. Any amount you can give is greatly appreciated.
Jug Bay Award
In 1996, the Friends initiated a conservation award to recognize an individual whose active involvement in the Jug Bay region has contributed to a better understanding and appreciation of this unique wetland ecosystem. The award is presented at the Annual Meeting of the Friends in April of each year.
Recipients
2020 - Karyn Molines
Karyn Molines joined the Sanctuary staff in 1994 as Education Coordinator.
Having worked at the Audubon Naturalist Society, she came equipped with a diversity of skills in environmental education. She guided the fledging education program, developing field trips that she dubbed Classrooms in the Field, with objectives and activities that are still used with hundreds of students today. In addition, she led weekend programs for families and developed summer camps.
As a scientist as well as an educator, Karyn led citizen science projects—the longest-running and most popular being the Marbled Salamander study. She also led stream assessments (monitoring fish and invertebrates) and forest surveys. She is a co-founder of the Maryland Native Plant Society and a continuing member of the board.
For the past decade, Karyn has worked as Natural Resources Division Chief of the Calvert County Government Department of Parks & Recreation.
We are grateful for decades of her work increasing awareness of our natural world, encouraging stewardship of the land and water, and promoting ecological investigations. And for fostering a greater understanding of the importance of protecting the Patuxent River.
Karyn Molines (left) accepts her award from Elaine Freibele.
2019 - The Bay Journal
The Bay Journal is the voice of the Chesapeake Bay, a nonprofit publication reaching approximately 100,000 readers each month. It is an advocate for the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, dedicated to providing in depth articles about critical issues facing our region. This unique publication generates a more educated public ready to affect change in its attitude and its actions.
On the right, Karl Blankenship accepting the Jug Bay award on behalf of the Bay Journal
2016 - Christine Gault
When Christine Gault became the first Sanctuary director 30 years ago, she laid the foundations on which today's Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary is built. She established the 3-part mission of conservation, education and research that makes Jug Bay a place we love. She started the scientific advisory committee and filled it with great scientists who had a similar vision for the sanctuary. She established a volunteer program that continues to thrive. Christine made sure that the Friends of Jug Bay got started and established an appropriate relationship between the Friends and the staff that endures today. She taught the Friends that it is okay to advocate for the protection of the surrounding area. That led to the growth of the Sanctuary to the size it is today. The 2016 Jug Bay award is in recognition of the fact that nearly everything you see and experience here, directly or indirectly, has Christine Gault's thoughts and actions behind it.
2015 - Maryland Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
The Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (CBNERR) system is an invaluable champion to Jug Bay, supporting its biodiverse habitat through an interplay of stewardship, research, and education. They have provided funding for the wild rice restoration program, renovation of Plummer House, installation of solar panels, and construction of the Chris Swarth Boardwalk. CBNERR also supports Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary with resources, training, and staff to assist with field trips, summer camps, and stewardship. True to the spirit of the Jug Bay Award, CBNERR-MD focuses its efforts on Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary as well as the greater Jug Bay region.
2014 - Sandy and Colin Barnett
Sandy and Colin Barnett did many great things for the Sanctuary. Sandy designed our box turtle enclosure, worked on the turtle telemetry study, organized box turtle workshops, as well as inaugurating many new events while serving as our Outreach Chair. Colin designed the Friends of Jug Bay website and served as its webmaster. As Chair of our Research Committee, he helped craft the long-term butterfly phenology study and launched the popular photography workshops.
2013 - Chris Swarth
As the second director of the Sanctuary from 1989 to 2012, Chris oversaw a nine-fold increase in the size of the Sanctuary, developed a large research program with the aid of a dedicated corps of volunteers, and published much of that research. This put the Sanctuary prominently on the "scientific map." His vision and energy contributed to these successes and many more, leaving a rich legacy for the state of Maryland.
2012 - Greg Lewis
Greg Lewis, a long-time manager at Patuxent River Park, played an instrumental role in making Jug Bay a national asset by vastly expanding the protected areas, securing preservation as part of CBNERR-MD, and helping develop the Patuxent Water Trail. Greg brought alive the socio-cultural history of the land and the river by incorporating within the park two historic mansions and an archaeological park, and adding a blacksmith shop, a 1923 Sears catalog house, a tobacco farming museum and a "Working the River" building. His broad impact on Jug Bay and the Patuxent River truly represents the spirit of the Jug Bay award.
2011 - Walter Boynton
Walter Boynton was a Professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. He served on the faculty of the Center's Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons since 1975. As an estuarine ecologist, Dr. Boynton has conducted research for 34 years in the Chesapeake Bay region and other coastal environments of the United States as well as internationally. Dr. Boynton has been active in developing large-scale reviews of estuarine processes that are of particular value to environmental managers. He had led long-term studies of the Chesapeake Bay funded by the National Science Foundation, is President of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, and a member of the Patuxent River Commission. He chaired the Chesapeake Bay Program's Tidewater Monitoring and Analysis Workgroup.
2010 - Mike Quinlan
Mike Quinlan became a volunteer at the Sanctuary beginning in 1995. Since then, he has participated in nearly every type of activity at JBWS and assisted with almost all research studies: Songbird population study, Marbled Salamander migration, Box Turtle population and home range, "Great Herp Search" and the "BioBlitzes." Mike also served from 1999 to 2009 on the FOJB Board, including eight years as Treasurer. His thorough knowledge about natural history and his enthusiastic, organized approach have made him a natural teacher to both children and adults seeking outdoor adventures.
Mike Quinlan (left)
2009 - Bill Steiner
Bill Steiner became a volunteer at the Sanctuary beginning in 1996. He was involved in many facets of the Sanctuary's operation from leading cleanup efforts, helping with construction and maintenance projects to leading canoe trips. Bill served as the President of FOJB from 2002 to 2004, and played a critical role in the integration of the Glendening Nature Preserve into the Sanctuary.
Bill Steiner (fourth from left), with his family - (left to right) Brad McLane, Amy McLane, Bette-Lynn Steiner, Linda Steiner,
and Mike Ripley
2008 - Janet Owens
She is former County Executive of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. While in office and even after, she worked tirelessly for policies that were environmentally sound and beneficial to the future of the Sanctuary and the Patuxent River.
Janet Owens speaking at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
2007 - Fred Tutman
Fred Tutman is the Patuxent Riverkeeper. He is the guardian of the future for the precious resource that is the Patuxent River. From his great-grandfather's farm in Prince George's County, Tutman manages a movement that is long overdue. One person with one mission-to be a river spokesman.
Fred Tutman accepting the Jug Bay Award
2006 - Doug Kuzmiak
Doug Kuzmiak was President of the Friends of Jug Bay from 1996-2002. He won the State of Maryland Governor's Award for Volunteerism and Service in 2002 after leading a drive that raised $50,000 for the interactive wetlands exhibit in the Sanctuary's McCann Wetlands Study Center. He also secured funding for three interns for three years through a competitive grant from the Raush Foundation. Doug was instrumental in the land purchase of the Parris N. Glendening preserve, a major addition to the Sanctuary holdings.
Doug Kuzmiak (right) and Bill Steiner
2005 - Mary Kilbourne
Mary Kilbourne is a long-time education naturalist at Patuxent River Park and member of the Patuxent River Commission. Her work included educating students as well as teachers about the value of wetlands and watersheds. For many years, Mary volunteered her time to work with Sanctuary staff on goose and marsh ecology programs for students. With her Bay Savers group, she stopped an Exxon station from being built right on the shores of the Patuxent's Western Branch, started a wetlands mitigation project within sight of our Wetlands Center, and more.
Mary Kilbourne at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
2003 - Carol Thompson
Carol Thompson (formerly Carol Towle) is a former Manager of the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (CBNERR) in Maryland and currently Coordinator of the Maryland Green School Awards. As Manager of CBNERR, she helped move many vital projects forward which benefited the Sanctuary. She also established public education programs on the value of planting submerged aquatic vegetation.
Bill Steiner awarding Carol Thompson the Jug Bay Award
2002 - John "Bud" Taylor
John "Bud" Taylor is a renowned wildlife artist, author and conservationist. He has inspired many to care about the future of the Chesapeake and its wildlife.
Bud Taylor unveils his oil painting of the marsh at Jug Bay; he painted it in honor of the 20th anniversary of Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
2001 - Danny Bystrak
Danny Bystrak is a wildlife biologist with the USGS Bird Banding Lab at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland. He has been intimately involved with the Sanctuary bird netting study for many years, and his enthusiasm and knowledge about birds is inspirational to many Sanctuary visitors, students and volunteers.
Danny Bystrak holding a female northern cardinal
2000 - David Linthicum
David Linthicum is a U.S. Government cartographer and environmental activist. He made great contributions to the knowledge and presentation of the regions' natural world. He spent countless hours mapping the Sanctuary and in creating the detailed "Mid-Patuxent Estuarine Ecosystem Map."
Dave Linthicum at the Sanctuary's Wetlands Center
1999 - C. Bernard Fowler
C. Bernard Fowler is a former Maryland State Senator and County Commissioner from Calvert County, Maryland. Dr. Fowler worked tirelessly as an advocate to clean up the Patuxent River.
Former Senator Fowler addressing an audience at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
1998 - Greg Kearns
Greg Kearns is a naturalist at Patuxent River Park on Jug Bay and a nationally renowned expert on the Sora Rail. Through his teaching and research he introduced thousands of people to the fascinating lives of marsh plants and animals.
Greg Kearns (center) accepting award as the Maryland DNR Conservationist of the Year in 2006
1997 - Dennis Whigham
Dennis Whigham is an internationally recognized wetlands scientist associated with the Smithsonian Environment Research Center in Edgewater, Maryland. He dedicated many years to making the Sanctuary and FOJB a success through his scientific guidance, advice, and teaching.
Dennis Whigham at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
1996 - Virginia Clagett
Virginia Clagett is a former Arundel County (Maryland) Council member and current Maryland State House delegate. She was instrumental in establishing Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary and saving this site from development.
Representative Clagett addressing an audience at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary; Janet Owens is seated on the bench
Jug Bay Award
In 1996, the Friends initiated a conservation award to recognize an individual whose active involvement in the Jug Bay region has contributed to a better understanding and appreciation of this unique wetland ecosystem. The award is presented at the Annual Meeting of the Friends in April of each year.
Recipients
2016 - Christine Gault
Christine Gault is extremely deserving of this year's Jug Bay Award. When she became the first Sanctuary director 30 years ago, she laid the foundations on which today's Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary is built. She established the 3-part mission of conservation, education and research that makes Jug Bay a place we love. She started the scientific advisory committee and filled it with great scientists who had a similar vision for the sanctuary. She established a volunteer program that continues to thrive. Christine made sure that the Friends of Jug Bay got started and established an appropriate relationship between the Friends and the staff that endures today. She taught the Friends that it is okay to advocate for the protection of the surrounding area. That led to the growth of the Sanctuary to the size it is today. The 2016 Jug Bay award is in recognition of the fact that nearly everything you see and experience here, directly or indirectly, has Christine Gault's thoughts and actions behind it.
2015 - Maryland Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
2013 - Chris Swarth
As the second director of the Sanctuary from 1989 to 2012, Chris oversaw a nine-fold increase in the size of the Sanctuary, developed a large research program with the aid of a dedicated corps of volunteers and published much of that research, putting the Sanctuary prominently on the "scientific map." His vision and energy contributed to these successes and many more, leaving a rich legacy for the state of Maryland.
2012 - Greg Lewis
Greg Lewis, a long-time manager at Patuxent River Park. He played an instrumental role in making Jug Bay a national asset by vastly expanding the protected areas, securing preservation as part of CBNERR-MD, and helping develop the Patuxent Water Trail. Greg brought alive the socio-cultural history of the land and the river by incorporating within the park two historic mansions and an archaeological park, and adding a blacksmith shop, a 1923 Sears catalog house, a tobacco farming museum and a "Working the River" building. His broad impact on Jug Bay and the Patuxent River truly represents the spirit of the Jug Bay award.
2011 - Walter Boynton
Walter Boynton was a Professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. He served on the faculty of the Center's Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons since 1975. As an estuarine ecologist, Dr. Boynton has conducted research for 34 years in the Chesapeake Bay region and other coastal environments of the United States as well as internationally. Dr. Boynton has been active in developing large-scale reviews of estuarine processes that are of particular value to environmental managers. He had led long-term studies of the Chesapeake Bay funded by the National Science Foundation, is President of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, and a member of the Patuxent River Commission. He chaired the Chesapeake Bay Program's Tidewater Monitoring and Analysis Workgroup.
2010 - Mike Quinlan
Mike Quinlan became a volunteer at the Sanctuary beginning in 1995. Since then, he has participated in nearly every type of activity at JBWS and assisted with almost all research studies: Songbird population study, Marbled Salamander migration, Box Turtle population and home range, "Great Herp Search" and the "BioBlitzes." Mike also served from 1999 to 2009 on the FOJB Board, including eight years as Treasurer. His thorough knowledge about natural history and his enthusiastic, organized approach have made him a natural teacher to both children and adults seeking outdoor adventures.
Mike Quinlan (left)
2009 - Bill Steiner
Bill Steiner became a volunteer at the Sanctuary beginning in 1996. He was involved in many facets of the Sanctuary's operation from leading cleanup efforts, helping with construction and maintenance projects to leading canoe trips. Bill served as the President of FOJB from 2002 to 2004, and played a critical role in the integration of the Glendening Nature Preserve into the Sanctuary.
Bill Steiner (fourth from left), with his family - (left to right) Brad McLane, Amy McLane, Bette-Lynn Steiner, Linda Steiner,
and Mike Ripley
2008 - Janet Owens
She is former County Executive of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. While in office and even after, she worked tirelessly for policies that were environmentally sound and beneficial to the future of the Sanctuary and the Patuxent River.
Janet Owens speaking at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
2007 - Fred Tutman
Fred Tutman is the Patuxent Riverkeeper. He is the guardian of the future for the precious resource that is the Patuxent River. From his great-grandfather's farm in Prince George's County, Tutman manages a movement that is long overdue. One person with one mission-to be a river spokesman.
Fred Tutman accepting the Jug Bay Award
2006 - Doug Kuzmiak
Doug Kuzmiak was President of the Friends of Jug Bay from 1996-2002. He won the State of Maryland Governor's Award for Volunteerism and Service in 2002 after leading a drive that raised $50,000 for the interactive wetlands exhibit in the Sanctuary's McCann Wetlands Study Center. He also secured funding for three interns for three years through a competitive grant from the Raush Foundation. Doug was instrumental in the land purchase of the Parris N. Glendening preserve, a major addition to the Sanctuary holdings.
Doug Kuzmiak (right) and Bill Steiner
2005 - Mary Kilbourne
Mary Kilbourne is a long-time education naturalist at Patuxent River Park and member of the Patuxent River Commission. Her work included educating students as well as teachers about the value of wetlands and watersheds. For many years, Mary volunteered her time to work with Sanctuary staff on goose and marsh ecology programs for students. With her Bay Savers group, she stopped an Exxon station from being built right on the shores of the Patuxent's Western Branch, started a wetlands mitigation project within sight of our Wetlands Center, and more.
Mary Kilbourne at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
2003 - Carol Thompson
Carol Thompson (formerly Carol Towle) is a former Manager of the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (CBNERR) in Maryland and currently Coordinator of the Maryland Green School Awards. As Manager of CBNERR, she helped move many vital projects forward which benefited the Sanctuary. She also established public education programs on the value of planting submerged aquatic vegetation.
Bill Steiner awarding Carol Thompson the Jug Bay Award
2002 - John "Bud" Taylor
John "Bud" Taylor is a renowned wildlife artist, author and conservationist. He has inspired many to care about the future of the Chesapeake and its wildlife.
Bud Taylor unveils his oil painting of the marsh at Jug Bay; he painted it in honor of the 20th anniversary of Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
2001 - Danny Bystrak
Danny Bystrak is a wildlife biologist with the USGS Bird Banding Lab at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland. He has been intimately involved with the Sanctuary bird netting study for many years, and his enthusiasm and knowledge about birds is inspirational to many Sanctuary visitors, students and volunteers.
Danny Bystrak holding a female northern cardinal
2000 - David Linthicum
David Linthicum is a U.S. Government cartographer and environmental activist. He made great contributions to the knowledge and presentation of the regions' natural world. He spent countless hours mapping the Sanctuary and in creating the detailed "Mid-Patuxent Estuarine Ecosystem Map."
Dave Linthicum at the Sanctuary's Wetlands Center
1999 - C. Bernard Fowler
C. Bernard Fowler is a former Maryland State Senator and County Commissioner from Calvert County, Maryland. Dr. Fowler worked tirelessly as an advocate to clean up the Patuxent River.
Former Senator Fowler addressing an audience at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
1998 - Greg Kearns
Greg Kearns is a naturalist at Patuxent River Park on Jug Bay and a nationally renowned expert on the Sora Rail. Through his teaching and research he introduced thousands of people to the fascinating lives of marsh plants and animals.
Greg Kearns (center) accepting award as the Maryland DNR Conservationist of the Year in 2006
1996 - Virginia Clagett
Virginia Clagett is a former Anne Arundel County (Maryland) Council member and current Maryland State House delegate. She was instrumental in establishing Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary and saving this site from development.
Representative Clagett addressing an audience at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary; Janet Owens is seated on the bench
1997 - Dennis Whigham
Dennis Whigham is an internationally recognized wetlands scientist associated with the Smithsonian Environment Research Center in Edgewater, Maryland. He dedicated many years to making the Sanctuary and FOJB a success through his scientific guidance, advice, and teaching.
Dennis Whigham at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary