Explore Natural Wonders at Harford County’s Anita C. Leight Estuary Center for National Estuaries Week

From Harford County government:

Celebrate National Estuaries Week at the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center from Saturday, September 15 through Saturday, September 22, 2018. With hands-on activities that include hikes, kayak and canoe trips, and stewardship opportunities, visitors will experience natural wonders at this Harford County Parks & Recreation facility located at 700 Otter Point Road in Abingdon.

Estuaries are ecosystems along the oceans where freshwater and saltwater mix to create wetlands, bays, lagoons, sounds, or sloughs. These ecosystems are home to unique plant and animal habitats, and they provide communities with a myriad of benefits.

“Estuaries improve the quality of our water and help reduce floods,” said Kriste Garman, site manager at the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center. “But estuaries do even more. Harford County’s estuary serves as an outdoor classroom, providing opportunities to learn and have fun in a natural environment. Come visit us for National Estuaries Week and all year long.”

Events being held at the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center during National Estuaries Week include the Paddles and Pumpkinseeds canoe trip, Champion Tree Hike, the Spectacular Sunset Paddle kayak trip and “Invasinators,” a volunteer opportunity to replace invasive plants with native plants. Learn more about these events and register for programs by visiting http://www.harfordcountymd.gov/parksrecregistration. More information about year-round programming and operating hours is available at http://www.otterpointcreek.org/

Anita C. Leight Estuary Center is a part of The Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve – MD, which is part of a national system of 29 reserves that protects more than 1.3 million acres of coastal land and water. Each of these reserves receives support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and local partners. The research and environmental monitoring performed at the sites plays an important role in protecting environmental health, both locally and nationally.