Riverfront Habitat

Riverfront Habitat. St. Mary's College of Maryland at Historic St. Mary's City. , St. Mary's College of Maryland is the first college in Maryland to be certified by the Audubon International's Cooperative Sanctuary Program. This means we're committed to managing our campus in an environmentally sensitive manner. We use innovative practices like bat houses and purple martin birdhouses to help control pests naturally. By managing stormwater runoff, using organic fertilizers, and creating green spaces, we encourage wildlife habitat and contribute to the health of the ecosystem., The St. Mary's River flows to the Potomac which joins the great Chesapeake Bay at Point Lookout six nautical miles south. An abundance of sea foods and forest animals sustained Native Americans for millennia and fed the denizens of the Maryland capital in the 17th century. Today, at least 22 species of wildlife and five varieties of grasses rely on this habitat, as well as a community of sailors, watermen, and research students. St. Mary's College has roots on this landscape dating to 1840., Bottlenose dolphins have been sighted playing in the river. In the spring and summer, watch for a pair of bald eagles soaring overhead and chasing ospreys. You may even see a seahorse clinging tenaciously to the seagrasses if you brave the water. And watch for students monitoring the water quality and the biological integrity of this estuarine environment., Storms, erosion, runoff, and disease throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed have taken their toll on underwater plants and animals. Because the ecological health of Maryland's waterways is threatened, what we do here today matters. Our eelgrass restoration projects and stormwater filtration systems can make a difference. Be thoughtful and leave no trace of your visit. (Wildlife photography by Jay Penn Fleming '09. Foliage illustrations by Emily Bzdyk '08.)