Stormwater Pond Habitat

Stormwater Pond 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., At least nine species of wildlife now frequent this manmade wildlife habitat. They are the most recent residents on this hillside which was home to Slovakian farmers in the early 1900s and part of the St. John's plantation in Maryland's 17th-century capital., This stormwater pond manages stormwater runoff from nearby buildings. Incoming water is filtered by settling in this shallow pond where cattails absorb nutrients. The pond also irrigates the adjacent turf which was moved from our stadium field in 2007. These natural processes reduce and clean stormwater before it runs downhill to the St. Mary's River to join the Chesapeake Bay watershed., The great blue heron lives close by and stalks this pond for prey. Our College mascot, the seahawk or osprey, frequents the skies in the spring and summer. Be still and listen for the throaty bullfrog and the trill of the red-winged blackbird. Look closely for snapping turtles sliding along the edge. And watch for students recording the calls and documenting the range of blackbirds, among many research projects here. (Wildlife photography by Jay Penn Fleming '09. Foliage illustrations by Emily Bzdyk '08.)