American Chestnut Land Trust, MD, USA

Commissioned by American Chestnut Land Trust to develop a site-wide interpretation plan. The American Chestnut Land Trust, or ACLT manages, protects and conserves natural habitats and watersheds on over 3,000 acres of land in Maryland.

The jewels in the crown of the estate are Parkers Creek, the Calvert Cliffs and sandy shoreline at the mouth of Parkers Creek look much the same today as they did 400 years ago when Captain John Smith explored the Chesapeake Bay.

With a paid staff of just three talented people, and a core of dedicated volunteers they now have about 15 miles of trails as well as offering guided walks and more.

A visitor today can still paddle a canoe over a mile and a half through unspoiled salt marshes and wooded freshwater wetlands and see little sign of human activity.

Led by Dr John Veverka, we began with initial asset audit and assessment site visits and then conducted focus workshops to begin teasing out the main interpretive themes, objectives that the interpretive plan will focus on accomplishing. We then undertook a market appraisal and mapping exercise. We returned in early July for a week of site interpretive inventory work and moving the interpretive plan forward and had completed the plan by the end on the month.