photo credit: USFWS
Our Saltmarshes are under threat.
Here's what we plan to do about it.
photo credit: Sophia Seufert USFWS
About Marshes for Tomorrow
Marshes for Tomorrow is a landscape-scale restoration plan for Maryland’s saltmarshes. Marshes for Tomorrow is being spearheaded by Audubon Mid-Atlantic, and executed through the Delmarva Restoration and Conservation Network (DRCN). Specific partners inclue:
Marshes for Tomorrow will create a restoration plan for 25,000 acres of Maryland's saltmarshes. Ultimately, marsh restoration at this scale has the power to save an entire ecosystem—as well as the imperiled Saltmarsh Sparrow— and along with it, economic benefits to fisheries, tourism, and local communities.
Our Objective
photo credit: USFWS
Email marshes4tomorrow@gmail.com
or call (410) 558-2473, ext 108
to speak to a member of the Marshes for Tomorrow team.
Get Involved
Do you live, work, or recreate on the Eastern Shore of Maryland? Make your voice heard!
Take the Survey
Why?
Maryland’s coastal marshes are undergoing dramatic rates of loss due to erosion and sea level rise. Communities on the Eastern Shore are on the frontlines of these changes.
We recognize community input is exceptionally important for the success of this project in identifying the best locations to concentrate our conservation and restoration efforts for birds and people. So we want to hear from you!
Fill out the survey for your chance to win a gift basket of Eastern Shore goodies!
gift certificates!
upcycled soap!
nature themed swag... and more!
(takes about 5-10 minutes)
Attend a Community Meeting
Our first round of community meetings have passed. However, we will be hosting a second round of meetings in the Summer! Thank you to all who attended and shared their insights so far!
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Miss our first round of meetings? Take a look at the meeting presentation to learn more about the project!
Saltmarsh
101
Threats to Saltmarshes
The Saltmarsh Sparrow
Restoration
Techniques
Want to learn more? Explore the sections below!
Saltmarsh 101
Salt marshes are coastal wetlands occur world wide. They that are regularly flooded by salt water during the tidal cycle and brought in by the tides and are commonly found in estuarine environments (NOAA, 2023)
Saltmarshes are iconic ecosystem on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and can be seen at popular travel destinations such as Assateague National Seashore/State Park and Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge:
Assateague Marsh, photo credit: Claire Almand
Blackwater NWR, photo credit: Ray Paterra
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Due to their unqiue ecology, saltmarshes are home to a diverse array of species which have adapted to the unique tidal conditions. One such species, is the saltmarsh sparrow.
The Saltmarsh Sparrow
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photo credit: Frank Lehman
Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammospiza caudacuta) is a bird species that is specially adapted to the harsh conditions of the saltmarsh environment. This species only breeds in the North East United States. Maryland’s breeding Saltmarsh Sparrow population is estimated to be 25.2% of
the regional population as of 2011/2012 (Wiest et al. 2019), the largest of any state (Atlantic Coast Joint Venture, 2020).
The Saltmarsh Sparrow has had a 87% population decline since 1998 due to low breeding productivity. Continue scrolling to learn more about the threats to Saltmarshes and how this affects the saltmarsh sparrow (Atlantic Coast Joint Venture, 2020).
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Restoration Opportunity
(Section Coming Soon!)
Additional Resources
(Section Coming Soon!)