Chesapeake Bay Foundation Blog

Donor of Island Education Left a Legacy

In December, CBF lost a friend, trustee, and one-of-a-kind donor. In 1988, G.R. “Randy” Klinefelter made an unusual gift to CBF: a 250-acre island. In doing so, he and his family established CBF’s largest residential education center, Port Isobel, and opened up a treasured and historic piece of the Chesapeake to thousands of students, teachers, and citizens.

Named after his wife, Isobel, the former family getaway is a stone’s throw away from its sister island Tangier, home to one of the Chesapeake’s last remaining watermen’s communities. Over the past 20 years, students, teachers, and decision makers have traveled by boat to Port Isobel to explore the island’s marshes, beach, and woodlands. Often, visiting Tangier to learn about the nearly lost way of life is part of the trip.

The Klinefelter family owned the property for 30 years before donating it to CBF, and during that time instituted soil conservation measures and other environmental improvements. Residents of Ephrata, PA, the Klinefelters recognized the connection between their home state in the northern watershed and the downstream Chesapeake Bay.

Mr. Klinefelter served on the CBF Board of Trustees from 1988 to 1999.

Memorial gifts in his honor will be accepted at:

Randy Klinefelter Memorials
CBF
6 Herndon Ave.
Annapolis, MD 21403

I visited Port Isobel for the first time last fall. It's a beautiful place and a wonderful place to learn about our Bay. To see photos, visit our Flickr page. To share your own Flickr photos, tag them "CBF Port Isobel."

We'd love to hear your stories about Randy Klinefelter and your experiences at Port Isobel. Feel free to post your own comments below.

Grasses for the Masses Starts Up in Virginia

It's that time of year again! CBF volunteers can help restore the health of Virginia's rivers and the Chesapeake Bay by participating in our Grasses for the Masses program.

2008 workshops start February 13th.

Get details and sign up here.

BayFest Thanks Members & Volunteers

On Saturday, September 15, more than 300 Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) members gathered together for food, fun, and fabulous tunes on the beach at CBF’s headquarters in Annapolis, Maryland. The annual BayFest event was organized to thank CBF financial contributors and volunteers for furthering CBF’s mission to save the Bay.

The following individuals were then recognized for their tireless service and commitment to saving the Bay:

• Jerry Crawford, Member of the Year
• Larry Valcovic, BaySaver of the Year
• Jackie Geer, Maryland Educator of the Year
• Claire Ellwanger, Student Leader of the Year

Tangier Island Benefits from Couple's Devotion to the Bay

CBF members Susan and Neil Kaye are busy and accomplished volunteers. Lucky for everyone they focus their efforts on the Bay, and specifically Tangier Island. The couple bought a house on Tangier that they now commute to regularly on weekends. On the island they devote themselves to helping improve Tangier’s natural, cultural, and civic resources. The Kaye's show that you can do an extraordinary amount in very small ways.