John Smith Water Trail

Listen to the Water

The fourth 'smart buoy' of the Capt. John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail was deployed Saturday off Stingray Point. Left, members of the Army Corps of Engineers lift the new buoy into the water.

Events Along the Trail This Summer

If you're looking for something to do this summer that is connected with the Trail and our nation's history, check out the Friends of the John Smith Trail website. You'll find events ranging from river festivals and historic programs to Native American powwows.

Fourth Buoy to be Deployed Saturday

Join the Deltaville Maritime Museum in celebrating the 400th anniversary of Capt. John Smith's infamous landing at Stingray Point, VA. A reenactment of the landing is scheduled for July 17. It will be repeated on July 19 along with the official deployment of the Capt. John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail's fourth Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy. These unique "smart" buoys provide real-time weather and water observations along with historical and interpretive information at locations along the Trail. Their information can be accessed by RSS feed, mobile browser, or phone at 1-877-BUOYBAY.

New Octoraro Creek Walking Trail Now Open

Not only does the new half-mile trail along the Octoraro Creek follow the path of Capt. John Smith and the hunting grounds of the American Indians he met in 1608, it also supposedly leads to one of the best fishing spots on the river. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a good website with trail info. You can get quick directions from Brigitte Carty's forum post, and I presume the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership has more details.

Shallop Race this Weekend

Watch history in action as three boats, each a unique modern interpretation of the vessel Captain John Smith used to explore the Chesapeake Bay 400 years ago, race around Annapolis Harbor on Saturday, May 3 at high noon. Who got it right? The boat built by the Reedville Fishermen's Museum, Deltaville Maritime Museum, or Sultana Projects in Chestertown?

The race is part of the Maryland Maritime Heritage Festival and celebrates Bay sailing history and the creation of the new Capt. John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.

Admission is free. For more information, visit the Maryland Maritime Heritage Festival website http://www.mdmhf.org/view.asp?id=526&page=32732

Photo by Raynell Smith, Deltaville Maritime Museum Director, last August when the Shallops met in Deltaville.

Friends Ask Governors for Support in Trail Development

The Chesapeake Executive Council, an organization tasked with establishing policy for the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay, meets today in Annapolis, and the John Smith Water Trail is on their agenda.

The Council is made up of the governors of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Mayor of the District of Columbia, and the Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission.

The Friends of the Capt. John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail are asking the Council to establish a team with members from each state's appropriate state agencies to work closely with the National Park Service and its partners as it creates the foundation of the trail. The Park Service is already in contact with various state agencies, but the creation of a single multidisciplinary team would expedite the complex job of creating a single, unified trail across several states. For details about the request, read the Friends' news release.

The Friends are also requesting the Council ask the Bush administration and Congress to reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Program, which expires in 2008. The program provides technical and financial support for the John Smith Trail.   

John Smith Trail to Help Watermen

Chesapeake College, the Maryland Watermen's Association, and The Conservation Fund recently submitted a $1.5 million grant proposal to the U.S. Department of Labor that would provide training for watermen to give tours on the John Smith Trail. If awarded, we hope this program will not only highlight the Bay's natural and historical heritage but also shape a new sustainable industry that can help preserve the Bay's unique sense of place.

This program was supported by the entire MD Congressional Delegation and Gov. O'Malley's Workforce Investment Board.

We Need Your Support for 'Smart Buoy' Funding

Thanks to the leadership of Senator Barbara Mikulski- D-MD, (pictured on left) and the support of Senators Warner-R-VA, Cardin-D-MD and Webb-D-VA, the FY 2008 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill includes $500,000 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to continue the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (CBIBS) and deploy more buoys along the trail that promote awareness of the Bay's condition and its history. The buoys mark significant points along the John Smith Trail and provides real-time meteorological, oceanographic, and water-quality information. (www.buoybay.org, 877-BUOYBAY).

Please write your Senators and thank them for the Senate's support for the $500,000 for the buoys included in the Senate bill. In particular, please thank Senator Mikulski for beating back an amendment that would have stripped these funds from the bill. Also, please write your U.S. Representative and communicate your support to include the $500,000 for the CBIBS program in the CJS appropriations conference report.

Park Service Hires Trail Project Manager

In October, the National Park Service hired Sarah Bransom as the new John Smith Trail project manager. Sarah has had a distinguished career as a planner, including work at Yellowstone as a natural resource planner. Sarah will spearhead the development of the Comprehensive Management Plan for the John Smith Trail. Her expertise and experience will be critical as the Trail moves forward.

Dig Casts New Light on Indian Culture

(from The Washington Post)

Discoveries of an ancient and complex Indian past at the Werowocomoco archaelogical dig continue to shed light on the events of 1607 and beyond. Excavation of the site, believed to be the location of Powhatan's capital, began six years ago. Discoveries at the site "really widens our perspective of how complex this society was and had been for a very long time," said archeologist David Brown.

Archaeologoist Martin Gallivan was online Wednesday, Aug. 22 to take questions about the latest findings. Read the transcript.