Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council

Thank you to our sponsors, speakers, attendees and volunteers for another successful conference!

We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate, learn, network, and grow with you during our biennial conference.   

CCLC Announces Suzanne Etgen as the 2021 Marcy Damon Conservation Landscaping Award Honoree

On December 9, Suzanne Kilby Etgen will become the fifth recipient of the Marcy Damon Conservation Landscaping Award. The award, given by the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council (CCLC), a regional non-profit, recognizes Etgen for her devotion to sustainable landscaping and education within the Chesapeake Bay region.

The Marcy Damon Conservation Landscaping Award was established by the CCLC to honor former Council chair and Maryland naturalist and educator, Marcy Damon. Etgen will receive the Marcy Damon Conservation Landscaping Award during the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council’s biennial sustainable landscaping “Turning a New Leaf” conference.

Why Conservation Landscaping?

Our actions are closely linked to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Stewardship of the land and water by each and every one of us is our most effective tool to improve and protect the Bay. Conservation landscaping is working with nature to reduce pollution. Conservation-focused landscapes incorporate environmentally-sensitive design, minimize polluted runoff, conserve water and are planted with native plants. They protect the soil and are maintained using the minimum amount of chemicals to help protect clean air and water, support wildlife, and provide a more beautiful, healthier human environment.

With so many people living and moving into the Chesapeake region, polluted runoff from streets, farms, construction sites and yards, has become an increasing problem. Contaminants from every home and community—sediments, sewage, manure, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and motor oil—can be carried into the Bay from local streams and waterways. How we manage our landscapes is important to all of us! You can embrace the responsibility of caring for the land, and protect the Chesapeake Bay by applying the principles of conservation landscaping. We invite you to explore our web resources, participate in our events, subscribe to our listserve or donate your time or money to support these learning opportunities. Each of us has the opportunity to protect the future health of our communities and Bay by how we envision and care for our landscapes.