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Outreach Programs

Adkins Arboretum serves as the founder and convener of five initiatives that contribute to the Chesapeake Bay region’s quality of life.

Shore Land Stewardship Council

Through Adkins Arboretum’s leadership, public agency professionals and private business owners throughout the Upper Shore, who are stakeholders with diverse interests, have come together to strengthen the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Program. The Council’s goal is to reach Critical Area landowners, land professionals, contractors and government agency staff. It is through this collaborative process that tools will be developed (resource manual and promotional activities) to inform and mobilize landowners to embrace best land management practices for the health of the Chesapeake Bay. The Arboretum facilitates and funds this project.

Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council

Founded in 2003, the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council (CCLC) is a coalition of individuals and organizations dedicated to researching, promoting, and educating the public about conservation-based landscaping practices in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Council fosters change in public attitudes and the implementation of practices that result in a cleaner, healthier and more beautiful environment benefiting residents and the region's biological diversity. The Council holds an annual conference, develops training materials, and establishes guidelines.  Adkins Arboretum provides staff support and oversight of CCLC.

Eastern Shoreway Alliance

Under the leadership of Adkins Arboretum, the Eastern Shoreway Alliance, a consortium of individuals and agencies, is working to preserve the US Rt. 301 corridor from Queenstown, Maryland, to the Maryland/Delaware state line as a scenic byway.  This picturesque road traverses farm fields, meadows and woodlands, and crosses the headwaters of two major tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, the Chester and Sassafras rivers. The Alliance has developed an inventory of the road’s assets, documented the road through photography, and recruited volunteers to help support the Eastern Shoreway’s official designation as a State Scenic Byway. The Arboretum facilitates and funds this project.

Maryland Public Garden Consortium

The Maryland Public Garden Consortium (MPGC) is a partnership with Maryland’s public gardens. The Consortium was founded in 2002 to share resources for marketing Maryland’s public gardens and raising the standards of practice for public horticulture in Maryland. The Consortium is one of only two statewide public gardens organizations in the United States. Since its founding the Consortium has developed a marketing brochure that is distributed in the state welcome centers and a “passport” to its 13 gardens which provides incentives for visiting all of Maryland’s public gardens.

Maryland Greenways

Adkins Arboretum has served as the catalyst for initiating several local greenway connections. In addition to its own four miles of trails, the Arboretum is located in proximity to several trail systems, including the 12 miles of trails that traverse Tuckahoe State Park. Adkins Arboretum has lent its expertise and leadership to realize the potential for expanding and connecting existing greenways. These trail systems include the Upper Chesapeake Rails-to-Trails; Queen Anne’s County Rail-to-Trails system; the American Discovery Trail; and Caroline County Cycling Route. Adkins Arboretum is the only year-round center that serves as a way station for hikers, bikers, motorists and other visitors to the area.