Today we’d like to introduce you to Donna Jefferson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I live on a block that deadends on Spa Creek. Spa Creek is the creek that runs through the “heart” of Annapolis and under constant ecological pressure from old infrastructure, runoff, new development, and tourism. I joined Spa Creek Conservancy to have a positive impact on the health of Spa Creek and to engage the community in supporting its improvement.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth road. We have been successful in winning multiple grants to restore the headwaters, occasionally drawing the ire of some community members, and sometimes at odds with the City of Annapolis administration. Coordinating multiple agencies can also be a challenge.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Spa Creek Conservancy?
Spa Creek Conservancy is an all volunteer non-profit organization with a mission of stewardship of the Spa Creek watershed through education, preservation, mitigation, and restoration. Our vision is to be a model organization for restoring and protecting urban watersheds.
Our goals are to:
Clean up Spa Creek from the headwaters to the Severn River
Educate about the link between human lifestyles and the health of the Spa Creek watershed
Reduce erosion, stormwater runoff, and pollution
Provide an umbrella nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization to obtain funding for initiatives and their completion Fed ID# 41-2069559
Identify sources of damage to the Spa Creek watershed, raise such issues with the responsible parties and cooperate to achieve corrective actions
Develop action plans to repair the damage to the Spa Creek watershed and remediate their sources, working with other groups when possible.
Spa Creek Conservancy runs the weekly water quality monitoring program for both Spa and Back Creeks, reporting the weekly results May – September.
Spa Creek Conservancy, with the partnership of the Eastport Yacht Club sponsors the annual event Kids on the Creek. The purpose of the event is to get kids who wouldn’t normally have the chance to be out on the creek, an experience on boats seeing the creek with new eyes. They learn why it is important to be good stewarts of the creek and the surrounding area.
What does success mean to you?
Fishable and swimmable water in Spa Creek, with a community that supports clean water and equitable water access .
Pricing:
- none
Contact Info:
- Website: https://spacreek.net/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpaCreekConservancy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@spacreekconservancy
