WHO WE ARE

Piney Orchard is a planned unit development (PUD) south of Odenton, Maryland. The community was begun in 1992, although groundbreaking for what was to become the Nature Preserve was in 1987, when Constellation Real Estate, the developer, began the effort to restore wetlands in an area which had been mined for sand and gravel in the 1940s and 1950s. Several mitigation projects, the term used for this restoration, followed in five phases to replace wetlands filled in by the development of the community, and included the building and enhancement of five large ponds and the planting of shrubs, trees, and grasses native to the area. The Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees such efforts, monitored the progress of the mitigation sites until 1995, when it was determined the efforts had been successful. In 1996, the Piney Orchard Nature Preserve was officially opened, with walking trails, bird boxes, and interpretive signs enhancing the environment and enjoyment of this lovely green space. In the course of monitoring the development of the Preserve, several rare, threatened, and endangered species of plants were identified by various scientists with the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Maryland Department of the Environment, who continue to visit the site with much interest and enthusiasm. Click here for a map of the surrounding community.

The Piney Orchard Nature Preserve is bounded by the Little Patuxent River on the south, the WBA Trail of Anne Arundel County, MD on the east, Md Route 170/Patuxent Road on the west, and the Piney Orchard neighborhoods of River's Edge, Nature's Trail, River Colony, River Run, and Brookwood on the north. The Preserve is of about 100 acres, rising from the floodplain of the Little Patuxent River on the Magothy and Matawan land formations, and includes wetlands, woodlands, open grassy areas, sandy dry stream beds, and freshwater ponds. Approximately 5 miles of walking trails and paved bike trails give residents access to the Preserve and connect with the many paved paths within the larger community of Piney Orchard. The WBA Trail project of the Recreation and Parks Department of Anne Arundel County, completed it's first AA Co phase in 2004. When all three phases are completed, it will connect to the larger county trail system, which together form part of the East Coast Greenway system of trails, stretching all along the eastern coastal United States. The WBA Trail will eventually connect to already completed portions in Prince George's County, MD, and will be part of the American Discovery Trail, which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean at Henlopen State Park in Delaware, to the Pacific Ocean in Point Reyes National Seashore near San Francisco, CA.

Many birds have been found to nest here and migrants find respite in their travels. Beavers have affected the landscape since before the Preserve was established and continue to build dams in out of the way spots. Fox have built dens in old mining mounds. Deer inhabit the forest. Turtles and frogs thrive in the wetlands, as do plants unique to bogs and swamps. Wild flowers, butterflies, and dragonflies decorate the scene in their seasons. We have a rich and diverse population of species which we invite you to help us preserve.

For more detailed information about the Preserve and its inhabitants, enjoy the rest of our web site, where the work of many volunteers is reflected in our various species lists, and our trail maintenance and bird habitat projects, and an extensive collection of links that will take you to other sites which will enlarge your appreciation of the Preserve. We even have a trail map! And for information obout what's been happening in the Preserve since the formation of our committee, click here.

Throughout the site you will find links to the Enchanted Learning pages, where kids of all ages can find all kinds of good  information and fun activities.