Poplar Island Eco Tour - October 1st 2012

Just a week ago we took a day trip courtesy of the Port of Baltimore to Poplar Island. Jean called several weeks ago and got us onto one of the last boat excusions of the year. We boarded their jet powered ferry boat for a 30 minute trip from right here on Tilghman Isle. We even passed right by the Omarsea as we exited the harbor. A biologist/field guide gave us an indepth tour of the island. Megan was very informative as to the history and future of this historic landmark location. We learned that it had once been a settlement that the British seized as a base of operations for the war of 1812. Then a small community had resettled after the war composed of fisherman and their families. The settler so denuded the island that severe erosion took hold and the 1100 acres that were recorded in 1641 were washed away to leave less than 4 acres in 1996. This picture shows three islands. Poplar the largest, Jefferson the smaller green dot at the upper part of the shallows and Coaches island. Jefferson was a political playground for the affluent Democrats of the early 1900's. FDR's wheelchair ramp is said to still exist at the house there. It just sold to a group of lawyers from DC for 3.5 million. Coaches is also privately owned though no one lives there now.
When we arrived at Poplar isle there was a tour bus awaiting us. Megan had a loudspeaker and gave us a running tour as we drove down the roads created by the US Army Corp of Engineers. It seems that the Port needed a place to put their dredge spoils without damaging the bay. Poplar island was selcted as the site with the thought that it could be restored to a pristine wetland. The Corp surrounded the intended island with riprap or armoured rock walls and began infilling areas known as "Cells". You can see the cells in this photo. They have completed several cells and these now look as though they have always been there. Volunteers have planted millions of salt grass plants, trees and shrubs. We stopped the bus and walked across a grassy plain. All arround us were heron's, egrets, terns and many other water birds. Muskrats swam in the manmade creeks, There were reported to be marsh terrapins the local turtle in the meandering tidal streams.
Here is a link to a youtube video of the rebuilding of the island. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_2i-74uu-I 
The project is expected to take until late 2039 to complete and by that date there will be an additional 500 acres added to the North Eastern end of the island.
This is a great free trip for anyone coming to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, but plan ahead as it books up quickly.