Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
Encyclopedia
The Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary is located along the tidal Patuxent River
in southern Maryland
. It was established in 1985 and is operated by the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks. It includes more than 1500 acres (6.1 km²) of tidal freshwater wetland
s, forest
s, meadows and fields. The wetlands, with large stands of aquatic plants including wild rice
, are home to many bird
s, fish
, reptile
s, and mammal
s. Miles of trails and boardwalks traverse a variety of habitats and provide glimpses into the rich history of the region. In 1990, the Sanctuary became a component of the Chesapeake Bay
National Estuarine Research Reserve System. The sanctuary is also recognized as a Nationally Important Bird Area by the American Bird Conservancy
and the National Audubon Society
.
The goals of the sanctuary are to provide environmental education opportunities to the public, to conduct ecological research, and to conserve Jug Bay's unique ecosystem. Each year about 10,000 visitors enjoy programs for students, families and groups. Several hundred volunteers act as docents and guides to the public and assist with long-term ecological studies. In return, volunteers gain in-depth knowledge of ecology, natural history, and the functions of wetland ecosystems.
The sanctuary is located in Bristol, Maryland
, 43 miles (69.2 km) from the mouth of the 115 miles (185.1 km) long river. The Wetlands Center is at 38°47′05"N 76°42′06"W, three miles (5 km) southeast of Upper Marlboro
and six miles (10 km) west of Lothian
, with a mailing address of 1361 Wrighton Road, Lothian, MD 20711. It is 17.5 miles (28.2 km) southwest of Annapolis
and 19.5 miles (31.4 km) southeast of Washington, DC.
Patuxent River
The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between...
in southern Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. It was established in 1985 and is operated by the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks. It includes more than 1500 acres (6.1 km²) of tidal freshwater wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s, forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s, meadows and fields. The wetlands, with large stands of aquatic plants including wild rice
Wild rice
Wild rice is four species of grasses forming the genus Zizania, and the grain which can be harvested from them. The grain was historically gathered and eaten in both North America and China...
, are home to many bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
, reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s, and mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s. Miles of trails and boardwalks traverse a variety of habitats and provide glimpses into the rich history of the region. In 1990, the Sanctuary became a component of the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
National Estuarine Research Reserve System. The sanctuary is also recognized as a Nationally Important Bird Area by the American Bird Conservancy
American Bird Conservancy
American Bird Conservancy is a non-profit membership organization with the mission of conserving native birds and their habitats throughout the Americas...
and the National Audubon Society
National Audubon Society
The National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation. Incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and uses science, education and grassroots advocacy to advance its conservation mission...
.
The goals of the sanctuary are to provide environmental education opportunities to the public, to conduct ecological research, and to conserve Jug Bay's unique ecosystem. Each year about 10,000 visitors enjoy programs for students, families and groups. Several hundred volunteers act as docents and guides to the public and assist with long-term ecological studies. In return, volunteers gain in-depth knowledge of ecology, natural history, and the functions of wetland ecosystems.
The sanctuary is located in Bristol, Maryland
Bristol, Maryland
Bristol is an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The James Owens Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987....
, 43 miles (69.2 km) from the mouth of the 115 miles (185.1 km) long river. The Wetlands Center is at 38°47′05"N 76°42′06"W, three miles (5 km) southeast of Upper Marlboro
Upper Marlboro
Upper Marlboro may refer to a town in the United States:* Upper Marlboro, Maryland* Greater Upper Marlboro, Maryland...
and six miles (10 km) west of Lothian
Lothian, Maryland
Lothian is an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States.Lothian is a rural community in southern , Maryland, 12 miles southwest of Annapolis, Maryland, 24 miles east of Washington, DC, and 31 miles south of Baltimore, Maryland....
, with a mailing address of 1361 Wrighton Road, Lothian, MD 20711. It is 17.5 miles (28.2 km) southwest of Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
and 19.5 miles (31.4 km) southeast of Washington, DC.