Chesapeake Conservancy Collaboration
"There's something particularly special to me about the Chesapeake Bay."
After months of confinement in South Carolina, some dear friends offered to let us visit their family's cottage in Maryland. The quiet house, perched on the Little Choptank River, proved the perfect place to explore the coast and waterways, attempt to catch rockfish, enjoy spectacular sunsets, and further a new found pandemic hobby -- birdwatching. Coincidentally, only a couple months after this trip I had a meeting with an acquaintance at the Chesapeake Conservancy about Landmark getting involved with a coalition effort to bring a portion of the Chesapeake Bay into the National Park system.
Written by Jen Moreau - Brand Owner
We knew almost immediately the best way to support the campaign was for Landmark to create a new piece of original art -- United for a Chesapeake National Recreation Area -- showcasing the features of the country's largest estuary.
We also knew we needed a key retail partner to amplify the message and products that benefit the campaign. Enter the Mid-Atlantic collection of REI stores. Their fantastic Local Experiences Market Coordinator brought 5 locations on board, and we had a full-blown collaboration ready to take to market.
I love those serendipitous moments in life and work when the perfectly timed project lands on your desk. Designating a portion of the Chesapeake Bay as a national recreation area is a work in progress. Here's an overview of the coalition's goals:
- Recognition: The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure, and this is about getting our due recognition among the other treasured sites and landscapes included in the National Park System.
- Resources: With that recognition comes resources. This will enable us to establish visitor centers, new park areas, and also create a very connected, coordinated visitor experience throughout the Bay. A great example of this kind of work is the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
- Public Access: A primary goal is to enhance public access to the Bay. So much of the waterfront and shoreline is privately owned. We have an opportunity to create new public access points, and also to enhance currently existing sites. Interpretation and
- Storytelling: In uniting parks and sites throughout the Chesapeake Bay, we also want to create more coordinated interpretation, and also update interpretation to make a very inclusive visitor experience. For instance, the story of the Indigenous peoples of the Chesapeake Bay and the Native American tribes that exist today is not well told, it’s not out front. The same is true for African-American and Black history here.
You can back this endeavor by purchasing one of the limited edition tees, posters, or stickers Landmark has created.
If you live in the Chesapeake Bay area, please purchase these prod2-ucts from 1 of the 5 participating REI locations: REI Rockville, REI Tysons, REI Washington DC Flagship, REI Timonium, or REI Columbia.
Leave a comment