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Subject:

Luther Goldman Birding Trail dedicated today; History of Birding in Prince George's County released

From:

Rich Dolesh

Reply-To:

Rich Dolesh

Date:

Mon, 19 May 2008 22:43:14 -0400

About 120 people gathered this evening, Monday, May 19, 2008, at Lake
Artemesia, a beautiful natural area park of the MNCPPC that is tucked away
between College Park and Berwyn, for the dedication of the Luther Goldman
Birding Trail.    The newly designated 2.2 mile birding trail loops around a
portion of the 10 acre lake in park, then dips into  wetlands and woods to
end at its starting point.  

 

This first ever birding trail in Prince George's County was dedicated in
memory of Luther Chase Goldman, a longtime USFWS biologist and refuge
manager who was also the first official photographer of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.  After his death in 2005, a group of friends and
colleagues including Matt Perry, Don Messersmith, Mike Donovan, Greg Kearns,
Maureen Blades, and Rich Dolesh got together to decide on an appropriate
memorial, and came up with the suggestion to create a birding trail in his
name, which trail was dedicated this evening on a lovely spring evening with
family, friends, retired colleagues, and long-time birding friends.

 

The trail traverses a short loop of the Anacostia Tributary Trail system, an
extensive network of trails that runs along the tributary streams of the
Anacostia from above Beltsville all the way to the District line near
Bladensburg.  The segments in and around Lake Artemesia and the College Park
Airport are surprisingly good birding habitat, and were favorite haunts of
Luther, Leonard Lutwack (recently deceased), Mike Donovan, and others.  A
Birding Site Guide has been prepared by Dave Mozurkewich, assisted by Jack
Saba.  An accurate bird checklist will be available on line and at the park.
A series of volunteer and staff naturalist-led bird walks on the trail will
begin the first Saturday and June, and also regularly on Wednesday evenings.
Look for more information on the PGAS and MNCPPC websites.

 

There is one special tribute to Luther related to the birding trail,
however, that every Maryland birder will find interesting.  This is a newly
published "History of Birding in Prince George's County" written by Don
Messersmith, professor emeritus in Ornithology and Entomology at the
University of Maryland.  This delightful monograph traces the
extraordinarily history of birding in Prince George's County, and its rich
association with scientists and biologists of the Patuxent Wildlife Research
Center and the Smithsonian Institution.  You can find this fascinating
little publication on the PGAS website at: http://www.pgaudubon.org/ then
click through to the link to the Luther Goldman Birding Trail.

 

So, enjoy the Birding History of Prince Georges County and add the Luther
Goldman Birding Trail to your birding destinations. You will enjoy both.  

 

To find Lake Artemesia go to
http://www.pgparks.com/places/nature/artemesia.html 

 

Rich Dolesh

Aquasco, MD