About Us

MID-SHORE / TALBOT COUNTY CHAPTER HISTORY

The Izaak Walton League was established in 1922 by a group of concerned anglers. The League has grown to over 400 local chapters in 21 states with over 40,000 members.

The Talbot County Chapter was founded in 1949. The formation of the Chapter was initiated by Mr. Douglass E. Bullock. He was a member of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chapter and he spent his summers at the Wade's Point Inn near McDaniel in Talbot County. Organizational meetings occurred in October of 1949 at the County Auditorium in Easton, at the Miles River Yacht Club, and at the Talbot Country Club. By the end of the year, the Chapter had 47 members and $218 in the treasury.

In 1958 the Chapter had 84 members and $800 in its treasury and was ready to embark upon the acquisition of property for a "nature area" which would also be used for chapter meetings. The Nature Center property was acquired for $1,589 using treasury funds, a $900 bond issue and member donations of $345.

In 1961 the Chapter authorized $1,200 for the construction of a 26' x 48' pavilion with open sides and an A-frame roof at the Nature Center. Over time, the facility has been upgraded and in 2000 a deep well for potable water was installed. Later, two ADA-approved bathrooms were added to the pavilion.

In 2013, the Chapter changed its name from Talbot County to Mid-Shore in order to eliminate the perception that the chapter was exclusively for Talbot County residents. In fact, we attract members from an area that encompasses Caroline, Dorchester, Queen Anne, and Talbot counties.

OUR CHAPTER FOCUS

For the past 20 plus years, the Chapter has focused on supporting outdoor education programs in conjunction with the local school systems.

In 2000, we started giving annual scholarships to high school students pursuing degrees in environmental science. Beginning in 2009, we also awarded one scholarship to a graduate student working and studying at the University of Maryland's Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge. Since 2012, we increased that to 2 scholarships to graduate students at Horn Point. More than $80,000 has been awarded in scholarships.

A more recent conservation program is the distribution of free, reusable grocery tote bags as an alternative to using plastic bags. Over 1,500 bags have been distributed to shoppers in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot counties.

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