Exploring Jug Bay
At the beginning of October, IAN staff took a field trip to Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary. This remarkable place protects 1,700 areas of tidal freshwater marshes, forested wetlands, upland and riparian forest, creeks, meadows, pine and sand barrens, and fields along the Patuxent River. The Patuxent is one of the Chesapeake Bay's smaller tributaries. Jug Bay is one of three components of the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Jug Bay is also the site of Native American settlements stretching back at least 10,000 years. Our nature-loving staff was excited just to be outside on a beautiful early-autumn day!
Chesapeake "Bay-kery" at the HPL Open House
Ann Foo and Heath Kelsey attended the Horn Point Lab’s Open House on October 11th this year, with help from Shaima and Ney, visiting fellows with the US State Department’s Young Southeast Asia Leadership Initiative (YSEALI) program. Our theme this year was the Chesapeake “Bay-kery.” We provided recipe cards for a healthy and resilient bay, stickers with a Blue Crab Bread Roll, Terrapin Bun, and Oyster Cream Puff, in addition to IAN’s report cards, and drawing activities for kids. The open house was well attended and, as always, we really enjoyed talking with everyone who came by. It is encouraging that so many people are interested in Chesapeake Bay science and status. Special thanks to Ann Foo for coordinating all the moving pieces to make this a success!
Mega-Delta Conference in Shanghai
Heath Kelsey attended the 4th annual Mega-Delta Conference, which was hosted by The State Key Laboratory for Estuarine and Coastal Research at East China Normal University, in Shanghai, China from October 19–22. River delta systems are important hubs for trade and economic development, support large human populations, and provide vital ecosystem functions. This conference focused on research and applied solutions that account for the massive pressures from urbanization, transportation, pollution, resource use and climate change. We (Future Earth Coasts) have also been working with other partners, including Future Earth Asia, the Shanghai Academy of Environmental Science, Living Deltas Hub, and Council Fire LLC, to develop a program for socio-environmental report cards and collective action for river delta systems, beginning in Asia and expanding to other delta systems worldwide. To learn more, read Heath's recent blog about the conference.
Celebrating Black maritime history on the Choptank River
IAN participated in the first annual Sailing the Choptank Through Ebony Eyes in Cambridge, MD on October 25th. The event was organized by Alpha Genesis Community Development Corporation in collaboration with many local partners and was centered around sailing cruises on the Choptank River aboard the Pride of Baltimore II, along with tours of the Richardson Maritime Museum and boatbuilding demonstrations. This was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the community and learn about the region’s rich Black maritime heritage. IAN shared recently completed projects about the health of the Bay and its watershed, as well as how prepared communities like the Pine Street community in Cambridge are for climate change. We are grateful to work with organizations like the Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation and Harriet Tubman Tours, who help all people connect with their natural world while bringing history to life.
Maryland Water Monitoring Council Data to Decisions Workshop
On October 8th, Alexandra Fries helped facilitate the Data to Decisions Workshop put on by the Community Science Committee, part of the Maryland Water Monitoring Council. Overall, the workshop was designed to create dialog among community science groups, state, federal, and non-governmental organizations to learn about how data is used in decision-making processes throughout Maryland. The goals of this workshop were to 1) review current monitoring and where/how data are being stored, 2) share data use victories, 3) discuss data uses and locations of data, and 4) discuss future goals and barriers. Partners from the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative facilitated and attended the meeting as well. Overall, rich discussions were had and follow-up with a summary of workshop results will occur over the next few months.
Learning from our international fellows
IAN had two visiting fellows from the State Department’s Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Professional Fellows Program for Fall 2025. Shaima Misli from Brunei and Genea Nichole “Ney” Cortez from the Philippines were with us throughout October, which was a really active time. They attended the UMCES Centennial Celebration in Baltimore, experienced the press event for the Healthy Harbor Report Card release at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, helped IAN at the UMCES Horn Point Lab’s Open House, and had a field visit to the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary. Shaima and Ney got to do a lot while they were here, and we think they got a good taste of sustainability issues in the region. Likewise, we got a feel for important sustainability concerns in their home countries. We really enjoyed hosting Shaima and Ney, and we look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.
Meet the Scientist: Conor Keitzer
Hi everyone! My name is Conor Keitzer, and I am a Science Integrator at IAN. My journey here includes catching prehistoric sturgeon in coastal rivers, radio-tracking gopher tortoises in Florida’s scrub, chasing spring lizards and giant salamanders in the Appalachian Mountains, working to improve watershed conservation in the agricultural landscapes of the Midwest, and teaching environmental science in eastern Tennessee. While my background is in freshwater ecology and conservation, I am generally interested in making data useful for people so we can create healthy and resilient futures for our communities and environment. So, IAN is the perfect place for me! Since joining IAN just three years ago, I’ve learned so much about science communication and stakeholder-driven research. I also love the variety of work I get to do. One day I might be assessing water quality conditions in the Chesapeake Bay, while the next week I’m facilitating a stakeholder workshop in central Maine. While my path to IAN was long and windy, I am so grateful to be here working with this amazing group of creative and passionate people making a positive difference for the planet!
If you value research like Conor's, consider donating to IAN here.
Upcoming fall conferences
Come find us at some upcoming conferences! From November 7–9, we’ll be at the 20th Annual Chesapeake Watershed Forum in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and from November 9–13, we’ll be at CERF in Richmond, Virginia. Several IAN staff will be giving talks and facilitating workshops at these conferences, which is a great opportunity to learn more about our work and expand your science communication skills. We hope to see you there!
Giving Tuesday is almost here!
Support our efforts to:
- Preserve critical ecosystems for future generations
- Empower communities to tackle socio-environmental challenges
- Share science-based solutions
- Mobilize people like you, who value nature and community-led action
To champion these causes, donate on our website or by scanning the QR code above for Giving Tuesday (Dec 2, 2025).