The Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary is located along the tidal

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 northeas ...

in southern

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, United States. It was established in 1985 and is operated by the

Anne Arundel County Anne Arundel County (; ), also notated as AA or A.A. County, is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 588,261, an increase of just under 10% since 2010. Its county seat is Annapolis, wh ...

Department of Recreation and Parks. It includes more than of tidal freshwater

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

s, meadows and fields. The wetlands, with large stands of aquatic plants including

wild rice Wild rice, also called manoomin, mnomen, psíŋ, Canada rice, Indian rice, or water oats, is any of four species of grasses that form the genus ''Zizania'', and the grain that can be harvested from them. The grain was historically and is sti ...

, are home to many

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

reptile Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...

amphibian Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...

s, and

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

s. Miles of trails and boardwalks traverse a variety of habitats and provide glimpses into the rich history of the region. Notably, archaeologists have uncovered evidence of a large Native American settlement at Jug Bay which spanned 2 miles along the Patuxent, with the oldest

arrowhead An arrowhead or point is the usually sharpened and hardened tip of an arrow, which contributes a majority of the projectile mass and is responsible for impacting and penetrating a target, or sometimes for special purposes such as signaling. ...

-like artifact dated between 8,000 and 8,900 years old. In 1990, the Sanctuary became a component of the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

National Estuarine Research Reserve System The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a network of 30 protected areas established by partnerships between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and coastal states. The reserves represent different biogeographic r ...

. The sanctuary is also recognized as a Nationally Important Bird Area by the

American Bird Conservancy American Bird Conservancy (ABC) is a non-profit organization, non-profit membership organization with the mission of conserving wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. ABC is the second BirdLife International partner in the United ...

and the

National Audubon Society The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such orga ...

. Jug Bay is located within the

Atlantic Flyway The Atlantic Flyway is a major north-south flyway for migratory birds in North America. The route generally starts in Greenland, then follows the Atlantic coast of Canada, then south down the Atlantic Coast of the United States to the tropical ...

and is a haven for more than 100 species of birds, including native and migratory waterfowl, songbirds, and raptors. 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. Several hundred volunteers act as docents and guides to the public and assist with long-term ecological studies. The sanctuary is located in

Bristol, Maryland Bristol is an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary (a stop on the Patuxent Water Trail) and the colonial town of Pig Point (alternately referred to as Bristol Landing and Leon at t ...

, from the mouth of the long river. The Wetlands Center is at , three miles (5 km) southeast of Upper Marlboro and six miles (10 km) west of

Lothian Lothian (; ; ) is a region of the Scottish Lowlands, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills and the Moorfoot Hills. The principal settlement is the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, while other signific ...

, with a mailing address of 1361 Wrighton Road, Lothian, MD 20711. It is southwest of

Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

and southeast of

Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

McCann Wetlands Study Center

The McCann Wetlands Study Center houses interactive exhibits about wetlands, estuaries and the Patuxent River watershed, focusing on their importance and health, as well as the plants and animals that live there. The center also contains classroom lab facilities and a gift shop.

The Friends of Jug Bay

The Friends of Jug Bay is a non-profit organization, incorporated in 1986, to support and promote the sanctuary. They foster activities that increase public appreciation of the natural environment of Jug Bay and the Patuxent River. The Friends receive funds from membership dues, donations, grants, fundraisers, and the sale of merchandise. There are over 400 member families. Some of the projects and activities supported by the Friends include research fellowships, summer camp scholarships and junior counselors, hospitality support, staff development, scientific and education equipment and materials, and other special projects.

References

External links

Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary website

Friends of Jug Bay website
* {{Nature centers in Maryland Protected areas of Anne Arundel County, Maryland Nature centers in Maryland Nature reserves in Maryland Protected areas established in 1985 1985 establishments in Maryland