Celebrate 35th Anniversary Of Land Trust With Plant Sale, Spring Fling

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Harford Land Trust will be celebrating its 35th anniversary this year with a series of public events and a new plant sale fundraiser.

Harford Land Trust was formed in 1991 when residents banded together to protect the area's natural systems and landscapes. Today, 32.8% of Harford County is protected under conservation easements or as parks, with 66,421 acres of private land preserved.

“Harford County’s economy and our community’s well-being depend on fertile farmland, biologically diverse forests and plentiful outdoor recreation opportunities,” said HLT Executive Director Kristin Kirkwood. “This milestone reminds us why we must continue protecting enough open space to support our shared natural resources.”

The community is invited to celebrate the organization's anniversary during its annual meeting Saturday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Hopkins Farm Brewery in Havre de Grace. Guest speaker Paul Goeringer, principal faculty specialist at the University of Maryland Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, will deliver a presentation about solar leasing
considerations for landowners and local decisionmakers. There will be food trucks onsite.

The organization's inaugural native and pollinator plant sale fundraiser will be online and feature 60 varieties of plants. Every purchase will support land conservation efforts in Harford County

Member-only access to the online plant sale starts March 7. The public can purchase plants online starting March 21. All plants can be picked up at the Grow Wild: Spring Fling.

"Our online sale isn't live yet, but the link will be sent out to members and available on our main website starting March 7. It also will be shared on our social media. HLT members will receive a passcode from us starting on March 7 that they can use for early access to the website. Then, on March 21, the website will be open to the general public and will no longer require a code," Hunter Hine, spokesperson for the HLT, told Patch.

Grow Wild: Spring Fling will take place May 2 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Harford County Equestrian Center in Bel Air. Visitors can collect free wildflower seeds, tree seedlings and native plant plugs, and learn about gardening from
professional growers, ecologists and Master Gardeners.

The event also will feature an array of local vendors related to gardening, crafts and nature-based goods, as well as
children’s crafts and activities in the sprouts area.