The Nature Conservancy in Maryland/District of Columbia

Crescent Preserve
An archipelago of seasonal ponds

The Crescent Preserve is a collection of five natural areas, each with one or more coastal plain ponds. It encompasses our Jackson Lane, Baltimore Corner, Persimmon Pond, and other preserves. Also known as Delmarva bays, these seasonally flooded freshwater wetlands are one of the state's rarest natural communities.

Visiting the Preserve
The Crescent Preserve is only open to scientific research with prior permission from The Nature Conservancy, because of the fragile ecology of Delmarva bays. Thank you for your understanding and help in protecting this important part of Maryland's natural heritage.

Location
Central Eastern Shore

Plants

Canby's dropwort (nationally rare)
Harper's fimbristylis
Harper's sedge (nationally rare)
Torrey's dropseed (nationally rare)
reticulated nutrush

Animals

carpenter frog
long-beaked baldrush

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
To protect one of Maryland's rarest natural communities, Delmarva bays.

What the Conservancy Is Doing Here

The Crescent Preserve consists of three Conservancy preserves (Baltimore Corner, Persimmon Pond, and Jackson Lane/Eaton's Pond) and two state-owned Natural Heritage Conservation Areas (Bridgetown Pond and Hollingsworth Pond).
1,236 acres protected by the Conservancy and the state of Maryland since 1982
Habitat restoration: removing woody vegetation to enlarge open sunny habitat for rare plants
Annual monitoring of rare plants
Control of invasive plants that threaten seasonal ponds--volunteers welcome!